Thursday, May 6, 2010

Mother's Day at the Hospital

My department, Child Life and Creative Arts Therapies tackles holidays, planning the best way to make them celebratory for both the kids and the parents. Each holiday presents (no pun intended) its own special challenges and Mother's Day is no exception. When I think about Mother's Day in the hospital, I think about sacrifice, sacrifice that is made without thinking. As a mom myself, I spend a lot of time observing the mothers I work with. They sit all day with their child, forgoing food, sunshine, showers and the rest of the family. They often sit for so long that sometimes the rest of the family has to pull them away. How do you acknowledge the greatness of this love? We're going to try this Friday. In addition to a spread of chocolate muffins, savory croissants, and a variety of coffees and teas, the volunteers and I have created this tray of paper corsages. Each colorful twist of tissue paper, carefully layered, represents a child for whom the mother is caring. As I printed this picture, I noticed that it divided along a diagonal line into light and dark. It speaks to me of the task of motherhood, that implicit promise to stay with our children through all of the darkness, shepherding them, we hope, into the fullness of life. On this Sunday, I honor all mothers, everywhere.

14 comments:

  1. Very touching post, Hannah. The flowers are gorgeous and I know they will create a lot of smiles this weekend!

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  2. Thank you Hannah. In a wonderful twist of fate, my mother (who lives in Michigan) is visiting and I was able to read this to her as I wrote it.

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  3. I am sure the moms will really appreciate this. Happy Mother's Day!

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  4. Claudine--May you have a sweet Mother's Day too!

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  5. There is something so cheery and childlike about tissue paper flowers. Your bouquet photo is lovely...like a tray of joyfulness.

    I can only imagine how special it will be for the moms to be gifted by all of the thoughtful delights that you've gathered.

    Happy Mother's day to you Hannah.

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  6. I love that Iona-a tray of joyfulness. That's how I felt when I saw them in the office later. When my own daughter came to pick me up that day, I asked her to take a picture of them.

    Happy Mother's Day to you too-may it be a joyful one!

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  7. Happy Mother's Day Hannah. How sweet that your mother is visiting for this special holiday weekend.

    My heart goes out to all the mothers you are honoring at the hospital. And to their children too, and all the families that have to endure such difficulties.

    The colorful paper flowers are full of joy! A really nice idea!

    Happy Mother's Day to all mothers everywhere!

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  8. such a commendable, heartfilled, joyful gesture-- to honor the mothers there-- and Happy Mothers Day to you and everyone.

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  9. Lynn and Donna, thank you both for your good wishes. I think it's important to acknowledge these mothers and their families, just as we acknowledge the families of service men and women. When we do, I've noticed that the moms absorb the color and joyfulness of the flowers like a basic nutrient that they were missing!

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  10. Hope you enjoyed your Mother's Day. I love the colors in the flowers you photographed. Yes, there is darkness in being on either side of the mother scale, as one or as the daughter of one. It is a beautiful journey. We can see the light when there is dark to compare it to. May your and your mother's days be light.

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  11. Oh, I'm sure that every mother there was thrilled with her corsage!

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  12. Hannah...yep, darkness and light - sums up mothering completely! But how wonderful is the light?! I loved this post - had a tear for those Mums sitting by their sick babies...And feel sure your tray of flowers meant the world to every one of them! Hope you had a little something special of your own on Mthers Day too!x

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  13. I did enjoy the Mother's Day--it's one of those special days where I feel I can just let go and float, suspended in time, cared for by my family.
    I think that the moms in the hospital may have felt a bit of the same thing. Thank you for your loving comments Beth, Lynn and Tracey!

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  14. A lovely, cheerful idea! Great photo too.

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