Mothering: The Art of Creating Goodness
My mother, right before she passed, congratulated me on finishing graduate school and asked me what are you going to do with your PhD? Put the certificate in the drawer? Or do something good in the world?
I answered her that the process of research in itself is doing something good in the world, after all, it is a novel and unique research project. But of course, mothers have a way of making us re-evaluate and think, no matter how much we may be annoyed with their suggestions. So I started to think what is it that I want to create, what goodness will I enact in the world? How do I serve with this degree?
For my first degree, BA in English Literature, I went to two different universities at the same time. Crazy. Universities specialize in certain fields, and at the time, the University of Washington did not have a robust global and social studies, so I also went to a different university to specialize in both fields. Two years of madness and overloaded schedule that was tiring and exhilarating at the same time.
Within a year of graduating from the University of Washington I started on the arduous journey to become a PhD - I chose two academic fields (my pattern); International Relations (IR) and Peace Studies.
My mother was right to ask: what will you do with your life now? I spoke with her twice about this before she passed and later realized that I know I have passion for research and peace amongst nations. That I already started to investigate creating a huge research project that studies the Consciousness of Peace. Check out the beginning of this project at the newborn institute, Mature Peace.
Mothering our children to create goodness in the world is what every mother does - it is an art form of the highest kind. As so many of you know, I am so proud of my own goddaughter who finished her graduate degree in Law. She practices law in a different city and phones her mother almost daily. They nurture their relationship and love being in each other’s lives. It is important.
Mothers are the foundation of our world, the most fundamental element of creation. There is nothing easy about forming a life in their womb, giving birth, and raising a child into adulthood. It is hard work that societies throughout the world have taken for granted.
Today, we celebrate all mothers and we remind ourselves that goodness and greatness is their ultimate goal of creation.
I am sending my love and admiration to all the women in the world.
Yours as Always,
Dohrea
Dohrea Bardell, PhD
