Our Lady in Waiting

One of our hens, Frances, has been a bit broody lately. She sits and sits with the false instinctual hope that her eggs will hatch. You see there are no roosters at the Wright household, only gals. It is surprising to many that even with a flock of only females, you can still get eggs, unfertilized eggs. If one wants chicks, you must have a rooster. While it is a beautiful thing to have fresh eggs daily with their creamy rich amber yolks and the peace of mind of knowing where my food comes from, I can't help but empathize with my dear Frances. It is so much part of the female variety of any breed, creed, race or religion to at some time in their life feel the call to motherhood. In a world so obsessed with differences, I choose to focus on commonalities of the soul. I feel a connectedness with any female, beast or being for the simple reason that we have the capacity to love like mothers. And while some may argue that Frances's commitment to mothering chicks is solely instinctual, I see a sadness in her eyes as she sits and awaits something she knows should be there but will never come. Her dilemma makes me think of all the women throughout time who have prayed for babies that never came and I feel so blessed to have one child and another on the way. Let me be clear that in no way do I feel that in order to feel the connectedness I am speaking of that one must be or even want to be a mother. It is enough to know that as females we have the ability to "love like a mother." There is always someone out there wanting and needing a mother's love. Whether our own children, students, pets, or a stranger on the street is on the receiving end I can't help but feel compelled to spread some motherly love!