ViV Magazine Volume 4 (April - May 2014) ViV Magazine Volume 4 (April - May 2014) | Page 68

“

No woman can call herself free until she
can choose consciously whether she will or
will not be a mother.
Aucune femme ne peut se dire libre tant
qu’elle n’a pas consciemment fait son choix
d’être ou de ne pas être mère.

”

ary tenderly caresses her infant’s head while
breastfeeding him. Betty coaxes her toddler to
sleep with a soothing lullaby. Lillian comforts
her ten year old son over a skinned knee in the
playground. Irene patiently helps her teenage
daughter study for a mid-term exam. Elizabeth
lovingly explains the facts of life and growing up to her daughter
who got her period for the first time. It is past midnight and
Nadia is still awake worrying and waiting for her sixteen year
old daughter who went out on her first date. Brenda can’t stop
boasting about her son’s brilliant achievements at university.
Vivian is worried sick about her pregnant daughter’s health. And
Teresa is concerned about her fifty year old son who may lose
his job at the bank.

M

ViVmaghaiti.com | Pg. 68 |

Margaret Sanger

The previous are all expressions of motherly love for which
there is no age limit. The link between a mother and her child is
profound. The special and close relationship shared by a mother
and her offspring begins during pregnancy, when the mother
is everything for the developing fetus, supplying warmth and
sustenance, while the steady pace of her heartWWbeat provides
a soothing feeling. This bond grows even stronger as years go by
and is never ending.
The physical tie between mother and fetus is initially provided
by the placenta, but the emotional link is established through
the mother’s continuous care. Whether you gave birth to a
child or adopted and raised one, motherly love is an innate