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Left to right: Mother Teresa (1950-1997), Isis suckling Horus statue in Louvre, and Time’s controversial motherhood cover (mother breast feeds her 3 year old boy)  appearing this week.

Mothers keep the world going. And the concept of mother or mom isn’t limited to those bearing children. One of the best known mothers was Mother Teresa, an Albanian-born woman named Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, consisting of over 4,500 Roman Catholic sisters in 133 countries. These women vow to lead a life of chastity, poverty and obedience, and to give “wholehearted and free service to the poorest of the poor”. Often they provide the love that abandon and unwanted children have never felt before.

Motherhood has been honored since time began (shortly after cave men got over themselves and quit dragging women around by the hair.) Isis, Egyptian Mother Goddess (shown in photo) nursing Horus in a statue at the Louvre, was worshipped at least 5,o0o years ago circa 3,100 BC, as the ideal mother and wife as well as the patron of nature and magic. She was the friend of slaves, sinners, artisans, and the downtrodden. Mother Teresa’s mission somewhat embodied the Isis concept. Isis listened to the prayers of the wealthy, maidens, aristocrats, and rulers. Isis is often depicted as the mother of Horus, suckling him in an attitude similar to that of the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus. Isis is also known as protector of the dead and goddess of children.

What kind of mother do you honor or want to be?  Mother Earth, motherhood or our very own mother each of us has or lost, all are thought of on this special Mother’s Day 2012.