When God commanded us to honor our mothers and fathers, he (some might say “she”) probably didn’t envision our contemporary observances of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Yet the months of May and June bring us special opportunities to reflect on our mothers and fathers, on those who have been like mothers and fathers to us, on our own mother- and father-like relationships with the children in our lives.

We know only too well that not all parent-child relationships are loving, gentle, or supportive, and that mothers and fathers cannot protect their children from pain and death. Our daily news, our sacred scriptures and our own experiences remind us of this on a regular basis.

Lynn Caruso has crafted a strong and lovely book in which we see motherhood – and by extension fatherhood – portrayed in all its beauty and promise, as well as its uncertainty and loss. Birth mothers, adoptive mothers, step mothers, foster mothers, god mothers, non-mothers all have an honored place here. A sense of humility, realism, and love permeates these writings – writings old and new, by men and by women, by the famous and not so famous, writings born from great joy as well as great sorrow.

The book is divided into seven sections, beginning with “Tilling the Soil: Honoring Our Maternal Ancestors” and concluding with “Sowing the Seeds: The Power of a Mother’s Love.” In between we move through the seasons of the year, including “Summer: A Season of Growth and Transformation” – where we find Gloria Waggoner’s poem for her grown sons – and “Winter: A Season of Loss.” It is a journey worth taking, and Caruso introduces us to excellent companions.

Gloria Waggoner has copies of the book for sale in Rosa Gallica; contact Gloria at 509-954-4328 or gloriaw@spokanediocese.org.