“A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.”
Agatha Christie
I lost my mother when I was 12, so Mother’s Day has always come with mixed emotions for me. I’ll admit, I savor the extra love and attention my husband and kids show for the sacrifices I’ve made. I also enjoy sharing the same with my mother-in-law for all she means to our family and to me. Still, I know first-hand how incredibly hard this day is for so many people. If that includes you, my heart goes out to you this weekend.
Because climate change is never far from my mind, I can’t help thinking about the tie-in with motherhood. Survey data shows that a higher percentage of women than men are worried about the warming world. Don’t get me wrong, the majority of men care too, but the percentages are higher for women. There are probably lots of explanations, but I’m convinced one is that many women are mothers.
The mothers I know spend a high percentage of their waking moments thinking about the well-being of their children. For some, it takes on an almost constant form of worry, while for others, it’s more like background music. For those of us with grown children, there’s some truth to the out-of-sight, out-of-mind cliché; but even adult children occupy our headspace…rent-free.
Have you ever met a mom who doesn’t do everything she can to help prepare her children for the future? We support them in their education, health, and personal development, all so that they will have every possible opportunity for a happy and successful life. But we all know there is only so much we can prepare them for; there are countless unknown variables and uncertainties about the future.
What if there was a risk down the road for our children, and we could do things now to reduce that risk? We would do those things, right? I propose the biggest risk to the future of our children and grandchildren is climate change. Why? Because at the current trajectory, it will make all aspects of life harder.
Look, I recognize everyone has daily problems demanding their attention, and these problems are more urgent and consequential for some than for others. I’m not trying to minimize the very real challenges people face every single day with health, safety, and finances.
But as mothers, grandmothers, and mother-figures, maybe we should factor climate change in as one of the things that will impact the quality of life for our children and grandchildren. For me, framing the problem this way fuels my passion to find ways to help. Come on, mama bears! Let’s solve this and make it a better future for the people we love.
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Talk about it. Help solve it.