My Mom, the Goddess

My mother's birthday was a few days ago and I thought it appropriate to reflect on the effect my mother has had in my life. After careful consideration I came to a startling realization. My mother might be a goddess. I know,  it sounds strange to me too, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Bare with me, dear reader, while I make my case.

My mother is like Isis, the Egyptian goddess who was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife (right, Dad?) Besides the obvious, I must thank my mother for raising me and instilling in me a set of traditional values that have guided me and still guide me to this day. If that is not the ideal of motherhood then I don't know what is. Let me not fail to mention that she has done that job twice. My sister is every bit the strong young woman she is due to our mother's influence. A job well done as a mother might not be enough to convince someone of my mothers "other-worldliness" but there is more.

She is also like Mars, or Ares, depending on which side of the Adriatic and Ionian Sea you live. In this role, she fights for and defends those that are important to her with a ferocity that is unmatched. I recall a time in elememtary school when I watched her, with awe, dress down a teacher who complained to her that I, as a fourth grader, was leaving the class without permission and inciting other students to do the same (even at the age of nine I was a leader of, well, children). I remember being both frightened and excited to watch my mother defend me. The excitement because she was ready to protect me from any and all accusations. Frightening, because I knew later that evening her wrath would be upon me for my poor behavior. It was. With aspects of Isis and Mars already discovered, a third couldn't be far behind, right?

Finally, my mother is like Apollo, or more specifically, the Oracle at Delphi, a human imbued with Apollo's gifts of prophecy. There are countless myths that involve heroes consulting the Oracle for advice about their quest and learning crucial information that helped them succeed. There are just as many stories of others seeking wisdom from the Oracle and misinterpreting or outright ignoring what she says to their detriment. I'd like to say that I fall squarely in the first group but I've spent plenty of time in the latter. I'm just happy and blessed that my mother continues to offer sage counsel. It took me a couple years but I'm starting to understand.

My mother is my personal goddess. I love you and wish you many more happy birthdays.