Maternal Heroes and the (Not So) "Dirty Keys"

"...[A mother] knows intuitively that to give, to nurture, to care for others, 

to suffer with and for them - for maternity implies suffering - is infinitely more valuable 

in God's sight than to conquer nations and fly to the moon."

~ Alice von Hildebrand

I agree- too often the political leaders and astronauts of this world dominate the sphere of public recognition, but it is the mother who serves as the everyday hero of our world. 

My time here in Honduras has only amplified my understanding of the heroism of a mother. In a hospital where epidurals are nowhere to be found, it's that much harder to ignore the suffering inherent in every woman's labor. In a place where poverty is more common than not, it's that much harder to ignore the maternal sacrifices of time, personal health, and money. In a country where some ordinary resources and most extraordinary means of treatment are inaccessible, it's that much harder to ignore the inequities in maternal and child health. And in a world where women continue to be objectified and used by others, it's just as hard to ignore a mother's undeserved pain and suffering. Today I share with you some of the mothers I have come to know during my time here...

I know a mother...she spends almost a full twenty-four hours enduring grueling labor pains, and after pushing for hours, baby still adamantly refuses to leave his mother's womb. After undergoing a c-section, she finally gives birth to her beautiful child, utterly exhausted yet simultaneously restored.

I know a mother...she sleeps on the hard ground of the hospital, ready to feed her infant at the cue of a hungry cry. She knows her infant is slowly dying from advanced liver disease, but she alone can sustain her child's life.

I know a mother...she works full-time as a nurse at the hospital to help support her family and care for members of her community. Her motherhood extends beyond the walls of her home as she cares for sick patients in the hospital day after day.

I know a mother...she suffers from major depression and has a difficult time coping with the fact that her daughters have both miscarried. She feels compassionately for them both, as if she herself is experiencing their pain.

I know a mother...she gives birth to a child with a severe malformation, who after an attempt at resuscitation, passes away in her arms. She tells us that she knew her child had an unsurvivable anomaly seen on prior ultrasound and she was hoping for a miracle.

I know a mother...she becomes a mother while simultaneously losing her twin children in early labor.

I know a mother...her body is plagued by cervical cancer. She spent her time, energy, and expenses ensuring that her family was cared for that she was unable to see her doctor for routine cervical cancer screening.

I know a mother...she is a victim of an act of human violence, now tasked with raising a child when she herself must also find the time and strength to continue to grow.

I know a mother...without a moment's notice she suffers a debilitating stroke and her children are left with only her memory.

I know a mother...she has lost her husband and her children. She attends Mass on Sundays, and she has faith she will once again see them in Heaven.

I know a mother...in old age she can no longer care for herself and her daughter mothers her in turn.

And I know a mother...she is wheeled into my office once a month by her three grown children who make sure she is cared for just as she has cared for them.

These are the mothers I know and remember.

Happy Mother's Day and thank you to all of you moms (and moms-to-be)!

***

This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit the Cayos Cochinos, or the "Dirty Keys," that lie just off the coast of northern Honduras. Every time I find myself strolling along the beach or hiking up the nearby hill, these small islands are always greeting me with a distant allure. Who knew a nothing-short-of-paradise island getaway was in my backyard?

Why the name, "Dirty Keys?" I had the same question- especially considering this group of islands is home to a multitude of pristine white sand beaches, biodiverse coral reefs, and clear aquamarine ocean waters. It turns out, when the islands were occupied by British pirates in the 16th and 17th centuries, these islands served as home base for them as they sought to destroy Spanish ships and usurp the Spanish-claimed territory of the "New World." The islands were known to the Spanish as the "Cayos Cochinos," a fitting name for a territory inhabited by dirty pirates. To the British they were known as the "Hog Islands" because of all the hogs they brought along as a steady food source; unfortunately, I think this fact only further supported their "dirty" reputation.

After a long day of snorkeling in the coral reefs, hiking in the jungle to find the endemic pink boas which camouflage with the tree branches, wading in the cool, crystal blue waters, and indulging in a large bowl of seafood soup, I returned to the hospital ready for another week's work...and thankfully free of sunburn and seasickness!