After the arrival of my first child, I became somewhat obsessed with reading about child development. Not only did I devour the popular books on parenting, I also delved into the research and psychology sections at the library. Actually, I learned quite a bit on the subject of early childhood development and probably could have qualified for a masters degree were it not for the statistics requirement. Later, this knowledge base would serve me well when I started a nonprofit parenting organization with a friend.
What it didn’t do was translate into being a perfect parent. I thought, naively, that with all this information, I could raise perfect children. I did try my best. What I lacked was the wisdom of experience; what I failed to factor was the will of each child to become who she will be. My husband used to remind me that, “the chips weren’t in yet.” How right he was. Each child comes with her own nature. And nurturing does not take place in a vacuum. Just ask the parents of any adolescent!

This month we celebrate Mother’s Day. Whether we are moms ourselves or are honoring our own mothers, it is an occasion to show appreciation for the hard work and commitment that a woman makes for her children.

I hope you enjoy reading about the history of the Mother’s Day celebration as well as the other articles in this May issue of Washington Woman.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Deborah Benke
Co-Publisher