by Sr. Bernadette Fadegnon     Rep. Benin/Brazil           20.06.2022

Sr. Bernadette wrote this poem to celebrate Mothers Day which falls on different dates in the year, depending on the country.  In her home country, Republic of Benin, it falls on May 29th. In Brazil, her local community offered a special Mother’s week of celebrations which included massage and refexology.

Dear Woman, dear Mother,
I celebrate you with a gentle touch
knowing very well that you are emotionally weighed down,
and you silently cope with it all.

I celebrate you, dear mother,
because you carry the family in your heart and on your shoulder.
In fact, you carry humanity in your deepest self, in your womb.
Oh, dear loving mother,
I celebrate you with a gentle touch,
knowing that, even emotionally tired, you are ever there to give life and to touch lives.
I offer you this gentle touch, oh woman,
To cheer you up,
To gently caress your heart,
To let you know that I cared about you.
To let you know that you are appreciated,
To let you talk away your pains and struggles,
To give you ear
To let you know that I am here for you too.

I wish you healing, dear mother
I wish you peace of heart.
I wish you light, dear woman,
I wish to see you smiling again from your heart.
I wish you the blessings from the universe.
With this gentle touch, I celebrate you
Dear Women
Dear Mother
Dear Giver of live
Dear lover of life
Dear Carer of life
Dear nurturer of life, oh, I celebrate you, dear warrior.