Years ago, I came across a beautiful poem celebrating the joy of motherhood.
It was so striking that I posted it on the refrigerator where it stayed for years. When it was finally faded and tattered, I went online to find and print it again.
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Here it is:
"The Most Important Person on Earth is a Mother”
“The most important person on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral - a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby’s body. The angels have not been blessed with such a grace. They cannot share in God’s creative miracle to bring new saints to Heaven. Only a human mother can. Mothers are closer to God the Creator than any other creature; God joins forces with mothers in performing this act of creation ... What on God’s good earth is more glorious than this: to be a mother?” ~ Venerable Jozsef Cardinal Mindszenty
Those words so perfectly exemplify the saving work of pregnancy centers!
Pregnancy centers counteract a culture that denigrates family and the gift of having children, and views children as commodities to "choose" or reject according to when it's convenient.
The author of the poem was Jozsef Mindszenty, a Hungarian priest who was imprisoned for opposing the Nazis. Eventually he was tortured and sentenced to life in prison.
In 1917, Mindszenty wrote a book entitled Motherhood, which, like the poem, emphasizes the privilege of being a mother and the beautiful and crucial role mothers play in society.
Ten years ago, when I started counseling at a pregnancy center, I shared “The Most Important Person on Earth is a Mother” tribute with my coworkers and director. Someone suggested giving a copy to every woman who has a positive pregnancy test with us.
Ever since, we've given one to every mom to take and read at home as an expression of our love, honor, and support for mothers. Several moms have commented on how inspiring it is.
One woman I remember who came in for a car seat and bassinet for her newborn called our office.
She’d read the tribute poem to moms, loved it, but somehow misplaced it. She wanted to share it with a friend who just learned she was pregnant. We were happy to get her another copy.
Not long ago I called a woman for whom we’d arranged an ultrasound after visiting our office.
I was following up as we always do, to see how the ultrasound impacted her. She shared that between seeing her baby’s ultrasound and reading "The Most Important Person on Earth is a Mother” she had decided to keep her baby.
