Editor's Note: The following is re-posted with permission by the writer. It first appeared in the Reporter Herald on May 1, 2015.


By Valerie McCullough

Many of my favorite women never gave birth to a child, nor did they adopt, but I love to celebrate them on Mother's Day.

They nurtured, taught, counseled and encouraged me.

Let's not sideline them on Mother's Day simply because they didn't give birth or adopt.

Let me tell you about a few of these women.

Miss Rehnstrom, my kindergarten teacher in 1940, taught our class of New York City 5-year-olds to make butter from cream using a hand-cranked eggbeater as part of a project on food.

I whispered to Miss Rehnstrom — in confidence — that my stomach felt queasy and I didn't want to take a turn at making butter.

You can tell I was a little unstable even as a kindergartner, but Miss Rehnstrom assured me I could learn by watching.

Sixty-five years later, I still remember her kindness.

And I certainly can't forget Sister Mary Joseph. She sat patiently in my dorm room till the wee hours of the morning, encouraging me as I wrote and practiced a speech to give at an assembly.

Ruth McClelland — an obstetrical nurse and dear friend — helped me negotiate the mysterious terrain of labor and delivery when I was pregnant with my first child.

Like many women who do not have children of their own, these women poured love into the lives of thousands of children and their parents.

Yet in the midst of Mother's Day cards, candy, brunches and flowers, it's easy to forget that giving birth is only one form of mothering.
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Melanie Notkin, author of "Savvy Auntie," points out almost 50 percent of American women today are not mothers, noting we tend to undervalue women who are not mothers.

Notkin suggests we use the word childfull instead of childless when describing these wonderful women who open their hearts to children.

Today, childfull women may be your child's pediatrician or an open-heart surgeon. She may be an airline pilot or police officer. Foreign correspondent or software developer. These women care for us through many callings.

Let's celebrate childfull women well as mothers on this special day.

Happy Mother's Day to all my readers.

Retired psychologist Valerie McCullough and husband Bill have lived in Loveland since 1964 and have raised four daughters. She writes a blog on the Reporter-Herald website. She welcomes readers to share their own experiences or feedback on her column at val@frii.com or by responding to her blog.

Photo: philipimage
Published: May 6, 2015