Zen Momma's Parenting Path
Karen Maezen Miller's Essays on Motherhood
Sep 15, 2008 Emily Harpp-Meulbroek
Karen Maezen Miller came to motherhood later in life, and has brought along her wisdom to share with the reader. But she also brings more to the table; she has studied Zen Buddhism for many years, and teaches meditation in Los Angeles. She is also an ordained Zen Buddhist priest. She is thus able to uncover profound and paradoxical truths, and translate them in exquisitely honed prose. Momma Zen is highly instructive and thought-provoking.
Zen and Parenting
In Momma Zen, [(c) 2007 Shambhala Publications, ISBN 978-1-59030] calling on her extensive knowledge of Zen Buddhism, the author intertwines traditional teachings along with her own personal anecdotes to create a sparkling whole. The book is divided into five parts, which help her tell the story of her continuous and endless evolution as a mother and person. Every essay contains a nugget of wisdom that can help a first time (or veteran) parent having a hard time understanding what is going on or who they are.
A Universal Message
But this book reaches a far larger audience than the spiritual seeker. Rather, this book takes the reader through motherhood’s many universal stages and phases, and reveals them as the enormous opportunities for personal growth that they are.
Whatever one’s spirituality, Maezen Miller addresses the longing, frustration, fear and excitement that make up first time motherhood. She allows the reader to feel less alone, and shares her own struggles with humour and honesty. She is not afraid to write about her failures as well as her successes. In an age of “supermoms” and “hyper-parenting”, this is good news for every exhausted mother trying her best.
To be clear, this book is not a how-to manual. It does not give you concrete information on how to be some generic perfect parent. It’s more of a chance to think about things in a new light, or more aptly, how to deal with the heart and soul of parenting.
Maezen Miller's Message
The message in the book is clear: we are learning from our children as much (or more) as they are learning from us; and we are always going to fall on our faces, but we can always get back up. Pain, frustration, joy and love are universal in the parenting experience. Maezen Miller knows this, and transmits her story in such a way as to make it every mother’s story. Her wisdom and insights leap off the page.
Recommended Book for First Time Mothers
If ever there was a wonderful book to give a first time mother, this would be it. There are tons of books that tell you what to feed your baby, how to get your baby to sleep, and when to toilet train, but there are few that hold your hand and laugh and cry along with you as you stumble along the very "crooked path of motherhood." Zen Momma is a wonderful companion.
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