Happy Mothers Day!

For Mother’s Day, I want to share an excerpt from the entry inspired by my mother, Lois Elizabeth Powell, on hospitality featured in my book, Loves...Regardless: Forty Devotions Inspired by Womanist Creative Thought and Theology: 

I first learned hospitality from my mother, Lois. Sharp tongued, she has a soft, fleshy heart and is extraordinarily hospitable. Lois will cuss you out while benevolently feeding, clothing, and housing you, or meeting whatever your need. I cannot recall a time when my mother did not have an open-door policy, a closet full of fresh linens, and cabinets brimming with food. Our three-bedroom apartment was a temporary home for many—cousins in trouble with the law, uncles down on their luck, aunties who needed some TLC, and other kin and neighbors who needed a warm meal, a soft bed, and some reprieve from the harsh realities of life. 

As a child I resented the presence of others in our home; I disdained sharing my room. I grew tired of neighbors cackling at our dining table while mom made a fresh batch of fried chicken in the kitchen. However, I now know that my mother was doing what Black women do. She was taking care of others—our own—and affirming their humanity in a harsh world where racist, sexist, capitalistic leanings shut Black people, specifically Black women, out in the cold. My mother embodied the love of God, a work that has been part and parcel of Black women’s experiences since slavery.

The legacy that my mother lives is the tangible love of God through caring for and meeting the needs of others. What legacy has been left for you by the mothers and mother figures in your life?

Pastor Donna Olivia Owusu-Ansah