I spent Mother’s Day in celebration of my most important role; mother to my precious boy, who will be three-years-old on May 30. And I, unlike so many others, have had the privilege of spending every single day of his life with him thus far. This is a privilege of which I never lose sight. Throughout the years of this, my most sacred relationship, I have been, and remain, painfully aware of all the gifts and rights my son and I are afforded simply because we had the good fortune of being born in human-form. 

The atrocities committed against mothers and babies of other species are unfathomable to me. They always have been, but never more so than when I became a mother myself. When I finally got to see what all the fuss was about and I realized that being my son's mother was everything I could ever hope for and more than I could possibly imagine. And I know without question that regardless of external differences, the fierceness with which a mother loves and strives to protect and nurture her child(ren) is something that we all share. And by extension, we share the responsibility to care for each other and each other's children as our own as well. 

In the wise words of Dr. Will Tuttle, "With every baby calf stolen from her mother and killed, with every gallon of milk stolen from enslaved and broken mothers, with every thrust of the raping sperm gun, with every egg stolen from a helpless, frantic hen, and with every baby chick killed or locked for life in a hellish nightmare cage, we kill the sacred feminine within ourselves.” 

In taking part in the crimes committed against the other mothers and children of this world (and all animals), we are undoubtedly compromising the very essence of our own motherhood; that which is our most sacred and important offering to our own children. We are limiting ourselves to caring for only a few when we have the ability to care for all. 

A reminder from Robert Grillo regarding mother hens: "Scientists now know that her unborn, unhatched chicks communicate with their mother inside of the shell, letting her know whether they are too cold, too hot, in an awkward position, ready to break out of the shell, need some kind of help getting out, etc. Their mothers adjust them several times a day by turning the eggs precisely in response to her chicks' calls. Today, all chicks in commercial egg farming are born into artificial incubators. After an exhaustive process of breaking through the shell, the first thing they are looking for is their mothers, to imprint on the mothers they will never find or know." 

In choosing to exploit and commodify living beings, we are contributing to the most immense pain imaginable. No matter where you buy your flesh, milk, or eggs, it is an investment into a cruel cycle of forcefully breeding animals, depleting them of their body's natural resources; those destined to either create or feed their children, and sentencing them to a terrifying, painful, and premature death.

In honor of ALL the mothers of the world, choose vegan. Not just today, but every day. And not just for some, but for all. There is no farther-reaching, more impactful choice, than your decision to no longer fund or support an industry and system that breaks apart families and creates more pain and suffering than you and I could ever dream possible. Regardless of whether you are a mother (or father) to a human child yourself, we are all the great mothers and fathers of this world, and we all have the responsibility to care for, protect, and free those at our mercy. 

In Peace & Gratitude …

Erica Settino, is the Editor-at-large of Creations Magazine. She is a proud mama, published writer and long-time yoga teacher and activist, as well as a postpartum doula. More information about Erica and all of her work can be found at ericasettino.com.