According to the Real Academia de la Lengua Española, Brave is defined as "Material or immaterial, strenuous and vigorous action that seems to exceed the natural forces" and that is exactly what millions of moms do every day, what has moved us for thousands of years is not only affection, What has moved us for thousands of years is not only affection, but the courage to motherhood in a society determined not to take care of us and a state that has been in charge of writing laws on desks that continue to exclude and discriminate against women to "protect us" but in the end leave us without rights, especially those who by age, condition or life situation provide more intense, extensive or specialized care through motherhood:
Braves
Brave the girl who was abused and who today finds herself exercising an unwanted maternity because she does not have the right to decide about her body.
Brave the woman of childbearing age who receives one "no" after another in her attempt to get a job just because of the supposed future use of "maternity leave".
Brave the woman who has to hide her pregnancy in order to be hired or not fired because she is about to become a mother.
Brave the employee who has been left without vacations, because she has to exchange her days to attend appointments and hospitalizations of her daughter or son.
Brave the coworker who, faced with the humiliation and cruel looks of her peers, once again has to approach her "superior" to ask for one more leave to take her son or daughter to the medical attention she urgently needs.
Brave is the head of the family who, due to lack of licenses and services from the state, has been forced to quit her job to give birth to her children.
Brave the woman who has given up her sneakers and briefcase, because now she sells food and things by catalog because that is what allows her to reconcile her time to mother her children.
Brave is the mother who has to leave her home before 5 a.m. with her sick son or daughter in order to get to her hospital appointment.
Brave the mother who has to become a therapist because she cannot afford to pay for her daughter's or son's therapies.
Brave is the mother who rushes to the hospital in the early morning hours due to a medical emergency of her daughter or son because of the lack of timely medical attention.
Brave is the mother who has had to swallow her tears when she sees the deterioration of her son or daughter with a chronic diagnosis due to the lack of medication.
Brave is the mother who has had to go without food to pay for the fares to take her son or daughter to a doctor's appointment or therapy.
Brave is the mother who, even with a broken back, goes up and down stairs with her son or daughter in one arm and the stroller or wheelchair in the other, to get where she needs to go on time.
Brave is the mother who has to leave her children alone to cross the city to care for or educate someone else's children.
Brave is the mother who has been imprisoned for simple crimes, because at the time of the crime it was more important for her to put bread on the table, and she did not even imagine the penalty she would face in prison.
Brave is the mother who spends her time in court, reminding the judge of her children's right to child support, which they have not yet received.
Brave is the head of the family who with a minimum wage has to pay rent, electricity, water, fares, food and medicines that the state does not give her so that her daughter or son does not get worse.
Brave is the woman who, being a senior citizen, and with the "ailments" of age, has had to give birth to all her granddaughters and grandsons because there is no money to pay for daycare.
Brave is the mother who with shovel in hand has had to go through grave after grave, searching for her daughter or son, always with the hope of not finding him or her there and finding him or her alive.
Brave is the mother who has lost her daughter or son from the womb and her right to live her mourning is not recognized.
Brave the woman who longs to be a mother, but because she is a woman with a disability, they dare to sterilize her and deny her motherhood.
Brave is the woman who does not want to be a mother, and who patiently has to smile every time she is asked: "When do you plan to become pregnant?
#TheMomsWant Rights, not flowers!
Margarita Garfias