What does it mean to be a mother?
A mother, we say, is always there for her child. A mother always knows her child, we cry. Yet what happens to the child when she does not?
Maternal instinct is a powerful concept in our society. We’re aware of it most with animals where the mother protects her young, but even trees have “maternal” instinct, using mycelium to communicate and protect their “kin.” (Fantastic Fungi, Netflix).
Some mothers love and care for their children above all else. Some mothers earn the name of “mom.” But there is no natural, nor legal, law that says a mother must protect her children.
What happens to that child?
If a mother cannot be trusted to have her child’s best interests at heart, and we do not trust fathers, then who can we trust? And even if we do trust both, is it fair to the child to be torn between doing what Mom wants or what Dad wants? Is that an acceptable place to put a child?
Or should we take the child out of the middle, and allow them a chance to speak without fears of having given preferential treatment to either parent?
We need to do better.
If a family splits, the mother and father’s interests are both represented. We believe the child should have their interests represented, as well. At SageLantern we firmly believe this above all else: Every child deserves a legal voice in the divorce proceedings – from the beginning until they have legal standing of their own at 18.
If you believe in this, too, please reach out and find out how you can support our goals!
