Some thoughts to share on Mother's Day

First of all, happy Mother's Day to all the women out there doing the hardest and most important job out there.

A special mention goes to all the non-biological moms: adoptive and foster moms, and all those other women who don't hold an official title other than friend or family member but who have seen the need and stepped in to the mother's role, for whatever reason.

But I also want to take today to say thanks to all the women who have taken pains to not become mothers -- either just yet or ever. Motherhood is the hardest thing you or your body will ever do; it demands everything from you. It is not for everyone, not matter what society or religious fundamentalists try to feed you.

No woman should ever be forced or shamed into motherhood. She doesn't deserve it and neither does her potential child.

Thank you to all the doctors and scientists who have developed medications and medical procedures to allow women to take control of if and when they want to become mothers. Thank you to President Obama for cutting funding for abstinence-only programs, so our young women can have the facts they will need to make choices about their bodies, and to take control of when or if they want to become mothers.

Thank you to all the women who came before us and fought the hard fights to win our right to make our own decisions about when or if to become mothers. Thank you to the women who keep fighting, so we can keep those rights.

And thank you to the women who have had to make an unpopular choice, because that choice was the right thing for them and their potential child.

Motherhood is not a job to be entered lightly. Motherhood is a big deal. It's not mandatory and it should never be a punishment. Our women don't deserve that, and our children certainly don't.

To all the mothers out there, raising our future generations, thank you.

But I have to also send a shout-out to all those women who know they're not ready for the job at this point in time, or who know they're not interested in the job at all, and have to deal with a society that looks upon them as three-headed lepers. 'Cuz that kind of sucks too.