Are you a fan of Alison’s work? Share your favorite Mutha Magazine essay on social media with the hashtag #MuthaRaw.
In conclusion, Mutha Magazine and Alison's tireless efforts have created a beacon of hope for mothers and parents seeking a more authentic and inclusive conversation around motherhood. By challenging dominant narratives and amplifying diverse voices, Mutha Magazine is redefining what it means to be a mother or parent today – and we're excited to see where this journey takes us. mutha magazine alison
The piece navigates the tender, jagged edges of caregiving in reverse. Alison, once the dutiful daughter managing her mother’s illness and emotional needs, now faces the fallout of having drawn a boundary. There is guilt here, thick and suffocating, but there is also the first breath of something like freedom. Mutha captures this tension perfectly: the way a daughter’s body holds the memory of her mother’s needs—the phone calls, the errands, the emotional labor—and the slow, painful process of setting it down. Are you a fan of Alison’s work
This essay is a stunning example of Carr’s unique voice. She opens with a scene of her and her partner taking an aluminum motorboat out to an Elk Island in the Willamette River to perform a ritual: they call on their ancestors to help bring the spirit of a child into the world. Carr is a witch; her partner is an atheist. The awkwardness, the humor, and the tenderness of the scene are palpable. Carr then recounts a miscarriage at five weeks and the subsequent spell she performed—painting a circle out of her own menstrual blood on a rock—to protect the next pregnancy. “If I couldn’t handle a little menstrual blood,” she writes, “I probably shouldn’t be a mother.” The essay is a raw, unflinching look at the intersection of spirituality, grief, and the primal drive to become a parent. There is guilt here, thick and suffocating, but
"We're just getting started," Alison says with a smile. "We're building a movement, and we're inviting mothers and parents to join us. We believe that by sharing our stories and our experiences, we can create a more compassionate and supportive world – a world where motherhood is valued, respected, and celebrated in all its complexity."