"No matter how old we become, we can still call them 'Holy Mother' and 'Father' and put a child-like trust in them"

Desmond Morris evokes the enduring nature of our relationship with parental figures, highlighting the way age does not dissolve the foundational trust established between children and their parents. The terms “Holy Mother” and “Father” carry a resonance beyond mere titles, signifying reverence, guidance, and unconditional acceptance. These designations suggest a sacredness associated with parents, whose role often transcends biological or social functions and enters the realm of emotional sanctuary.

As individuals age, they accumulate knowledge, responsibilities, and societal roles; however, the instinctive urge to seek comfort and assurance in parental presence remains. Morris suggests that maturity does not inhibit the ability to be vulnerable or to depend on the wisdom and support of those who raised us. The phrase “child-like trust” is particularly significant, it implies a form of faith characterized by purity, simplicity, and absence of cynicism. Returning to this trust, even temporarily, can be profoundly restorative, emphasizing the cyclical nature of human emotional needs.

The words also point to a universal longing for connection and security, elements often most reliably found in the parental bond. Regardless of success, independence, or age, people are drawn to the familiar assurance that parents provide. It is less about dependency and more about the emotional foundation laid in early years, a foundation that gives stability amid life’s uncertainties. The reverence embedded in titles like “Holy Mother” attests to the almost spiritual security parents embody for many.

Morris’s perspective also touches on societal and psychological truths about the continuity of attachment throughout life. Trust in parental figures serves as an anchor, a reliable point of reference as identities shift with time. While adulthood brings autonomy, it does not dilute the profound attachment rooted in early childhood experience. Even as life moves forward, the deep-seated need to turn to parents remains a testament to the strength and universality of these formative bonds.