Mother’s Day is, perhaps, the mother of all the days dedicated to different causes in the world. God cannot be everywhere all at once. So, God sent a mother to each family. This resonates with me because I have experienced God on earth in the form of my mother. She was a fountainhead of love, care, dedication, protection, and, above all—SACRIFICE.
A mother is someone who carries you in her womb for nine months, in her arms for the next three years and in her heart for the rest of her life. A mother is someone who can take the place of all others but no one else can take her place. In other words, mother is a blessing that no one else can replace.
The idea of ‘Mother’s Day’ originated in America when Anna Jarvis held a memorial service for her departed mother on 12 May 1907. That was the second Sunday of May that year. It took off from there and the idea found widespread acceptance across America. In 1910, the state of West Virginia declared Mother’s Day as a holiday in honour of the role of our mother in our life. Subsequently, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation in 1914 declaring the second Sunday of May as ‘Mother’s Day.’
Mother is the heartbeat of the home and the lifeline of the entire family. She is the one who turns a house into a home with her love and care. There were seven members in our family: My father, my mother, three sisters, my brother and me. But, trust me, my mother had such a big heart that there were six compartments of equal size in her heart. This is perhaps the toughest job on earth but she made each one of us feel that she loved each one of us with all her heart and none of us ever felt neglected during her lifetime. That was the greatness of my mother. Mothers belong to a tribe where every child in this world would readily challenge the rest of the worldin an effort to prove that they have the best mother in the world.
If your mother is still alive, shower all your love and respect on her and do all that you can do to keep her happy. If you fail to do this, all the flowers you offer at her grave and the candles and incense sticks you burn there would have no meaning. You may or may not be nice to your mother but she will always be nice to you—no matter what. She not only loves you and cares for you but also readily forgives you even when you hurt her feelings. Remember, your mother is your first friend, your best friend, and your forever friend.
As for me, I lost my mother in 2001 and my father in 2015. Life has taken a somersault since then. It is not quite the same anymore. Her departed soul might have migrated to another world. But she still peeps out of a wooden frame in our living room. From there she blesses us every moment of the day. She may not be bodily present here but her presence is felt every moment. In other words, she may not be here in person but she is very much here in spirit.
I offer my mother my loving prayerson this momentous occasion and I hope it reaches her wherever she is now. May God bless her this day and ever after and keep her in the constant gaze and grace of God.
Daughters may become mothers; mothers may become grand mothers; grand mothers may become great grandmothers; and, so on and so forth. But, once a mother, always a mother. Mother is the very epitome of love, care, and sacrifice. What better day to acknowledge this and solute the contribution of the mother in building the family and society than the Mother’s Day? Happy Mother’s Day!
(Mother’s Day will be celebrated on 8 May this year).
