MOTHERS

The word represents so many thoughts and meanings. Love, comfort, home-cooked meals, reasonings, hugs, kisses, sacrifices, peacemakers, tears....in short, they are our 'comfort zones & safety nets'. At least that's how I look upon my beautiful mother.

Being a Mum is no easy task. It's definately not a 9am-5pm job, there are no off-days, sick leaves or annual leaves whatsoever. It is a full time job right from the time the umblical cord is snipped off her baby.

At every stage of a child's life, a mother has her own set of worries. At the beginning of pregnancy, she'll wonder if the baby's doing fine in her womb. When the fetus moves and kicks the belly, it sometimes hurts, but when the kicking becomes infrequent, she worries if the baby's alright. During the first ultrasound, the idea of whether she's carrying a healthy baby with fingers, toes and everything else intact comes to mind. And let's not forget the labour pains. Will the umbilical cord choke the baby? Will the baby be suffocated while passing through the birth canal? If I push too hard will it crush the delicate head? Then, comes the happiest moment in her life when the wonderful sound of the newborn crying emerges with the final push and the doctor's announcement of "Congratulations, You've got yourself a son/daughter...".

She takes the infant home and worries whether he's drinking enough milk. And when the baby falls ill, the heartache of seeing your baby crying continuously and not knowing what is wrong. The sleepless nights of watching closely to see if he's breathing properly. Getting up in the middle of the night and rushing to the crib to see if any pillows are covering baby's nose..

And then they start walking - she'll worry about the precious ones tripping over everything, falling down from the stairs or whether he's putting anything dangerous into his mouth. The constant running around to keep up with an energetic toddler. But then, she'll pacify herself by saying that everything will be easier and less worrying when they start school. Wrong! That's when the worrying elevates a little. Wondering if they'll fit in and do well in their education, whether they're mixing around with the right type of friends. And when they hit teen-age years, the mother will probably shed some tears when rebellion comes into their lives. When everything mummy says or does is 'not cool', lame or totally old fashioned. She think to herself .."This will pass, it's just a phase that they're going through". This may be true for some mothers but not all will be lucky enough to win back the hearts of their teens.

Then there's the stage when their now 'grown-up' kids start dating. Looking at how their child has blossomed so well, they'll start wondering if they'll find the right partners in life. And when marriage vows are exchanged, there'll be tears of joy this time...and then, she'll start wondering if it will be a happy marriage for her child? Will her precious son or daughter be abused or ill treated by their spouse? Finally, she'll receive the happy news about becoming a grandmother. There it goes again...after the happiness and excitement has simmered down, it's back to square one..."Will my grandchild be born perfectly?", will it be a safe delivery?? Will the umbilical cord choke.....So many questions unanswered and a whole new set of worries arise again.

So you see, that's why a mother ought to be cherished. Give them the love and TLC they so deserve. There's no one in this world who can replace a mother's love for her children. Never! Even in the Holy Quran, it is stated that Mothers have to be respected and loved more than anything else in this world. It is a big sin to hurt her feelings or to be rude to her. And a mother's prayer for her off-springs are considered to be the most powerful among other prayers.

For those of you who are lucky enough to be able to celebrate Mothers Day with your own mum, treasure it. They have made us what we are today. And don't even consider sending them to an Old Folks Home. To me, that is one of the most inhumane things to do. What goes around comes around...

A mother is like a chandelier in a home. Their presence emit light and glow in a household. I love my mother very much and relish her presence in my life. I loved her most during the 72-hour labour of my first child, Kelly. When I was struggling for breath with all the pain, all I could think of was that Mum went through this 3 times to give life to me, Sharon and Melvin. So, how could anyone treat their mother disrespectfully? I will never be able to understand that.

I've said it before and I'll say it again...I love my mother with all my heart and would do anything in the world for this wonderful lady who gave me life. And I can't hardly wait to take her out later today to buy her a present of her choice, to take her out for dinner, to give her a kiss, hug, tell her I love her and wish her A HAPPY MOTHERS DAY.

This was written with so much love that my heart ached a little to think that there'll be lots of mothers out there who'll never be given the chance to feel the significance of  Mothers Day.