Oprah Winfrey once said, “Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother.” The statement holds more truths than one. From the moment we breathe our first, to the moment she breathes her last, mothers will shower upon us love in amounts that is beyond the capacity of an ordinary being. And by virtue of the enormity of this unconditional love, society has honoured mothers since time immemorial, and Mother’s Day has evolved from the annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to Rhea, the mother of many deities; the offerings ancient Romans made to their Great Mother of Gods, Cybele; Christians celebrating this festival on the fourth Sunday in Lent in honour of Mary, mother of Christ (in England this holiday was expanded to include all mothers and was called Mothering Sunday), to the celebration of the same on the second Sunday of May every year, due to the efforts of Anna Jarvis, who, in 1912 trademarked the phrase “second Sunday in May” and “Mother’s Day”, and created the Mother’s Day International Association.
Mothers were traditionally conceived to be women whose lives were centered solely around their children and husbands. Being a mother was considered an honor, and it still is, simply because we are animals whose basic function is to procreate for the perpetuation of our race. But women’s lives were constricted to becoming mothers and it was considered a stigma if a woman chose to be something more. Fortunately, society evolved and women are today much more than just machines for producing children. The roles of women are many and significant in character. Today’s woman is a mother, home maker, and a professional. Few things amaze me as much as the strength of a woman – to see how much she can handle, and still, at the end of each tiring day, solve the problems of all of her family and friends. It is utterly unfortunate that we live in a world which still holds a bias against women, and it is my dearest hope that one day we shall achieve true equality in status.
We may have evolved a lot in 7000 years of civilisation, but no amount of modernity, money or technology can substitute the soothing touch of a mother’s hand when one is in distress. She truly encompasses the word “humanity”, being her placid and benign self, forgiving (maybe even to a fault), and possessing the ability to provide strength in a time when the rest of the world abandons us.
“The sweetest sounds to mortals given
Are heard in Mother, Home, and Heaven.”
~William Goldsmith Brown
To all mothers – may God grant us the ability to love and respect you in at least the amount you deserve.
Useful Resources -
Images from:
