Take a moment to say thank you mum!

By Mata'afa Keni Lesa 12 May 2018, 12:00AM

There is no doubt about it. Today is a special day for all the mothers of this country – and everywhere else in the world where Mother’s Day is celebrated.

And on that note, we want to wish all the mothers a very happy Mother’s Day.

It is probably fair to say that the role of motherhood is not acknowledged often enough. When we talk about the development of women, we often talk about jobs, positions, education and other issues. It’s okay but none of these would be possible if it wasn’t for the role of motherhood. 

Folks, we often pay lip service to its importance and we rarely really sit down to acknowledge what it takes. Do we know the cost? Do we know what it requires? Do we want to know?

We repeat, the role of our mothers in nurturing us is perhaps the most important role there is in the world because if they didn’t care, we wouldn’t be here. It is that simple. That’s why days like today are important. 

Now some people say that days like Mother’s Day – among others - are outdated and have become a boon for businesses to exploit members of the community through the commercialisation of the celebration. 

They’ve got a point.

But if we truly value something, we would make time for it. We would make the effort to acknowledge its importance, relevance and meaning. An occasion like today is an opportunity for all of us to do that. It is a moment to sit down and say thank you mom – since most of us are too busy to say it anyway.

Needless to say, it is a day that involves everyone.

Indeed, whether you are young, old, the Prime Minister, a farmer, a fisherman or the Head of State, we all have women who nurtured, taught, inspired and helped us to become the people we are today. 

In other words, no matter who we are, what we do and where we are from, we wouldn’t be where we are if it was not for the love and care of our mothers.

Days like this is also a reminder about the special bond between you and your mother that overrides everything and anything. It’s a bond formed and developed over nine months during the pregnancy before you and I knew anything or anybody else. It’s bond formed and strengthened by the love of a mother.

For nine long months – and sometimes longer – a mother slaves over giving life to you and me, her unborn child. It’s love that makes her tolerate the pain. It is love that stops her from being so careless to the point the foetus is lost prematurely.

As men, we’re not going to pretend that we understand what it feels like to walk around with another life in our bellies. Which is why we salute all the mothers of Samoa and the world today. 

The undisputed fact of life is this: Everyone who has become a someone came from a loving mother. Which means that life is impossible without caring mothers.

One of the biggest mistakes people make these days is comparing people against each other. When it comes to mothers, they are no exception. In a world where modern success is often perceived by tertiary qualifications, job titles, car you drive and the house you live in, we simply cannot apply the same measuring stick for all the mothers.

I’ve always maintained that I believe the measure of a mother is not the number of university degrees she has. It’s not the powerful positions she holds. It’s not the flash house, new car and the expensive clothes she wears. 

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying mothers shouldn’t have any of these. If would be great if they do. But not all mothers are the same and we cannot measure them with the same measuring tape. 

In my humble opinion, the measure of a successful mother is found in the quality of life of the people she raised. It’s found in whether her husband and children are happy. It’s found in whether she has provided a platform – whatever level that is – for her family to grow physically and spiritually. 

It’s found in how she has contributed to the development of her extended family, church, village and country. And around all of us today are such mothers. 

Young and old, every mother in Samoa has contributed one way or another to the development of our country. Some might have contributed more than others but that’s beside the point.

Ladies and gentlemen, whether your mother is a cleaner, farmer, weaver, a lawyer, doctor or the C.E.O. of a government department or a multi-national company, they all blend together wonderfully to make up the world we enjoy.

Take the chance to say thank you. Happy Mother’s day Samoa, God bless!

By Mata'afa Keni Lesa 12 May 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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