My friend’s ninety year old grandmother told us that eventually our parents would get even with us.  “Some day you will have kids just like you,” she prophesised in her granny voice. 

I believe the appropriate word is payback.  Then she said with a grin, “Grandchildren on the other hand, are God’s rewards for not killing your children for their rebellious behaviour as teenagers.  I absolutely love my grandchildren.”  Awkward!        

This made me think about my own relationship with my mother, more so now than ever because Mother’s Day is just around the corner.  As far back as I can remember my mum is always the first person that I come to with every tear of hurt and joy. 

She never judges me and always listens.  She is very proud when I succeed and supportive when I don’t.  When she picks me up from school, she always wants to know everything about my day. 

She has gradually shared more and more of her own life with me, and that has made me feel more open with her.  She has slowly shared experiences with many lessons.  She has shared her hopes and dreams for her children, frustrations and fears. 

Learning that about her made me realise she was not perfect, but that made me love her even more.  She has made me feel that my opinions are never invaluable and my thoughts never silly. 

What surprises me now is that she never forgets to tell me that she believes in me when I think  I might stumble.  When she starts going through some challenges in her life, I have the opportunity to tell her that I too, believe in her. 

She is the woman who has given me my life.  My mother has given her time, attention and heart to her children.  Our relationship is not a rebellious one; it’s more like the tea bag in a hot cup of water.  The longer it is steeped, the better it taste.     

I read this inspirational story a few years ago about a mother and son.   When I think about this story, I also think about the sacrifices my mother has done for me. 

I hope when you read this story you think about your relationship with your mother and what you would like do for her this Mother’s Day.    

A young man with an excellent academic achievement, who had just graduated with a degree, went to apply for a managerial position in a big company. 

The owner was very impressed, but because the youth did not have any experience it was hard for the owner to make up his mind.  So he asked the young man some questions:

The owner asked, “Did you obtain any scholarships in school?” the youth answered “none”.

The owner asked, “Who paid for your school fees?” The youth answered, “My father passed away before I was born. It was my mother who paid for my school fees.

 The owner asked, “Where did your mother work?” The youth answered, “My mother is a farmer, she plants crops like taro, vegetables, bananas and milks our cow, Lucy.  She sells her crops at the market over the weekend.”

The owner requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

The owner asked, “Have you ever helped your mother with growing crops and feeding the animals on the farm?” The youth answered, “Oh never Sir, my mother has always wanted me to study hard and read more books.”

The owner then said, “I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother’s hands before dinner, and then see me first thing tomorrow morning.”

When he went back home, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but a little confused when she showed her hands to her son.  The youth cleaned his mother’s hands slowly.

His tears fell as he washed them. It was the first time he noticed that his mother’s hands were so wrinkled, rough with dirty finger nails and many sores on her hands. Some sores were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water. 

This was the first time the youth realised that his mother got up every morning with these pair of hands and fixed him breakfast, worked at the plantation in the hot sun, cut grass to clear the land, spent countless weekends selling her crops, fed the animals and milked Lucy the cow every day to provide food which also enabled him to pay his school fee.

The bruises and sores on the mother’s hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation and hope for the future. 

After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, he fed the animals and milked Lucy the cow.  He even made dinner.  That night, mother and son talked for a very long time for the first time.

Next morning, the young man went to the owner’s office. The owner noticed the tears in the youth’s eyes and asked: “Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday from washing your mother’s hands?  Please tell me your feelings.”

The warm tears welled into the youth’s eyes as he said, “I know now what appreciation is. Without my mother, there would be no success for me today. I also learned that by working together and helping my mother, I now realise how difficult it is to get something done.  I have come to appreciate the importance and value of a family relationship.

The owner said, “This is what I am looking for to be my manager.  I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life.

You are hired.” Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his co-workers. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company’s performance improved tremendously because this young man realised the meaning of appreciation and didn’t take his mother for granted again.

This is a great example of what mothers do for us to help us succeed to meet our goals and dreams.  At the same time we should not take for granted what our mothers go through. 

I heard that being a full time mother is one of the highest paid jobs because the payment is pure love.  They spend their lives preparing us for the future. My mother has always taught us to clean up after ourselves so we can feel a sense of achievement through hard work. 

A mother’s job is never done.  Mums are the busiest people in the world.  According to the women in my family, being a mother is both the hardest job in the world and the most rewarding. 

I now know that mothers would give their life for her kids and not think twice about it.  I thank God every day for such a beautiful blessing…. Our Mothers.