The Joys of Mother’s Day, Make Them Feel Special Every Day

Carib News, for forty years, has made it a point to celebrate mothers. As the backbone of our community, indeed the backbone of our country, not to mention the families, of course, it is this determination and commitment to families that we must celebrate each year. Mothers, mothers of all kinds who play such a vital role in keeping our community and our families together.

Being the carrier of the baby, the vessel by which he became a living, breathing and functioning human being doesn’t begin to come close to telling the full story about motherhood.

From our first day of life, mother was there to wipe our tears, calm our fears, nurture us and prepare us for our place in the turbulent world that was around the corner. When we moved from diapers to pants or skirts, she gave us our first important lessons about fashion, straightening our ties or matching our garments, helping us to shine our shoes and giving lessons about a healthy diet., and helped us to understand why education is crucial to our ability to earn a living and prepare for the day when we too become parents.

Of course, mother may not have been trained to be a physician, psychiatrist, nurse or emergency medical technician but when we bruised our knees, twisted an ankle, suffered from a period of anxiety or had a bloody nose, she knew how to respond and how to set the healing process in train.

There was more. She was and remains my counselor, the first person to give me an honest and straightforward assessment of my actions, warning against taking siblings, friends and colleagues for granted while at the same time listening to my stories about how things went today at school, the office or on the playground. It goes without saying she wasn’t always right and when she felt she couldn’t handle what I considered “my crisis” she would advise, even take me to see the priest or pastor for his or her advice.

Just as important, she remains the gate-keeper of the family tradition and holds our secrets like treasures, away from the prying eyes of neighbors or the malicious tongues of those who wish to do us harm.

Reggie Jackson, the baseball hall of famer, once described himself as the glue that held the Yankee baseball champions together. Mother has been performing a somewhat similar role for our family for decades. She has been holding the family together from my childhood to this day, extending that role to my children as well. Admittedly, she spoils the grand-children with love, affection, hugs and kisses, just like our grandmothers did.

Little wonder that although we may complain that Mother’s Day has been hijacked by commercial enterprises which sell us cards, flowers, meals and gifts for her we enjoy those sentimental aspects associated with the special occasion. That’s why many of us serve her breakfast in bed and do the same for the mother of our children in order to let them know how much we care.

We celebrate Mother’s Day, not simply for our own bloodline but for all mothers, wherever they are. It underscores the universality of the occasion, despite the different way cultures in widely separated regions of the world hail mothers in different languages, music and traditions. For the sons, daughters and grandchil- dren whose fore parents are no longer with us or are not within easy reach, there is the special pray we say, thanking the Almighty for giving her the strength and wisdom that helped to make the persons we are.

Mother’s Day gives us a chance to reflect on her part in our development and for us to think about how we are approaching our responsibility with our own children.

Re-kindling memories are an exciting part of the day’s celebration and we do it whether mother is sitting across the table or has long since departed from this life.

Happy Mother’s day!