A Mother’s Love: Reflections on Sacrifice and Perseverance

The night was pitch dark and I found myself astride in a scooter with my mother navigating a battlefield. Explosions echoed in the distance and I could feel the tension mounting as we forged on through the chaos. Despite the danger lurking at every turn, my mother fearlessly navigated through it and kept us safe from harm. But then, as if summoned from a world beyond, I heard a familiar voice cry out, “Mum!” and I was suddenly jolted awake. It was my own daughter, stirring from her sleep.

In the quiet of the night, I reflected on the strange dream that had just passed. And as I pondered its meaning, it struck me that the scooter symbolized my life, and my mother was in fact steering me safely through the perils of life with her unwavering prayers.

Liya Kuriakose

Every mother embodies the true spirit of sacrifice and patience. When I was but a fussy eater, she would spin endless tales to keep me entertained and distracted, cajoling me to take just one more bite. On days when even stories failed to entice me, she would take me on adventures through the backyard and coconut grove, pointing out the wonder and beauty of nature as I nibbled on my food.

I remember one particular day when we ventured a little too close to the edge of the grove and my mother stumbled, scratching her back but holding tight to keep me from harm. It was just one example of the countless times she put my needs before her own.

Through her tireless efforts, she provided for our every need, even as a full-time working mother.

Her guidance and support have been a constant source of comfort and strength, and I am forever grateful to call her my best friend. Her patience, perseverance, and endless sacrifices have made all the difference in my life, and I know that I am lucky beyond measure to call her my mother.

It is fascinating that you experience motherliness from so many different people and places, all through your life.

My mom has been blessed with five sisters and I am quite fortunate to have all these strong women in my life. They are quite spread out in terms of where they live and work, but what never fails to impress me is that between all of them, they have a solution for everything. Many a time, I have enjoyed their wit and wisdom which has shaped the person that I am. The most interesting of all is that they have such different personalities; you may not even identify them as sisters if you know them on their own.

I have a vivid recollection of them coming together for the family gatherings during my childhood – they would arrive at their ancestral home from so many different geographical locations. The moment they changed into their pyjamas, they shed everything that is different about them, and slipped back into the time and place they grew up in.

Unlike many women of their times, I don’t remember them as ‘people of kitchen’. They would work in tandem to take care of everything, and then at the end of the day, after the prayers are done, they will all sit down around the veranda of the house to reflect on the day that has been. Amidst the soothing moonlight seeping through the foliage of a huge guava tree right in front of the house and the fragrance of freshly blossomed jasmine flowers, they would softly speak about life in general. Most of them were teachers who had very strong ethics and that defined their identity as a group; hence their language was always so academic, elegant and refined. I felt most settled in their presence, and sometimes, these conversations would even lull me to sleep.

I have been quite fortunate that they have all been there to play integral roles at different points of my life. Amusing this may sound - given most of them are Mathematics teachers, they found it hard to comprehend why I was so passionate about choosing the science stream. That probably was my biggest disagreement them. I am sure some of them felt a bit disheartened at that point, but there again was this forgiving, forbearing nature of the group which let me be myself.

Even now, at times, when I am tempest towed with things in my life, the thought of their presence makes me feel so comfortable. I know I have people who will listen to me patiently, lend their shoulder for me to cry on and suggest a sensible solution to me. I don’t know any better, and wouldn’t want to know either. And I am sure that is the case with all of my cousins – the sisters have all got the same love and compassion for all of their siblings’ children.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. And they are the pillars of my village, who taught me that motherliness may not always be about being a biological mother.