Since the 19th century, when Mother’s Day started being celebrated worldwide (albeit for different reasons), there was always one underlining factor – that of honouring motherhood. Although the physical image of the mother has changed over the years, little else has changed. Mothers still live with the pain resulting from the loss of their children, often the tragic loss differing from country to country. Children and young adults lost in war or to drug addiction, to sexual assaults as a weapon of war, or paedophile abuse, or sickness and disease, but also hunger and malnutrition. The list goes on and on, depending on the geographic position, the welfare state in the country, the economic situation at any particular time, drought, floods and other climate disasters that are brought about by exploitation of the world’s resources, greed and selfishness.
The National Council of Women is sensitive to all these situations that women from all walks of life encounter. Women who remain motherless despite attempts to become pregnant; mothers who are confronted with a young teenage daughter who has become pregnant; the mother whose hopes of holding a baby in her arms were dashed when she miscarried and the mother who aborted in the name of choice. The contrasts in life – in the lives of women and mothers are endless.
We celebrate, however the mothers who so lovingly care for their sick children, staying up for endless nights, praying quietly for their recovery, mothers of children with limited abilities, whose immense joy surpasses any win-in-a-lottery when a hurdle is surpassed; mothers who fly from home to work to shopping, taking children to football nurseries, music classes – balancing their family and work duties, sometimes committing mistakes in the process, but making up for them as they move on, educating and guiding their children to steer clear of pitfalls. Some mothers today are single parents and the juggling is far greater since there is no other parent to share the responsibility of parenthood, while other mothers are alone without anyone visiting them for weeks and months on end; these too should be celebrated and thanked for their contribution to humanity. Not least, our appreciation goes to those mothers who have passed away leaving their values, ideals and education to be passed on to the next generation.
The National Council of Women wishes a Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers.
Mary Gaerty
President, National Council of Women