Mother. Mom. Mama. Mommy.
What’s in a name? There is so much in a name. It’s not just a collection of letters or the combination of phonetics. When put together, individual vowels and consonants create a permanent representation of who we are. When that happens, the face and name get attached to one another.
A name can be common and yet unique because a person will respond to a name given to them. Our parents gave us our names for their reason. A parent’s love is so encompassing that selecting a child’s name can be a milestone. The child then grows up and responds to this name. A girl, however, will marry and by normal tradition, adopt the surname of her husband so then her name changes for the first time. Then a child comes into her life and every name she has ever had will place second to that one, most beautiful name in the world –- mother.
The most meaningful and important name I’ve ever been called was mom. Nothing else will replace that because it was given to me by my children and it symbolizes privilege, blessing, responsibility, happiness, sacrifice, selflessness, sleepless nights, excitement. The list goes on, but most of all, the name ‘mom’ symbolizes love without boundaries or conditions. Love that is so overflowing your own personal happiness depends on how happy your siblings or loved ones are.
The day I first became a mother, I spontaneously became one with my child and I will forever be one with my children who were borne out of love between my husband and me. I always tell my family that I believe that Mother’s Day is not just for mothers because Mother’s Day will not exist without our children. This day reminds us of our continuous responsibility to make sure that we provide our children with a nurturing home and a safe and loving place to grow. It reminds me that my children are the reason why I strive for excellence and why they never take second priority. They are both my dream and the process towards achieving my dream.
I always dedicate Mother’s Day to my children as much as I dedicate it to my loving mother who has shown me that love is the most selfless gift of all.
I know that our children always remember us on Mother’s Day and that is the most beautiful thing! However, I enjoin all mothers to also remember that on this day, we give thanks to God, our Creator, for blessing us with our children.
We give thanks to our children for everything that they are because this is the essence of Mother’s Day. I will always cherish two of the most important moments of my life for which reason I proudly carry the title ‘Mother’ – these are the days that my two wonderful daughters were born; the days when I held them for the very first time in my heart.
Happy Mother’s Day to everyone!
