Environmentalists usually say that ‘when the last tree dies, the last human also dies’. The veracity of this statement is unquestionable because humans are dependent on plants for a whole lot. Think about it; our food, medicine, furniture, and stationery are produced from plants. We even engage in gaseous exchange with plants when they release oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis. Humans would barely exist without plants and that’s why we say that humans would cease to exist without them. Have you ever considered what the world would be like if the last mother ceased to exist?
Have you ever considered what the world would be like if the last mother ceased to exist?
THE SENSES OF MOTHERHOOD
Before I continue with this blog, I’d like to clarify I would be considering motherhood in two senses. The first sense is what I would call biological motherhood and the other sense would be referred to as normative motherhood. A biological mother would refer to anyone that is a mother by childbirth. Any woman who has given birth to a child still in existence qualifies to be designated by the term ‘mother’ in a biological sense. By normative motherhood, I’m referring to the features that characterize anyone we can call a good mother. What is a mother supposed to look like? How does a mother treat the children around her whether she’s biologically related to them or not? Ideally, motherhood is not about being biologically related to those you take care of but about being a guide, a nurturer, a protector, a motivator, etc. Women do not have to be biologically capable of childbirth to be great mothers because true motherhood isn’t a biological feature. So back to our question, what would the world be without our nurturing, kind and motivating mothers.
- A WORLD OF EMOTIONAL TROUBLE
Scientists have emphasized how important it is for children to have their mothers emotionally and physically available to them in their first three years at least. Nania (2017) posits that a lot of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) didn’t have the presence of their mothers to help them with stress regulation. A lot of the psychological issues children face are a result of their mothers not being available to them. It is a fact that psychologically healthy children usually had their mothers providing them with the needed emotional and mental cushion. A world without caring mothers would be a world full of emotionally troubled individuals. Thank God that our societies are full of mothers who have provided and continue to provide the needed mental, emotional and physical support to their offspring.
- A WORLD OF INDISCIPLINE
Have you ever been grounded or had your toys and video games confiscated because you did something wrong? Mothers are disciplinarians and their contributions have been immense in our journey to being responsible and godly individuals. Imagine that we didn’t have such training at the beginning of our lives. Most of us would’ve been liabilities to society if we did not have our mothers strictly enforcing their principles of morality in our lives. Mothers are extremely important because they are usually the ones who introduce us to society’s accepted norms, values, and moral standards.
- A WORLD WITHOUT COMPASSION AND SELFLESSNESS
Mothers are just instinctively compassionate and selfless. Any woman who carried a child in her womb for nine months carried out a selfless act. Allowing another human being to reside in your body for nine months reveals a mother’s willingness to be in uncomfortable situations to help others flourish. Some mothers take leaves and quit their jobs to give their children the needed time and attention. Mothers can put their entire lives on hold just so we can be great men and women in the future.
LET’S CELEBRATE MOTHERS.
Proverbs 31:28
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
Proverbs 31:28 shows us that the virtuous woman deserves to receive praise from her husband and children. The fact that the Proverbs 31 woman has her children praising her implies that she was a great mother to them. From the scripture, we can see that her husband also praised her, this shows that she was a great wife as well. As mothers’ day fast approaches, we need to understand that our mothers deserve to be celebrated. They have been a blessing to us and they need to be blessed and celebrated not just on mothers’ day but every day.
Reference
Nania R (2017, May 19) WTOP news. Why prioritizing motherhood in the first three years is critical.