By Angela Ambitho
An avalanche of gratitude engulfs my heart whenever I think of everything you have done.
The tears you have cried for me, the sleepless nights you have endured over me, the sacrifices you have made for me, the challenges you have faced with me, the discipline and strong will you have instilled in me, the prayers and good wishes you have bestowed upon me, the sense of responsibility you have placed on me and the unconditional love you have always given me. For all these things and more, I will be forever indebted.
I am sure you would probably give the same glorifying tribute to your mother as I have mine. Indeed as we grow older, our appreciation for the role our mothers have played in our lives significantly increases.
One, because we come face to face with the myriad challenges parenting poses and wonder how our mothers coped with so much on their plates, so little in their pockets and still do it all with a smile.
Two, because despite our mature years, our mothers still have the time and patience to effortlessly allow us to “suckle” when we need solace, guidance and rejuvenation reaffirming that North, South, East or West, their love and warm embrace remains the best.
It is with profound veneration that many of us regard our mothers, often describing them as firm yet loving, patient, understanding, courageous, generous, faithful, understanding and wise. Yet above all these, it is the selflessness of motherhood that is revered the most.
That extraordinary ability to always put others’ interests before self and the capacity to constantly make sacrifices towards the success of loved ones void of expectations of repayment is no mean feat.
Certainly, our various interactions through the years teach us that not all mothers are absolutely selfless. There are those who believe in continuously reaping where they have sown, consequently bleeding their offspring dry. And exposure to these extremes sensitises us to just how privileged and blessed we are to have mothers who gracefully give, never expecting to receive.
Motherhood is quipped as not being a “merely a biological and social function”, but also a calling that is inherent; a vocation undertaken wholeheartedly irrespective of the roses and thorns that may be encountered.
Similar to other callings, the key motivation for most mothers is servitude as opposed to material gain. Indeed, the most unquerulous manner with which most of our mothers nurture us but also our spouses, our children, our friends, our neighbours and the community at large exemplifies their sanctified role on Earth.
Many a time when we reflect upon the role our mothers have played in our lives we, feel challenged to be better people; to make them proud and prove their efforts were not in vain. This Mother’s Day, as we celebrate our mothers, it would be incumbent on all of us to keenly reflect upon our actions and deeds and whether they would truly make our mothers beam with pride. It behooves on our politicians to question whether they are in leadership to serve because they feel the calling, or whether they are in it to make money.
As they clamour for more perks, they must examine whether they want to be remembered as selfless leaders or selfish opportunists.
But we too must interrogate our role as constituents. Politicians will inevitably seek more perks for as long as we expect them to give us more handouts. The reality is we are a reflection of our leadership. For things to change, we must change.
And we can start by emulating the selflessness exhibited by our mothers. Perhaps if we all tried to do our bit more and expect less, we would have better leaders, better institutions and certainly a better Kenya. Finally to my mother, what a great country we would have if there were more like you. Happy Mother’s Day!
The writer is Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer, Infotrak Research and Consulting Ltd
