Zimpapers Logo

Tsungai Chekerwa-Machokoto
This Mother’s Day, we celebrate all women no matter how good or bad the year was. The blessing of being called a mother is never to be taken for granted.

It’s true that women are not as appreciated as they ought to be because of the societal expectations that are relentlessly demanding. So it is necessary on days like these, to just appreciate our mothers for who they are in our lives

So, that time of year has come again! Mother’s Day is my second best time of the year after Christmas.

This is the time we take to show our mothers how much we appreciate them. We do it every other day, yes but on this day, it’s all about them. It’s all about us mothers.

I have seen some jokes about this lately on social media. Husbands saying to their wives “we are going to celebrate the day with our mothers and you should spend it with your children”. I’ve seen so many funny statements about this Mother’s Day but on a serious note, it is important to take special time to pamper them.

From last year’s Mother’s Day, a lot has changed for different women. Some have become single. Some became first time mothers. Some became widows.

Some became orphans. Some reached milestones of a diverse nature. A lot changed.

This Mother’s Day, we celebrate all women no matter how good or bad the year was. The blessing of being called a mother is never to be taken for granted.

It’s true that women are not as appreciated as they ought to be because of the societal expectations that are relentlessly demanding. So it is necessary on days like these, to just appreciate our mothers for who they are in our lives.

Mothers are everything to us, when we are small –our lives revolve around them. For everything that we need, we call on our mothers. To protect us from all perceivable dangers, we want her around us. To take us out, we hold her hands.

To kiss away our wounds, we run to her. And for a warm hug and love we look to her.

She is the focal point of our lives, the greatest human being in the world or should we say God’s gift to earth. Mothers are the greatest blessing of God on you.

I remember when I had my baby, I was afraid to bath her. My mother taught me to hold her properly, to bath her and breastfeed her. My mother spent sleepless nights calming my dramatic baby who would cry like she was getting paid in pounds!

She taught me everything I know about being a mother myself. I often hear her voice in mine as I reprimand my children. My older daughter always laughs at how I’m exactly like her; even the infuriating characteristics about her have become me. I thank her for being there all the time.

When people mess up in life, when you have made a string of bad choices, when the whole world has brutally judged you, the one person that you know will always be there to pick up your broken pieces is your mother. She will love you and forgive you for things that you yourself can’t forgive yourself for. She doesn’t start by telling you, “I told you so”. Mothers are priceless!

We tend to like the things that were cooked at our houses. Our mothers literally controlled our palettes. If your mother liked unrefined foods, you find that you love them too and teach them to your children and they do the same to theirs and these foods become part of the family traditions. When you are away from home and smell one of those dishes, it literally places your whole being in the very atmosphere of your childhood home.

I love mabhonzo and rice with peanut butter thanks to my mother. I love muboora/ibhobola and lots of vegetables. She taught us to eat healthy. She really was an amazing mother.

There is simply no way we can ever really thank our mothers for all they have done for us. She is the one who will be awake all night when we are sick.

Praying to God to make us well and be ever ready to bear the pain that we may be experiencing. She is the one to wake up early in the morning to make the nicest tiffin and endure all our tantrums.

Mothers are the ones who would forever complain that we are not eating enough or not eating right. They would cook all sorts of things so that we would be strong and healthy. Mothers in fact, worry more for our examinations than we do. They would take pains to complete our school projects leaving all other works behind while we play around with friends or just while away time watching movies.

On this Mother’s Day, apologise to your mother. Mothers are the ones on whom we put all the blame for our failures. We would not hesitate once to point her single faux pas though she would not miss even a slightest opportunity to praise us.

Isn’t it tough to imagine how she must have borne our temper tantrums when we were teenagers? And how hard we must have made her life by behaving so rude and difficult. And yet she was so astonishingly cool. It is easy for children to be so demanding from parents, especially mothers as we take their affection and care so much for granted — most often to the extent of selfishness. Mother’s Day is the right time to apologise for all the troubles that we gave to our mothers, without even realising at most times how troublesome we must have been to her.

May this Mother’s Day be different from all the others. Take time to spend time with your mother. With your phone on silent if possible. Give her all your attention. This year, take time to apologise to her for being ungrateful and for any defiance or for being any other source of pain to her.

Mother’s Day is the perfect day to celebrate the joys of having a mother. It is the time to make amends for not being able to spend quality time with her. So turn your wrongs right by making all efforts to give a perfect Mother’s Day to your mother.

Think about her likes and dislikes about gifts and idea on celebration and act accordingly. Strive to make Mother’s Day absolutely hassle free for your mother and take the responsibilities on yourself for a day. Pamper her a little on this special day of hers just as she pampers you all year round. Give her a warm hug and a big kiss as you wish her a Happy Mother’s Day! May this Mother’s Day be the best one yet. Happy Mother’s Day!