Mothers are strong independent women who nurture and care for their kids. They carry the responsibility to watch over someone else’s life, which you can imagine is not an easy task. Every morning, they have to wake up knowing that they have to set a good example for their kids. Mothers always have to be there to support their children, never really getting days off, providing them with food, clothes, entertainment, comfort, a good education and love.
Sometimes, we forget to appreciate our moms and forget that they have their own lives to take care of, too. They can’t be in a lot of places at once and they also have bad days. They have their own problems to handle on top of yours. They have their own dreams to chase on top of yours. They have their own lives to live on top of yours. They don’t have special powers and they’re just human like us, but they seem like superheroes.
I think that it’s about time we try to take a step into their shoes and understand what it takes to be a mom. Maybe then, we can learn to be more considerate and less selfish in everything we do and put our mom’s hard work into use. Maybe we can try to be more understanding by allowing our moms to do things for themselves.
An example of a great mother is Laurence Ligier. She’s the founder of Cameleon Association, a center where girls are brought to after being sexually abused. She came from a privileged family from France and could have done whatever she wanted, but she decided to serve and protect girls here in the Philippines, giving up the almost worriless life she had. She’s helping them to regain their trust in others and empowering them by showing them that there is still life after abuse. She is an amazing mother figure to me because she is so selfless in
caring for “her children”.
My Lolas (grandmothers) still work very hard even though they’re past the retirement age. They do it all for our families. Even though they are busy working, they always try to make time for me. They’re there to support me during recitals and culminating activities. They let me talk to them about my problems, and as grandmothers, they often have solutions (which usually is ice cream).
My mom is one of my biggest inspirations because she teaches me to be humble and treat others well. A lot of me comes from what I learned from her, and she taught me that, sometimes, doing the right thing isn’t the easiest. When I go through rough days, she’s there to comfort me. Like all people, we fight, but she’s quick to say sorry even when it is not really her fault. She does get mad at me, but only when there’s a reason for her to. She’s not perfect like all other human beings, but she does try her best to make sure that I’m doing well. She’s always there to help and try to make me feel better.
Mothers come in different packages. Some may not have their own offspring, but they are mothers to certain communities. Some are single mothers—raising their kids without a partner in life. Some are fathers, taking the role of being moms. Some may be adoptive mothers. But no matter what kind of mother, they all make this world a better place.
I am fortunate to be surrounded by women who inspire me to be a better person. We all have mothers and we are blessed to have them in our lives.
Mother’s Day is all about celebrating mothers and thanking them for everything they are and do. It’s also about showing them how much they mean to us. Sometimes we forget how much work, love and time our mothers give and share with us.
Without our “moms”, we wouldn’t be the people we are.
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Sasha Bautista is 11 years old and an incoming Grade 5 student at Keys School Manila. She plays the piano and guitar, dances tap and hip-hop, and loves to bake.