Mothers deserve to be celebrated every day

MUmmy. Mama. Mum. Whatever you call her, Sunday is her day. A special 24 hours set aside once a year to pay tribute to mothers.
Gifts, a meal together, spending time together, a card and if she is far, a call.
They will put a smile on her face and touch her heart.
But nothing will touch a mother’s heart more than a simple “I love you” from her children.
How does one describe a mother?
Her love is the deepest. Her caring selfless. She protects you like no other.
We’ve often heard: “A mother’s work is never done.”
It’s clear that mothers often operate on a 24/7 schedule, attending to individual family members while keeping an eye on the overall state of the household.
We all should be reminded of how much is expected, and too often taken for granted, when a woman becomes a mother.
The heart of that work, of course, involves the children.
Worrying comes with the territory, no matter how old one’s offspring may be. Motherhood doesn’t end when a child hits 18.
Some say women are the makers of the home, the nation and the world.
That wraps up the importance of having women in key making decision positions.
The highest office being in Parliament.
PNG had only three women MPs after the 2012 general election.
It would have been different had the Equality and Participation Bill (the Women’s Bill as it is widely known) was passed in 2012 for the 22 reserved seats for women.
It passed through two readings. But during the third reading, several MPs voted against.
That bill would have changed the political landscape and given women their rightful place in society.
For now women candidates vying for seats will have to compete against the men and in this election.
They are a mere 5 per cent (165 women out of the 3324 candidated).
For them to be given the ticket to enter Parliament as leaders will depend on how voters see the role of women in society.
One thing for sure, a mother’s wisdom on taking on life’s challenges when it comes to her family cannot be measured against knowledge gained from education. It’s the natural instinct of being a women that shines out the most.
In the Bible, it is the subject of a 22-line poem found in the last chapter of Proverbs.
The “woman of noble character” is meant to be a tangible expression of the book’s celebrated virtue of wisdom.
As a poem, Proverbs 31 should not be interpreted prescriptively as a job description for all women. Its purpose is to celebrate wisdom-in-action, not to instruct women everywhere to get married, have children, and take up the loom.
The chapter speaks of the worth of a good wife to her husband, the manual labour that she does, her fulfilment of responsibilities to those who need her, her ability to provide for her family, and her wisdom in caring for herself so she can share her strength with others.
The wife in that Bible chapter is not afraid of work.
She gets up in the morning and gets things done.
Another characteristic of wisdom is the grace to help others.
The Proverbs 31 wife ensures that those under her care receive what they need – food, clothing, protection. And she is able to serve others out of the excess of her work and the leaning of her heart.
She has so internalised her role as a provider that it extends past her immediate responsibilities and into the community.
Everyone makes a big deal about Mother’s Day, as they should. Without mums, where would any of us be?
As much as dads are important, it’s mothers who literally give us our lives and do most of the heavy lifting in parenting us during our early years.
Which is why mums really deserve to be honoured every day, and not just with an anaemic clump of carnations once a year.
It should certainly not be the only occasion in which you offer her thanks for all she has done. She deserves so much more than that.
The Bible also talks about “an excellent wife who is far more precious than jewels”. And the fact that “charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised”.
How relevant.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mums out there.