Mama Na Mama ! Mothers day is widely celebrated yearly across the world. In some cultures, there are 2 or 3 such occasions yearly.
Nevertheless, irrespective of cultures, we all remember a nurturer, be it a biological mother or a caregiver.
There is a fond feeling towards someone somewhere whom you believe gave up something for you.
Millions of messages on social media, mainstream media, cards, images or even verbal one-one-one tell one single compelling story of gratitude.
Indeed, in Africa and everywhere else, mothers are likened to octopuses.A mother has her hand in so many activities for the betterment of her children and dependants. Her tentacles are alert to the slightest whimper or sound of joy.
For those privileged to have lived under a mother’s watch, they say that irrespective of her temperament, she softens up for those under her care. The tenderness is even more so for anyone whose DNA is linked to hers.
A mother is everyone’s first friend, first teacher, first playmate, first doctor, first mentor, first preacher an everlasting well-wisher and cheerleader.
A nephew once surprised his fans when he told the story of how fierce his hitherto loving and tender mother became when his life was threatened among wild street urchins.
According to him, he could not believe that his mother could ever stand eye ball to eye ball and dare menacing urchins to touch her son. She marched them language for for language, fierceness for fierceness, all in defence of her only son. She could have done so even if she had a dozen of them.
Indeed, yours truly has confronted motor park touts who harassed her gullible son just because he questioned why they were deliberately standing in his way. I was willing to take them on, no matter how deadly they looked. I would simply have avoided them if my son was not in danger. But, “you wana get him ? take me out first if you can !”
The story is also told of a Nigerian mother in Sierra Leone, during the civil war. 2 Soldiers had broken into her home and ordered her husband out to be slaughtered. She narrates that she was a full time housewife at the time. Unable to bear the thought of her children fatherless and hungry she challenged the soldiers.
The woman single handedly tackled the arms wielding soldiers, wrestled one of them to a standstill and ceased his gun while the other held her husband down. While the soldiers were still in shock at her strength, she shot one of them and the other fled for his life. She quickly dressed her husband up in one of her gowns wrapped his face around with a wrapper for a turban and drove the family to the airport where a Nigerian aeroplane was filling up with Nigerian citizens for evacuation.
The woman swore she did not know where the strength came form but it was all she could do for the sake of her children. She was later told that her home was bombarded an hour later by scores of soldiers who came back to retaliate.
This little Niger Delta girl sums up everything about a mother.
Mama Na Mama !
Were places of Christian worship to be open today just like many past Mothers Day celebrations, it wold have been songs, stage plays and prayers for moms.
If you still have a mom, it is a day to give her a hug, make Sunday lunch and massage her knees and feet if you cannot afford any of her favourites.
Happy Mothers Day to the most fearless of God’s creations ! We love you dearly.