Amma - Mother

As always, after work discussion, in our official calls; we do discuss the festivals, weekend plans etc. As a part of which, the question popped up asking, what was the plans for the mother's day? Every Second Sunday of May, is celebrated as mothers day, and this year it falls on the 10th of May. In US children go to visit parents, with flowers, cards and gifts. Roots of the origin of the day lies in the time a woman called Anna Jarvis had held a memorial for her mother when she passed away in 1905. She did that at St Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, the same place where the International Day shrine is held. It was also her who had started a campaign to recognize Mother’s Day as a holiday in the United States.Even though her efforts were defeated and the request to observe the day as a holiday was denied, she persisted. In 1941, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation after which the second Sunday in the month of May was declared as a national holiday to honor mothers.The day is celebrated at different places on different dates. In UK, it is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of March commemorating the memory of Mother Church on Christian Mothering Sunday. In Greece, however, it is celebrated on February 2, linking the day with Eastern Orthodox celebration.

Team India's unanimous answer was, every day is mother's day for us. In India we do nothing special this day; and we honour and remember our mother's daily. The importance of mothers needs no retelling. Our lives are stitched with their presence, both visible and invisible. There is none of us without our mothers, and there is nothing wrong in either celebrating her everyday, or have a single day for her. The most unconditional love that one would see anywhere is that of a mother for her Children; if there is anything more, it could be in some cases to her grandchildren. But that is more of caring.


Remember having written about Amma some years back, and how all mothers are crazy, and pat came back fire; saying how dare I call mothers Crazy - it's because I do not understand them. Well so could be, so could be not. It most do take a mother to appreciate another. Mother is a verb as well as a noun, so is she. Some people had great mothers but lost them, some had or have mothers, who are very dear to them, and some have mothers who never mothered them or stopped mothering them for some reason. I was fed; I was washed; I was clothed; I was taught; I was cared; I was guided, I was scolded, I was nurtured, I was protected, I was done and taken care of by mother, in all the ways she could and more. We have had our ups and downs, and still do. But I know deep down, there is no one who would love me, care for me, irrespective of my flaws, as she does. And I do have her in me - though I have always claimed, that I am more like my father. So quick fixes, in cooking, or dressing. Her dreams had been my dreams. A very independent person, she is so very efficient, capable, and do so many things in parallel, it is difficult to comprehend. Not just me, she was and is a mother to so many who are in need; as she is a daughter to so many around. Very few could be like her; for most of them would love their family - but it takes some extra heart to consider every human from the service providers, and the unknown - not only our kith and kin as our own.

Universally - Covid is special this mother's day. A Very hard Mother's day: Seattle man loses mom, 2 sisters to coronavirus - It was a hurting article to read; so also there are many; who would be missing their mother's this mother's day - not necessarily because of Covid. This includes Rajesh, given his mother passed away in August 2019.The loss is irreplaceable, and something that cannot be described or quantified. For each their own. That is one living mother, who gives birth, or brings us up. But, in parallel we do have many more mothers that brought us up and keep us going, and if we be the same to those around us,

Let us cherish, and Thank our mother when they are around, and pray for them, wherever they are. Let us imbibe in us a living lesson on unconditional, unspoken, Universal Love!

From 'The Maria Goretti Corner'

My mother taught me ..
All that I am..
Everything I do ..
She was strict ..
She was kind..
She did not have riches ..
But was rich ,of a different kind ..
She taught me not to waste ..
She made me slow down ,when I was in a haste ...
She told me , not to be in a hurry, to date ..
I will find what .has to be mine ..
Somewhere ,in this life time ..
Just wait ..
She taught me to have faith ..
To have immense hope..
To never give up ..
To work hard..
To not hold grudges..
To always be kind..
To not talk about anyone , that’s not right ..
To mind my own business..
To stand up for what is right ..
I have seen her struggle...
I have seen her cry ..
I have seen her go to work in heat and pouring rain ..
And also mend my shoes ,make me pretty dresses, garden, climb trees and put clothes out to dry ..
She taught me how to knit, crochet, cross-stich and darn..
She always did her best ..
And always kept us from harm..
And prayed that we always , would be happy in life...
At the end of the day ..
Our Mothers just love us, even if we may turn out , not all right !
.
And when we turn Mothers ..
We understand them better ..
And then we try and make right , where we went wrong ...
But we all have our own paths ..
And that’s where , we will tread ..
Just remember , you are you , because your mama was brave enough to never give up on you ..
With all, that she did and said ..
.
I wish I knew how to be a mom ..
But I’m learning through my mistakes et all..
Sometimes when I look at myself , through my kids eyes..
I see a dragon, all claws and fire , snarling outside ..
But inside all I want ,is that my kids turn out fine ...
That they are kind, brave ,strong and stand on the side of goodness , most of the time..
That they are happy ,from their insides and have enough to laugh about ..
And want to hug me , as long as I’m around...
And when my circle comes to an end ..
They remember me with laughs ..
And say , “God ! What a dragon she was , but loved us , as crazily as a bear who would brave stinging bees for honey !
Crazy kook Mommy ..