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Full of warmth Personification of love and affection

Where do we begin? By closing our eyes and describing our mother? It is both easy and difficult. Words tumble out of the mind to describe her sparkling eyes and dazzling smile, her gentle touch full of warmth, her sweet voice, her chastening love…..That’s “My Mother”, each of us would like to say, the most beautiful woman created by God for me.

But what we can never explain is what she means to each of us. We strangely become tongue-tied and words fail us to describe someone who is so all-encompassing. She silently influences our lives from behind the scenes. She is a bank where we deposit all our worries and hurt and in return get love and hope, care and protection, courage and confidence, no matter what. She is the truest friend ever.

A mother is never more happy than when doing things to make the people she loves happy. Last week inside a gift shop, a mother was asking for a particular poster she saw in Chennai. Based on a Chinese proverb — “There is only one pretty child in this world. And every Mother has it” — Snehalatha was keen on sticking this poster in her daughter’s room on Mother’s Day. It sent across a beautiful message — that God has scattered wonderful mothers all around.

The touch of a mother laced through the routines and crises is what makes a difference today for tomorrow. The nurture of appropriate touch — the difference only a mom can make — reaches out and over words and wraps a child in a comforter of conviction that he or she is valued.

Or else why would M.G.Oviya, a class XII student of Lakshmi School search for hours on the net to download one of the best poems and present it to her mother nicely gift wrapped. She knows this will make her mother happy.

Nandita Shankaralingam, a class XII student of Kendriya Vidyalaya says she has been gifting her mother small presents — sometimes bought, sometimes handmade since she didn’t have the money — ever since she was in class VI when she happened to read about Mother’s Day in Reader’s Digest.

For Nivedita Raj, just over with her Board examinations, no gift can equal her mother’s love. “It is the quality of friendship that improves with days like these when we make it a point to be together and share joy and laughter.”

Contrary to adult thinking, children are extremely observant and expressive. No child misses his or her mother’s pain, heartache and joy but perhaps finds it hard to tell her how much they love her or don’t know how to make the day special.

With eyes glinting, class VIII student Kishore says: “Mothers are wonderful and awesome. Even if you hate them for trying to discipline you, you know your bruises will not heal without her kisses. She hugs me everyday. Her lap and warm caress is what I love the most even though I have become so big and have even grown taller than her.”

He is secretly making a scrap book for her filling it up with old pictures of her and him with cute little messages and quotes all over. “Its vacation time and when my mother sleeps in the afternoon or goes out shopping, I quickly finish one page. It will be ready before Mother’s Day.”

Kishore’s loving gesture has an universal appeal. Agrees Geetha, Lady Doak College student: “Mother’s Day is a time to spoil your mother with all the treats she deserves. She too likes so many things but never bothers because she is always worrying about her children and making sure they have everything they need.”

“It is always a nice feeling to be able to treat your mother to something special on this day. I and my dad have decided to let her have the day off and we will take over the kitchen and later may be go for a movie,” shares P.Sachitha, just out of college and job hunting.

A little imagination can make the celebrations wonderful and memorable. Of course, it is difficult to gauge whether Maduraiites are really inclined to make Mother’s Day a real celebration. A bit of media hype may be there but the brouhaha is missing.

May be, may be not, the Temple city is warming up to the idea of Mother’s Day celebrations. There are also young boys like Ashwin, who are “dead against” such a Day. Of course, he agrees that Mother’s Day should get precedence over others because a mother never cares to know how special indeed she is. At home, she only thinks less of herself. She receives praise for a work well done in office but receives no glory for the children she raises.

“Gifts, I feel, belittle a Mother. My father is busy but my mother is always by my side when I am preparing for my exams or going for any contest, taking some extra coaching or vocational training, running temperature or feeling depressed. As she grows older, I will always be beside her,” is Jayashri’s tribute to her mother.

Over the years, so many memories flood the mind about Mothers and each of them seem to be the “best” ones of the lot. It is not possible to relive moments but they can be treasured in our hearts forever.

It is not so much about gifts and celebrations but more about emotions, of knowing and respecting your mother’s love. Mothers are — and will be — mothers everywhere. It is an occasion to reflect and rejoice the importance of mothers in our lives. And perhaps to say a big thank you, for all those sacrifices and hardship, the gentle kisses and the stern looks, the ever assuring embraces and the warm caresses. I miss them. I lost my mother 16 years ago. But never forget to thank her. Surely none of us would to our Mothers, the most loving person in the world.

Happy Mother’s Day!

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