The rebellious and revolutionary mothers

‘When you get in trouble you call your mom, I ain’t got no mom’. These were the words of the former notorious convict Charles Manson who while describing his upbringing, explained why he was a societal outcast and a sociopath.

Mother’s Day was on the 8^th of May 2022 and if many of you didn’t know, well, take a moment and be thankful for the maternal presence in your life. But why did I give a Charlie Manson reference and how is it related to Mother’s Day? What does a notorious cult leader have to do with the sacred and divine day when we celebrate the sacrifices of mothers all around the world?

Charlie Manson’s mother Kathleen Maddox was a runway teen who gave birth to Manson at the age of 15 and later sold him for a crate of beer. She was imprisoned for theft and burglary later. Ever since, Manson was involved in all kinds of petty crimes and eventually abetted the heinous Tate-LaBianca murders.

The point of expounding upon Manson’s murders here is to highlight and dissect the importance of mothers in shaping members of the society. At this juncture, I would also emphasise upon the role that nuclear families play in creating a more stable society; however, such blatant advocacy would entail unintentionally trivialising the efforts of single mothers all around the world.

A mother goes through a litany of pain, hatred and deceit all through her life while bringing up her children, not to mention the unequal pay and misogynistic attitudes. She gives up her dreams to ensure her kids fulfill theirs. She bears the pain of giving birth and if you ask her what her destiny is, she will say, seeing her children grow in their mind and body is what fulfills her destiny. Her reward is to see her young ones progress and mature through the pains of childhood and the ill whims of youth.

Ranging from domestic work to professional engagements, mothers are overworked, underpaid and definitely unappreciated. In Ramazan, they cook tirelessly in kitchens sweating from head to toe, ensuring that the entire household is fed, all the while fasting themselves. But not even once do they complain because it is sheer love these mothers carry for their families. Love makes you do things you generally wouldn’t. Things like waking up at 7am to help your kids with their breakfast despite being exhausted. Things like staying up all night to write names on their kids’ new textbooks because it is their first day of school. Things like surviving an abusive marriage just to make sure her kids don’t ever experience a broken family.

A mother will prance around tirelessly happy and quietly proud knowing the fruits of her body and soul are fulfilling their aspirations. Her nimble presence will make a house into a home and her measured candor will light up the darkest of horizons. If anywhere there is divinity, it is here. It is her who is an eternal representation of alluring grace and it is her eyes that take one into the depths of affection, tranquility and stillness. She is real time poetry in motion.

Early on in her life, she is laid upon with the burden of choosing upon a suitor who stupefies her not with excessive fondness or sappy dialogue but with economic prowess, profound respect and financial independence. What does she ask for in return though? Only a little appreciation and maybe a little recognition. She spends her entire life honing the skills of her children, a part of her body she sees walking outside of her every day.

Let us celebrate Mothers all around the world, let us always be kind to women. Let the mistakes of woman lie gently on their heads for they are the forgiving mothers and angelic beings. This goes out to all the women and mothers around the world, you are seen, you are believed, you are loved and you are the true superheroes.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2022.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.