Dear friends, here comes the day to remind you all again of the importance of your mums in your lives. A bond so pure, so selfless — it shapes who we are in ways we often don’t realise.

Allah, The All Knowing, in His infinite kindness, created mothers to take care of you like an angel on earth. When you were born, you had no control over your movements, couldn’t take care of your physical needs like eating, dressing or taking a bath.

You couldn’t speak and crying out aloud was the only language you knew. You wailed every time you were in distress, and it was your mother who came to you instantly to fulfil your need. I am sure most of you have younger siblings or cousins and you have an idea about how vulnerable new born babies are, and how mums toil patiently to raise them up with a lot of love and devotion.

Today, all of my young friends who are reading these lines, have grown up into strong and healthy individuals, who are independent from relying on their mothers for these basic needs, but the strong role of your mother is still present in your lives. On Mother’s Day, you plan to pamper her by giving her gifts, serving her breakfast in bed and flood her with love and affection. My point is, that this day maybe a good reminder of the importance of your mother in your life, but you should cherish her every day of the year.

On this Mother’s Day, let’s celebrate the quiet strength and endless love that only a mother can possess

As life evolves, so does our vocabulary and usage of words. ‘Mother material’ is a term coined a few years ago, which describes what it takes to be a good mother. Not a ‘perfect’ one, mind you, because no one is perfect in this world! Today, by sheer incidence, I was racking my brains for an interesting title for my write-up for Mother’s Day and then — ‘Mother material’ came to my mind, and excitedly when I typed this term on the internet, I was surprised to read that it was already present in a number of dictionaries.

Here are small reminders for you all to think over deeply, so that you can give due respect, love and value to your mother.

Mothers are made of love

The basic instinct every mother has, is love for her child. As soon as she holds you in her arms, she is overwhelmed with emotions which are hard to be put into words. She forgets her pain she has gone through and cuddles you to her body. In the initial weeks of your life, she is sleep deprived, literally has no time for herself and on her toes whenever you need her. She never complains or grumbles that you are too demanding, or how her bones are freaking out during the initial months of motherhood.

Dear friends, now is the time for you to take care of your mothers. As you enter adolescence, please remember that your mum is also ageing. She is not as energetic as she was during your childhood, she tires easily and is irritable at times. Take good care of her, help her in household chores, running errands and looking after your younger siblings. And do all this with a smiling demeanour, instead of sulking or talking back to her if she scolds you.

Try to do your personal work yourself, like making your bed, cleaning your room, polishing your shoes and ironing your clothes, to give her relief from overwork. The time when you relied upon her for everything is over. Today, you should remind yourself that it is your duty to pay back her love and care.

Your mother is your first and best friend

Children usually turn to their mothers for all their needs or issues, seeking their help or advice. As you grow from a child to a teenager, you feel it is time to cut off the apron strings. But a mother is used to intervening in every matter concerning you — your friends, daily routine, performance at school and many more aspects of your life. Do not be irritated, or scoff back at her when she continues to do so. You have no idea how hurt she is when you talk rudely to your mother. When you misbehave and are rude, she perceives herself as a failure who could not teach her children good etiquettes.

Remember that she is and will remain your best friend all your life. No one can love you as selflessly as a mother — giving you the best portions of food while eating leftovers herself; buying you things your family can hardly afford while remaining satisfied with years-old clothes already in her wardrobe; taking you to your favourite fancy restaurant, yet ordering the cheapest item on the menu for herself to keep the bill within budget and so many more acts of love and sacrifice that can’t even be measured in monetary terms.

Chat with her, share small anecdotes about school or friends or discuss daily issues with her. And if you are in a crisis, there is no one in the world who would help you come out of it, or shield you from harm. At times, when you feel you should have more freedom or personal space, talk to her in a friendly way. Although, she will always consider you as her baby, remind her that you need some level of independence to have the confidence to deal with the world and face life problems.

Compassion is the second name of a mother

No one in the world will treat you better than your mother. I remember an interesting ritual I shared with my children when they were young. Whenever I felt that the quantity of a dish or fruit was short, I told my children to finish it and it would automatically reach my stomach. They believed my words so religiously that they asked me how tasty the food was, even if I had not tasted a single morsel of it.

Compassion is a quality which is inborn in a mother. She understands her children’s needs, feels their pain, offers support when needed and tries to see issues from a child’s perspective. She is the one who shoos away your fears of the dark, nurses you when you are sick and helps you out when you have a problem either at school, with siblings or friends. She creates an environment which is best for nurturing your physical, emotional and mental needs/growth, so that you develop into a strong and positive person.

Patience and resilience — ‘mother material!’

It is not easy to raise a child. Toddlers may throw a tantrum in a shopping mall, clumsily spill their fizzy drink over the sofa, or make a demand for something late in the night which mum finds impossible to provide.

But God has gifted her with a lot of patience. She knows how to control her child’s whims and correct his blunders. She knows that the upholstery of a sofa can be cleaned or in a worst scenario it can be changed. She has the patience to understand that if a child is punished too harshly for a mistake, the upholstery of his personality will be damaged forever.

In hard times, she shields you from difficulties and tries her best to solve problems on her own. Many times, after growing up do children come to know what tough times their mother was facing, when she was cooking meals, playing games or laughing at jokes with them. She hides her tears and pain so that you are not sad and insecure, and feels it is her duty to shield you from the problems of life.

Dear friends, words can never be enough to encompass your mother’s role in your life. She may not be perfect, just as you are not! Instead of criticising or belittling her on small issues, understand her value and try in every possible way to repay her for all the sacrifices she made in raising you. This year, on her special day, instead of focusing on roses and perfumes, breakfast trays and other ways to make her feel loved, try to understand her true value. She should be cherished and made to feel special and loved every day of her life. Make life beautiful for her and always be by her side when she needs you.

These are the best gifts children can give to their mothers!

Published in Dawn, Young World, May 10th, 2025