Honoring our Mothers
Lauri Anne Jacobs
This Sunday is Mother’s Day, so I thought I would shed some light on the subject matter. Mothers are the cradle of life, and God gave us the amazing gift of being able to grow and bring forth life in our bodies. It is a sacrifice of love and honor to do so. Mother’s Day is set aside to honor the joy of motherhood and for the family to give honor to the matriarch of the family. It has always been the tradition to honor the elder matriarch of the family. When she passes then the torch goes to the next one down the line. I am seeing that tradition die out as the younger generations take over. I hear “Well, I am a Mama too”. This saddens me as I am a keeper of old traditions. When my Grandmother (Ma) was alive we all gathered at her house for Mother’s Day. After she passed away the torch was passed down and we gather at my Mother’s to honor her. My Daddy always says without her sacrificing herself he would not have a family.
I consider it a blessing and an honor to be able to be with my Mama on her special day. I am a mother because she was one first. A lot of people do not get that opportunity because their mother is passed on. I am so thankful to wear the red rose to church on Mother’s Day. The white rose is worn by those who have lost their mothers. I come from a long matriarchal line of strong women. I am a strong woman because I was raised by one. My Mama instilled values and strength in my siblings and I that were put into her. I look at posts and videos on social media and see young women teaching the younger girls any and everything but good family values and traditions. Thirteen-year-olds do not need to be out learning how to party, they need to be home learning how to cook and washing the dishes.
As society drifts further away from God’s design for a family motherhood is belittled and looked at as an inconvenience. Careers and good times are prioritized over family. On the other side of that coin the men are not wanting to put family ahead of their pleasures either. The Bible portrays motherhood as a significant and meaningful role, a gift from God, and a way to glorify God. The world wants us to see raising children as something that holds us back from reaching our full potential. The greatest accomplishment and honor a woman can have is bringing forth life, nurturing and caring for the life that came from her womb, then seeing that child grow and bloom into their full potential. This Mother’s Day, instead of saying “Well I am a Mama, too,” I encourage the young mothers to be with the elder matriarchs of your family and honor them. None of us would be mothers without them.
