Being a Mom

I vividly remember having problems with my mom during my teenage years. I was outgoing and loved all the fun that came with it. Unfortunately, my mom, very bold in character and a staunch believer, was always creating impediments to my crazy lifestyle back then. 

 She ensured that I attended our old Baptist church every Sunday and sat in its front row beside my siblings. I was not too fond of her domineering character over me. Moreover, she ensured that I was acquainted with many members of our congregation, who often helped her check on me and my character. That is why she always knew where and what I was doing. She only slept once I was back from the late-night parties. We quarreled a lot. Today, I consider all these cherished memories, which I greatly thank her for creating with me.

Ability to worry

An African proverb says, “the one who loves you is the one that fights you.” I came across it while reading African literature some years ago. I never understood it back then, but I fully comprehend it today. In my teenage case, the proverb would be translated as, “the mother who fights you is the mother who loves you.” 

 Today, I understand that my mother fought me because she worried about me on important issues like teenage pregnancy, alcohol addiction, and sexually transmitted infections that could change my life significantly. She had to fight me to protect me. It does not matter how she did it. The only important thing is that she was worried about me because there is nothing better than a mother worrying about her children. 

Ability to Create Good Destinies

Later in life, I came across an Indian proverb that claimed, “God gave parents the power to write the destinies of their children.” This claim is valid, at least for us believers. Children’s destinies are shaped by the contribution of their parents in their lives. Looking back at my life, I believe my mom and dad wrote perfect destinies for my siblings and me. They took excellent care of us. 

 Mom always made us coffee, poured us a bowl of cereal, made sure we ate, and washed our dishes. She spared her time to play with us in the backyard and attended all my essential school functions. When she took a part-time job to help dad meet the household expenses, she would arrive late in the evening and quickly prepare us a hot plate. In my teenage years, my mom did not shy away from fighting me to protect me from the increasing perils of life I was exposed to. She did not care about the rift between us and the mean things I told her, provided I was safe and sound at home. Later, she slowly taught me some household chores that have helped make me a better mom today. 

 In short, mom made sure that we were well-fed and comfortable. Through her commendable actions, she was using her God-given power to write us good destinies. We were healthy, enabling us to perform to our potential, and we developed essential family values, such as honesty and integrity, which guide us today. I learned from her that the ability to positively influence a child’s life is necessary for me to be considered a mom.

Unfortunately, like many young girls today, I was always skeptical about being a mother, primarily because of my career. This is because I never understood the concept of motherhood. However, my first pregnancy changed all that. The pregnancy created an unexplainable good feeling in me, making me move around the house and walk the streets happily.

 During this period, I realized that I was not alone in my body. Somebody also needed me to worry, care and start creating a destiny for her. This was the reason for my unexplainable good feeling and excitement. When I had my baby, I completely understood why motherhood is all about worrying and showing concern for your kids as my mother did, which, back then, felt like she was always fixing me. 

Nowadays, I am always worried about my baby. I can recall how I could not wait for her to sit, walk, and talk, especially when she was 18 months old and not talking to anyone. This made me question my care. Later, when she began talking in her 20th month, I realized I was worried about nothing. Then, I concluded that being a mom is all about worrying about your children and creating good destinies for them.