On 12th May’24, as the world gears up to celebrate Mother’s Day, let’s collectively remember that this special day is not not just about flowers and cards, but about respecting every mother and her choices she makes to nurture her child; As times have changed, mothers grapple with new set of challenges while navigating a complex landscape, embracing the joys and challenges of raising children in an increasingly technological world. Yet, amidst these advancements and the hustle and bustle of the world, the essence of motherhood remains constant- nurturing their child with the utmost care, good health, quality education and capabilities to stand on their feet when they grow up.
A mother’s journey is often difficult, as she paves her way through the new life of being a mother and taking care of her child. Thus, in such a scenario, it is the responsibility of the community to acknowledge a mother’s struggle and give her and her child the space to build their one-of-a-kind relationship without any prejudices.
Celebrating Mother’s Day 2024
Countless things remain unsaid and actions undone in the 21st century. The breakneck speed of evolution and the desire to improve lives often keeps families apart, making it difficult to show gratitude and love.
The International Mother’s Day, falling on the second Sunday of May yearly is an opportunity for sons and daughters to thank their mothers in their unique ways. It is what mothers deserve: their selflessness and hard work have been the cornerstone of success since time immemorial.
It isn’t easy to raise and manage children, but mothers do it seamlessly. They’re the world’s greatest artists, investing their time, skills, and love to make their children finished and well-rounded human beings. They face challenges but, like writers, find ways to overcome them and mould their children into stories worth remembering.
How Raising a Child is Like Writing a Book
Writers and mothers share parallels. Their journey is similar, full of challenges, struggles, and euphoria.
Children, like books, are unique. They have their own stories, with the plot and subplot changing as they grow. Drama, emotions, and characters in children’s lives also change, like in books, with their mothers dictating it to an extent. They’re the authors in their child’s life, guiding them as writers guide their readers to the next chapter.
Raising a child also requires extreme patience. Every child develops at their own speed, requiring tremendous patience and dedication from moms. They cannot rush the natural process: doing so might affect their child’s development and adult life.
However, mothers must be equally flexible as writers with their stories. Children sometimes grow quicker than expected, and their next life stage requires a different skill set from moms. It is the same with writers: they might get ideas for their next chapters in one go and adapt the transition quickly in their minds.
Children and Books
A child’s life moves exactly like the chapters in a book. The early years represent the beginning of their story, setting the stage for the rest of their life. Like writers establish the premise, to an extent, in the first few chapters, moms shape their child’s stories in their early years. The foundation is vital as only then can a story have substance and produce the desired effect in life.
Subsequently, as children grow and develop, their story becomes complex, like the turning point in a novel. They emerge out of their home comforts and step into the real world, where they must rely more on their skills. The challenges they encounter shape them as a person and decide, to an extent, their future.
Mothers play a vital role as their children step into the real world, as writers do with their characters in the vital chapters of their books. As writers do with their characters, mothers provide guidance and try their best to steer their children in the right direction. They guide them through the twists and turns of life but give them the freedom to make their mistakes and learn from them.
When things get tough, as they’re bound for mothers, they rely on collaboration to shape their children. Like writers seeking inspiration when faced with a mental block, mothers rely on their spouses, relatives, and friends to ensure their child’s story stays intact. Mothers know the value of collaborative effort in their child’s development, as do writers with their stories.
Getting a helping hand can also help mothers give their children unique perspectives as they enter youth and go their own ways. As children hear different opinions and take on life, work, etc., their minds broaden, much like characters in a book.
Closing Thoughts on Mother’s Day 2024
Writing books and raising children share parallels, but differences also exist. Unlike a writer working on a book, mothers cannot go back in time and fix their child’s past. They have no control over it and can only think about the future.
Writers have the freedom to change things. They can introduce new characters, add new elements to previous chapters, and even change the main plot altogether.
Raising a child is more rigid, and the story doesn’t end with the last page, unlike a book. As children become youngsters and later adults, their story evolves and grows with their experiences. Their story doesn’t end until they die, unlike books. Let’s do Mother’s Day 2024 differently.
Regardless, raising a child and writing a book are equally daunting. Therefore, mothers are artists and deserve tremendous praise and respect for their sacrifices. They represent the best of humanity: selfless, kind, hardworking, and optimistic.
This International Mother’s Day 2024 is an opportunity to remember that and reflect on the role mothers play in shaping their children’s stories.
Smile Foundation and Working with Mothers
Smile Foundation launched its women empowerment programme, Swabhiman to reach out to marginalised women, young mothers and adolescent girls. The aim since then has been to capacitate them through innovative community practices, support them in education and livelihood, development of life skills, empower them to seek healthcare and bring sustainable changes in the community, and also engage men and boys in creating a gender-equal society.
The programme aims to enhance their access to basic healthcare, nutrition, and knowledge about the different government schemes and bring an overall improvement in the quality of their lives. Potential women entrepreneurs are identified and supported with dedicated programmes to build an ecosystem for them to progress and excel.
