IT’s not about Mother’s Day so much as it is to really respect women and understand that she, despite of her sacrifices and love, has her challenges and must be cared for and respected for as her role as a woman in today’s demanding society is not easy. Years ago a mother would have the luxury to looking after the family and still get time for herself, her mate and friends. She would have a servant or servants to her disposal besides relatives and neighbors. Nowadays, she has to work at home with the kids after slaving in the office and again meet the demands of her partner daily and his family at the weekends, apart from living up to the ever changing stereotypes of who she aught to be.

Notwithstanding feminism modern battles, domestic violence has not ended. Despite conventions and sentences; education and prayers; sermons and movies the hospitals are bloodied and the courts are crowded.

Why?
Is the Cain and Abel episode of life so systemic?

Verbal abuse is worse than physical violence. An Arab proverb says it’s worse than a thousand swords!

I believe it begins with what words we use in society in referring to women. If respectful the fist will embrace rather than clench!

Patience and a voice of reason is what true mothers teach their sons as the eleventh commandment- manners maketh man!

What goes around comes around.
A society that has no fear of God, let alone the police, elders, and community will not go very far but live on the precipice of self destruction. Those who are seated in position of power must recognize this inevitable karma of injustice.

As Gandhi rightly said give unto me a woman and I will give you a great nation. How many scholarships are available for underprivileged girls and how many counselors are provided for the abused daughters of Eve?

I heard incarcerated people talk about their mothers in most glowing terms- when they were out they did not value her feelings and neither respected her values. They now wish for one word, one hug, one call, and one more day with her.

In some cultures kissing, hugging, saying I love you and thanks for everything is a daily diet by men to mothers. For others, it is not macho! Sometimes we just need to wet our dryness and warm our coldness by borrowing from strangers!

Of course I don’t support taking the mother-in-law overpowering the daughter-in-law and sons paradigm that leads at times to further abuse.

However so, another disturbing trend is the role models today are without children!

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was chosen as a Universal icon, simply because God wanted to honor motherhood and chose a woman to bring Jesus into this world, although his conception itself was miraculous.

The Pilgrimage to Mecca reminds the world that Hagar’s duty as a mother to save and nurture baby Ishmael, until she could run no more in search of water, is a tribute to mothers around the word suffering.

Yes everyday is mother’s day, but less we forget, it’s important to single out days or weeks or months for certain causes.

While the smiles broaden today as to who got what for this special season, let the mothers teach their sons that women are flowers before the bud blossoms; are angels who eat and drink and are God’s beloved who make mistakes but are forgiven.

An end to domestic abuse will not happen until respect is bred into the hearts of men and respect will not arise until the dialogue happens. But then you have the domestic abuse of men too!

But for now lets try a shot at the famous trial – if a man was to save his mother and his wife, what does he do?!