WHATEVER you are doing or where you are doing it makes this Mother’s Day extra special. We all have various stories of what motherhood means to us, with triumphs and challenges.
Special greetings to my mom, Claudia John, and Brenda Gibson, Carol Brooks, Lorna Welshman Neblette, Veronica Quelch and all those moms all across Guyana! May God continue to bless you all!

I should reiterate that not only women who give birth to children are mothers. My Aunt Corin is an example of someone who never had children, but was an amazing mother.
She spent a lot of time with my two daughters, Mariska and Shonta, when they were younger, and she displayed great motherly skills.
My sister, Nicole, enjoys being a stay-at- home mom, while I enjoy being a working mom.
I felt guilty, when my girls were younger, about not attending all their school events, but they never made me feel guilty. I attended Shonta’s CXC graduation, but missed the CAPE one. She did exceptionally well and was valedictorian.

The only time she ever made a demand on me was when she had to travel to Belize to receive her award for the Best Business Student in the Caribbean for CAPE.
That evening as I entered the venue where the ceremony was being held, the Minister of Education of Belize greeted me with great enthusiasm, relating to me that Prime Minister Dean Barrow was very impressed with my daughter. He’d seen her on a TV interview and later met her when the top students paid him a courtesy call.
That evening, as I looked at my baby on stage when Professor Hilary Beckles said, “Can the parents of the brightest minds in the Region stand,” I got very emotional, remembering some of the challenges of raising her without her dad in her life. That was one of my proudest moments as a mom.

My girls make me feel like I have the prize for ‘Number One Mom in the World’, and that makes me try harder to be the best mom possible. They both are making me so proud.
I am now also able to enjoy being a grandmother, to Jaidyn, my eldest daughter Mariska’s son. He brings such joy to my life every day; and he is the example of how beautiful my family tree is and will be.
I spent last Saturday with some awesome moms at ‘A Tribute to Mothers’, and one of my favourite moments was the on-the-spot make-over for Cheryl Noel by Makin’ Style.
Her daughter sent me a message; a very touching message saying why she felt her mom should be chosen for the make-over.

In return, Cheryl wrote: “I am overwhelmed and thrilled with my first experience of that exotic treatment of royalty.
“Grateful for everything and everyone who did a splendid job. Thanks, Ms. Sonia Noel. My daughter’s speech touched me deeply; to my heart. Words cannot not express my gratitude.”
The other beautiful moms in the fashion show were: Noneika Daniels, Mandy Isaacs, Lorane Sears, Wendy Herdmonstine, Candacy Subrattie, Veronica Murray, Simone Beckles, Alexis Noel and Allana Pheonix.

Lucky mothers won some fabulous prizes, such as beauty hampers, massages, floral arrangements, jewellery and day trips to the Aruwai Resort.
Many mothers left the New Thriving Restaurant very happy; and I am sure they are still smiling today.
Let’s continue to encourage each other and thank God for this privilege of being a mother.
The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness. When you become a mother, you are no longer the centre of your own universe. You relinquish that position to your children. — Jessica Lange
Remember to send a kind message today to someone who is not your mother, but may have impacted your life in some way.
Send us an email @ beyondtherunway1.com , or visit our FB page, BEYOND THE RUNWAY as we continue this beautiful journey called life, BEYOND THE RUNWAY.