"I want my mummy!!" - A dedication on Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day, (why should it have to be one day??) and we recognise and appreciate all the love, kindness, discipline, hard work, investment and other numerous sacrifices that she continually makes for us. (For going through child labour alone, well that alone needs a special day of recognition!)

Today, many kids and husbands will be buying flowers, chocolates, or taking mum out, or pampering her: anything to pamper mum as a sign of appreciation. Why? (What do you mean, "why?" don't you have a mother??) Well, because she deserves it!

There will be others today just going through the motion, but there will be no love. Sure, they might give her the most expensive gift, or finally get to see her after all these years, or even just pop around for Sunday lunch to celebrate Mother's Day. It wouldn't make any difference. It's because the role of mother to them was just only that of title, not of any real meaningful relationship or bond, and that comes from love.

Remember your school days, and you might have the misfortune in getting in a fight behind the bike shed after school hours, especially if you're a guy? (It's an Alpha male thing, that. It's also one of the reasons we have wars, inspite of politico-Socio-economical reasons!!) There was always a warm-up match of 'cussing' and put downs, and such. Nothing was sacred. Except one thing: Mother. You do not, under any circumstance, bring a person's mum into the fight. You put down a mum, and it's on!! What could have just been bravado at the start could escalate to a real, bloody and messy punch up. All because you insulted one's mother. (And no, its not an Oedipus thing!)

Anyway, today's blog is in homage to my mum. The best (and then some!) that any child would wish for. She is unique, but then again, most of you would say that about your mum.

They say you never really appreciate a person until they have either left you or stood up for you. Well, my mother rose to the occassion back in the early 80's in Nigeria. We were were attacked by armed robbers that terrorised the neighbourhood during that period. The robbers were so brazen they would call the police up in advance to warn them not to patrol the area that night while they were having their 'operation'. Anyway, the robbers did their thing, stealing everything and anything, and what not. Then one of the robbers, a hideous excuse for a man, grabbed my wrist and said he was going to take me away. My mother, calm and composed, stared him down and said no. Now the thing is, you don't argue with an armed robber who can do whatever he wants to do. I guess my mother's defiance startled the robber. "How about this one?", referring to my younger brother. "You can take whatever you want, but you will not take any of my children!" My mother was not hysterical. I can remember the look in her eyes, and the robber backed off. I know that God intervened that day, and He gave my mother courage that to this day I have always admired.

How about discipline? Well, my mum was and still is an expert. She rarely used her hand against us, but her form of punishment was more psychological than physical, and it worked. There were times that you'd wish she'd beat you rather than psychologically fandango your head. You got out off line, and you will be 'psy'd'. There was this time that I 'liberated' a tin of Bournvita from that was 'securely' locked in her room. Of course, she knew that I had commited the crime, and she wasn't going to "tell your Father when he come's home" malarkey! No, my mother, bless her, had more finess than that. She was going to make point to go to my school, tell my headmistress what I had done, and then make sure that my misdemeanour was announced to the whole school during assembly. This was no idle threat, and I knowing what my mother is capable of doing, I was not going to call her bluff. I don't think I have ever cried that much pleading with my mum to forgive me. It put the fear of God into me, and then some!

When it came to sense of humour, my mother had tons of it, and she's always up for a laugh. We used to play pranks with other members of the family, play ludo, hi-five each other in public, and just chat and talk. She's more than a mother: a confidant, a friend, and a mother!

So, here's to you, mum. With love from all your kids. God bless.