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| My heart worships your kindness and strength Mami Atata (dearest mother). |
I watched beaming with smiles as a group of women most above their fifties danced circling amongst themselves singing in the Ekiti tongue. It made me laughed the first today as I sat back on a chair wiggling both legs. I realised those almost child like women having fun because of today have raised the man and called the woman out of us.
My mind raced back to my mother whose tears am acquainted with, whose voice I know so well. I wasn't close to her because I was her last but because I could tell when she cries without any tears dropping. Her hands sew my school uniform, stitched it when torn and replaced it when the stitches can no longer save NINE. On the days she missed me so so, she would scroll through her message inbox to read messages I sent her, she would cry and smile, then call me to let me know how emotional she was reading those texts. You won't believe she has got messages I sent her that dates far back as 2011 on her mobile phone. When I thought about a picture for the header of this article there was none more deserving of the spot than her.
They worry over us so much we end up worried about ourselves. They hold their chest and gasp out of fear over our silly pranks. They cry over a blown electrical fuse, they try to set our baggage neat and perfect. We scream and tell them to let us be. We get busy and forget they exist. We run away from being answerable to them and sometimes snub them out of anger for their excessive care. They can't help who they are,after all they are just God's invented gift for such people as we.
They saw and clothed our nakedness, they nurture and bless us irrespective of what we've done. They teach us to be right and preach us sore. Out of their brokenness and helpless situations they helped water and build our dreams. They are happy to be in the dark, smile and watch us walk in the light.
And to those women who have lost their child(ren). This remains the day the earth is frozen in motion and forced to stand and applaud you, Yes you. Rest in the assurance that your child(ren) loved you and you were indeed worthy of their love, here I stand and there they are telling you through me how loved you are and the heavens bear them witness on this.
Ese Iyami
Emela mama
Nagode ma
To those adults whose mom are gone, she died with you last in her thoughts. She doesn't want you to be sad on such a day as this, she would want you to scroll your photo albums, look at her pictures and laugh till you cry and say, "Thank you". If you've never known your mum, watch the stars tonight, take a deep breath you are surrounded by her prayers and her heartbeat, indeed mothers are guardian angels all around.
To the breast that nursed, to the back that bore, to the feet that danced to make me laugh, to the eyes that cried to see me thrive, to the hands that nurtured to watch me grow, to the heart filled with love till I could respond back through that love, to the womb that housed this adult, to the lips that guide till I learned, to the wisdom that is true even now I know, my heart worships your kindness and strength Mami Atata (dearest mother).
Happy Mother's Day
Its your existence that carved ours out...
Share and celebrate all Mothers
Paul Aremooluwa
6th March, 2016
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