Mark Twain had an interesting saying. “My mother had a lot of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.” That sounds like a great description of a lot of moms. They hold on so long while they never stop loving.

And there are many other things we can say about mothers. In many cases, they gave up their careers to raise their children. And did they get any thanks for that? Do they ever get the thanks they deserve for all they do for us?

Perhaps it is true that many mothers pull the short straw despite everything. Is it summed up in the following question and answer? “Do you work, ma’am?” “I am not a housewife”.

And while there are plenty of stand-ins for a mother — a nanny, a babysitter, a grandmother, a godmother, and a neighbor — there is only one genuine article; a mother is a mother is a mother.

its value

Someone once calculated the wages owed to those moms who go through the daily grind of cooking, cleaning, preparing lunches, running school, washing, ironing, shopping, taking the dog to the vet, the kids to the ballet and basketball, taking care of an elderly relative and finishing homework for their offspring. Nobody could afford it. He is owed a small fortune.

However, from a fiscal point of view, mothers are often classified as providers of ‘intangible labour’. Surely that has to be an oxymoron?

In fact, a recent survey of some 12,000 mothers estimated that for all the time and chores moms spend working at home, they should be paid more than $120,000 a year.

But is that the true value of our mom? Can we even think of a price? Just consider what they go through simply to become a mother. Many have a hard time when they are waiting. They care about their son before he is born. They may have a long delivery and everything so we can enter this brave new world.

For that alone it is worth our eternal thanks, but the true value of our Mom is just beginning. Like a baby, we are dependent; totally, and so many times, sometimes exclusively, from our Mom who feeds us, washes, bathes, dresses, entertains and cares for us. We don’t owe him much; just our life.

his longevity

A mom is always a mom. She is never off duty. She may become a grandmother and start being a mother again, but she will always treat her child or children like that. She can ask them to leave the nest, kick them out or beg them to stay, but never forget that she is always your mom.

Some mothers have more than one child. Some have many. And while they may learn various tricks of the motherhood trade, with each new baby they just keep going.

their sacrifices

We have already mentioned the career of a mother and the fact that many mothers completely or partially give up their vocation to be full-time mothers. Then there are many mothers who switch to a less demanding career with work hours that accommodate their children being home from school or on vacation.

And no matter how understanding employers become, no matter how things like job-sharing and on-the-job childcare become available, moms still have choices to make when it comes to a baby and a job.

And in many cases, those mothers who choose to be homemakers receive inadequate support from governments and other agencies. Why? What greater job, what more important task can anyone do than lovingly raise her child?

The role, responsibility and importance of a mother has never changed, it’s just that many are now expected to do a second job as well. For thousands of years, there were peasant women working in the fields who stopped long enough to give birth before returning to their task. For them, there was no hospital bed, medical staff, or equipment.

But despite the gigantic advances in medical science, women continue to design, carry, give birth and raise their children. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

his wisdom

Bern Williams is quoted as saying, “Sooner or later we all quote our mothers.” If that is true, the question arises why? Are mothers wise by nature? Do they have any special perception of the human condition?

They are certainly wise and we would learn a lot if we just paid attention. Here are some classic examples of the ingenuity and wisdom of moms.

• My mother taught me about religion when she said, “You better pray the stain out of the rug.”
• My mom taught me to be flexible when she said, “Are you going to look at the dirt on the back of your neck?”
• My mother taught me about endurance when she said, “You will sit there until you eat all those vegetables.”
• And my mom taught me to be prepared when she said, “Always wear clean underwear in case you get hit by a bus.”

We can’t quantify the debt we owe our mother, but we can understand when Olive Schreiner said, “There never was a great man who didn’t have a great mother.”

Happy Mother’s Day (May 13, 2018), to the Moms of the world, with everything you do, one day is not enough.

In loving memory of my mom – Mrs. Lilly Green Lewis (1924-2007)