“If I were hanged on the highest hill,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!
I know whose love would follow me still,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!”
Rudyard Kipling
The person more related to unconditional, infinite love, or even sacrifice is our mother. In every corner of this planet, books, poems, songs, paintings and other works of art have been devoted to mothers of this world. It would be a great oversight not to devote at least one day to honour these wonderful creatures we all hold dear, our moms.
In ancient Greece Mother’s Day was celebrated in spring as a tribute to goddess Rhéa, the mother of all Olympian Gods. The celebration involved flowers, honey-bread and other offerings. Similarly, in the Orthodox Church, Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, is a prominent figure, highly esteemed, much respected and celebrated more than once within the calendar year. We would not be exaggerating if we said that the Orthodox Christian religion largely contributed to the sanctification of the mothering role; the Mother continues to be a sacred figure, even today in modern Greece. And of course, on Mother’s Day, we still offer flowers to our mothers, as a small token of appreciation and love. Children prepare handmade cards at school and pick their own flowers, daisies for example, while older (adult) children give their moms expensive bouquets and other gifts, along with a hug and a kiss.
Of course, mother is not only the one that gives birth to a child; mother is also the one who adopts, nourishes, protects, educates, raises, and most importantly, loves a child with no ‘but’ or ‘if’. In some societies, adopting is still a taboo, and it is something parents prefer not to disclose if they can avoid it. Certain truths take time, patience and education, both for parents and children alike.
We wholeheartedly wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers out there, biological or not. Even if you cannot give your mother flowers or an expensive gift, even if you cannot hug her yet because of the pandemic, just tell her you love her more than she knows. Trust me, it will suffice.
By Sophia Dritsa
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