CAPE TOWN - What do you feel, think, smell and taste, when you hear the word “mother”? Can you remember when she first touched you, grabbed your hand just before you fell down after giving your first step, or cried when you had your first injection?
Nothing in this world can be borne without a mother. It is part of the creation. Mothers are positive energy. (I’m not saying men are negative energy .. we need both to ignite the universe).
Being a mother in a ‘challenging demanding still men dominating world’ is NOT easy. I know. I’ve been around for some time. I lost out on a lot of precious time with my children - just to keep them. I had to lose them to keep them. Some mothers might understand.
I’ve never been that that close to my Mom. I miss her now, at the age of fifty-something. My Dad was my everything. He inspired me. He supported me. And .. years, many years later, I discovered, that he was never true. My mom, a simple woman, was the true one.
When celebrating Mother’s Day, we should reflect on the role our mothers played on our journey. I interviewed some top CEO’s this week, asking one question: How did your Mom influence you on your journey?
Adri's daughters. Supplied.
Most shed some tears. Mothering is emotional, it’s an ambilocal connection. You cannot choose your mother, you are here because of her. She allowed you to be. A well-known businessman and top CEO told me many years ago that he was an orphan, his mission was to find his Mom. He did, after building an empire. Today, she lives in a good house living a good life. When she fell pregnant she was poor. The best she thought she could do for the young baby, was to give him away, hoping and praying that he will be better off. He is, today, years later he found his mother, he bought her a house, and today, they are celebrating the birthdays of her grandchildren.
I salute the mothers of the world today. For those of us that dropped off our babies at the break of dawn and picked them up at sunset just to make ends meet, I salute you. For those Moms that hanged around during tough times ‘for the sake of the children’ – I salute you.
We cannot celebrate Mother’s Day, without acknowledging the power of the Fathers of the Nation. In celebrating Mother’s Day, I want to salute the many Fathers, the leaders, the many men that empowered us to mother our children.
Adri Senekal de Wet is the Executive Editor at Business report