There is no downplaying a mother’s role

Min Atek

What you need to know:

  • My goodness, even merely thinking about it is mind-blowing. And yet when the maker of all creations made mothers He must have equipped them with all it takes to raise, nurture, groom, encourage and teach a child. If even animals are innately equipped to groom and nurture their young, what about the human being with a brain and a mind?

We were headed to Fort Portal for another burial. I was seated in the co-driver’s seat. Fred was seated in one of the back seats. He was his same quiet self and had graciously offered a huge wreath as our group contribution for one of our friend and fellow member in our investment group’s mother’s funeral.
Before setting off, Fred and I had been engaged in an interesting conversation. We had not seen each other in a long while and he was keen to know how the children were. “They have grown immensely,” I remarked. In fact the time we started the investment group, I was expecting my younger son, making the group as old as he is. Once again we reminisced about how quickly the years have flown by. We were going to bury the mother of our friend Keith. Keith loved his mother deeply. He regularly spent time with her and for the love of me he was his mother’s photocopy.

Then Fred mentioned something that struck me. He said a mother any day has the biggest influence and impact on a child. He said a child will always learn from their father but that from their mother, the influence will primarily be subconscious which is the strongest level of influence. This means whether a mother wants it or not, whether they are deliberate about their role or not, whether they know or do not, they are consciously but most importantly sub consciously molding and shaping the mind, the thought patterns and overall mindset of a child.
What a responsibility! What a challenge!

Of course this is not in any way meant to downplay the role of a father; far from it. In fact, that this was mentioned by a man further gives volume to the observation. One notable writer said a great child brings honor to their father but a child of disgrace was of great shame to their mother.
I used to think this was a very unfair statement but then again the writer spoke from a certain place of wisdom and revelation. This means the way a mother thinks and carries herself, the way she reacts and acts under different circumstances, the way she speaks or doesn’t speak, the way she affirms or doesn’t affirm; all these impacts greatly on a child.

My goodness, even merely thinking about it is mind-blowing. And yet when the maker of all creations made mothers He must have equipped them with all it takes to raise, nurture, groom, encourage and teach a child. If even animals are innately equipped to groom and nurture their young, what about the human being with a brain and a mind?
God help us mothers!