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In honor of mom
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Posted on May 12 2023
As a mother to three grown-up children, I recall how, between the ages of 3 to 10, they would each give me handcrafted cards they made with their little hands each time another Mother’s Day comes around. I used to hang them on my refrigerator, together with the other artworks they used to bring home from school.
As they grew older, the gifts became savvier, with the most expensive being a card that contained cold, hard cash that they wanted me to use to file for my U.S. citizenship. If I choked up all those years of receiving those handmade gifts, I cried a bucketload over that cash gift, knowing they blew their paychecks to secure my future. In hindsight, I felt my dream of contributing something worthwhile had finally come true. That was when this quote came alive for me: “Being a mother is not about what you gave up having a child but what you gained from having one.” In my case, three. That is my reward for being a mother.
Whatever we call them—Mama, Nana, Inay, Mommy (being the terms that are most familiar to us), More in Dutch, Mutti in German, Ama in Basque or Mamicka in Slovak—thank you for being the selfless, loving, kind, compassionate, the fount of unconditional love.
In honor of mothers all over the world, we prepared these stories about mothers and motherhood, beginning with trivia about this occasion as well as a gift guide to help you find the ideal gift for the queens of our homes. Also, learn about the traditions surrounding Mother’s Day celebrations in different countries.
Get to know Maricar Manicdao Guintu and how through her kindness, she was able to give the lasting gift of education to her nephew and niece. Find out about the role mother’s play in our society from Pastor Evelyn Armia and get some words of wisdom from former Ms. CNMI Sheryn Cabrera, who shares her experience when she was a new mother.
…and now we raise a glass to honor the woman and women, young and old. Cheers!
Happy Mother’s Day!
