I thank God for the gift of my dearest mother, especially in May, the month of mothers. My gratitude to her goes beyond words: for the value of silence so that listening may happen, for discipline instead of punishment so that values of kindness, respect, and obedience can be formed in her children, for manners and behaviour so that her children may grow up to be responsible citizens, for strong bodies and pure souls, for faith and prayer so that they may live in peace, joy, and hope. These are a few of the many things I thank my mother for.
My appreciation goes to all mothers, including step-mothers, surrogate mothers, god-mothers, mothers-in-law, and spiritual mothers. I salute them all for their great contributions to their children’s hearts, their families, communities, and society as a whole.
Mary Joy Manwong
