By Anna Nguyen,
There are a lot of things that people around the globe celebrate each year; New Year, Love, Friendship, Work etc. In Greece, every second Sunday of May is dedicated to one of the greatest people that all of us have: our mothers. This day has come once again.
The establishment of Mother’s Day in Greece dates back to the ancient times. Ancient Greeks particularly, honored Goddess Rhea, who was believed to be the Mother of Gods, by offering her honey cakes, flowers and fine drinks. It is interesting that this celebration continues to this day, where annually on a specific date, children give their mothers various gifts, such as handmade cards and flowers. It might have been differentiated from how it was celebrated back then, but the meaning is still the same. Is it enough, though, to show to our mothers our appreciation only on one day out of 365 days? Probably not, because what our mothers have done for us since they were pregnant, is something that cannot be measured with things. Nonetheless, Mother’s Day gives us a chance to embrace all the things our mothers have given us till that day and onwards.
Probably, all the things that I am going to write now are things that anyone would expect in an article about this specific celebration. But one thing that I have learnt is that nothing can be predicted. A mother is one of the people that has given us one of the most important things that we all have; life. She is the first person that we meet when we arrive on Earth, the first person to hold us and the only person –except for fathers- that would give her life for us. It is a love that truly is unconditional. We should all think for a while: Who else would do that for us?
Personally, I have heard a lot of incidents between mothers and children which include arguing all the time or having a more calm relationship. For instance, surely all of us have had our bad moments with them. Maybe we have also thought that they are annoying and that they interfere with our lives a bit too much. However, in spite of them, we can all also agree that there have also been times that we have laughed our hearts out, have had deep conversations and have learnt a lot from them. In the end, they have been living on this planet longer that we had, so probably they would know more than us. Let’s not hold a grudge against them; maybe we will understand their actions when we have our own children.
A mother can be many things: a best friend, a hero, a role model. It is unbelievable when one realizes the amount of strength they all have -and I am not referring only to physical but to inner strength, as well. A person that can take in all the bad things that might come their way and not lose hope for the sake of their children is amazing. Mothers are fighters, strong women that might have come across many difficulties but never gave up, which is something we should all look up to.
This particular day is a very happy day for many, but it is also a day that some people would want to forget. There are a lot of people that live without their parents and this day reminds them of that. What I want to say to these people is that instead of thinking that there is not anything to celebrate, think that there is. Embrace all the good things, advice and memories that you have with them and live a life that they would be proud of. They might not be here in person but they will always be within your hearts and made you who you are today.
Mother’s Day is a celebration in honor of all these strong women to whom we owe our lives. Although it is something that one should do every day, today I urge all of you to take the chance and hug your mothers, tell them you love them and thank them for everything, from making you food each day to always being next to you whether it be good or bad times. Remember, some people do not have this chance anymore. These women are unique and you only get them once. Happy Mother’s Day to all of them!
