On Motherhood: Self Sacrifice
If God should give me a son, I will name him Noah. For I envision him to be one who will make God smile. One who will be a pleasure to the Lord… just like the biblical Noah.
I often hear people laugh each time I tell them,” I’m gonna have a son after my daughter Alee, and I’m gonna name him Noah, for he will be a source of God’s joy.” Most people think it’s unthinkable because Alee is barely a year old and how can I be sure God will give me a son after her? What if He will give my husband and me another daughter? Some marvel at the thought of having a name for an unborn son. Some though, think it’s simply ridiculous to have a name for a child yet to be conceived. I often think of the same thing. It’s crazy, right. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Deep in my heart, I know God will give me Noah in His own perfect time. Soon.
But at this point in my life, aside from focusing on Alee, I feel and hear God telling me that before He brings Noah into the scene, I should learn how to make Him smile myself. For how can I mold Noah into that person who would win God’s favor if I myself were a complete failure?
To have better children, we have to be better mothers. To have the best children, we have to be the best of mothers. Children are who they are because of the people around them. If there be one person who could influence them, who could touch them, who could create that one big impact in there lives, it has to be their mothers. As early as the first beating of a child’s heart inside his mother’s womb, the mother’s attitude towards the life she bears can already make or unmake it.
Over the years, even before I became a mother myself, I often hear Nanay’s friends complain about how their children disappoint them. How they wish they were different. How they wish they were like somebody else’s child. And how they have gone through difficult times and how much they have given for their children’s sake and yet they did not get what they wanted to reap. And always, Nanay’s response would be, “You haven’t given enough… nor have you gone through difficult times enough.” She couldn’t have said it any better. If they wanted their children to change, they should have started the change within themselves.
When my siblings and I were growing up, we had to follow many household rules. Some of them were, to wake up at 6am, make the bed and do our assigned household chores, be inside our house on or before 6pm, and wash up and change into nightclothes before going to bed. We also had to pray the Novena during All Souls’ Day with Nanay. Although we were annoyed to follow these rules, young as we were, we followed them to the dot because Nanay followed them herself. She wakes up before 6am, makes up their bed, washes the laundry, cleans the yard, and washes the plates. Whenever she goes out to visit friends and relatives, she was always home before 6pm. She never failed to pray the novena too. Nanay not only gave us her time, efforts, strength. She also gave us her examples. These examples made us who we are today and I believe that was her strength as a mother. To lead and mold by her examples. By living her teachings. By giving her self to all of us --- Tatay included.
With motherhood, giving is limitless. I guess that is why it is said that motherhood is the most noble of all vocation because it is all about self-sacrifice. It is all about giving----- even if you’ve ran out of yourself.
I often hear people laugh each time I tell them,” I’m gonna have a son after my daughter Alee, and I’m gonna name him Noah, for he will be a source of God’s joy.” Most people think it’s unthinkable because Alee is barely a year old and how can I be sure God will give me a son after her? What if He will give my husband and me another daughter? Some marvel at the thought of having a name for an unborn son. Some though, think it’s simply ridiculous to have a name for a child yet to be conceived. I often think of the same thing. It’s crazy, right. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Deep in my heart, I know God will give me Noah in His own perfect time. Soon.
But at this point in my life, aside from focusing on Alee, I feel and hear God telling me that before He brings Noah into the scene, I should learn how to make Him smile myself. For how can I mold Noah into that person who would win God’s favor if I myself were a complete failure?
To have better children, we have to be better mothers. To have the best children, we have to be the best of mothers. Children are who they are because of the people around them. If there be one person who could influence them, who could touch them, who could create that one big impact in there lives, it has to be their mothers. As early as the first beating of a child’s heart inside his mother’s womb, the mother’s attitude towards the life she bears can already make or unmake it.
Over the years, even before I became a mother myself, I often hear Nanay’s friends complain about how their children disappoint them. How they wish they were different. How they wish they were like somebody else’s child. And how they have gone through difficult times and how much they have given for their children’s sake and yet they did not get what they wanted to reap. And always, Nanay’s response would be, “You haven’t given enough… nor have you gone through difficult times enough.” She couldn’t have said it any better. If they wanted their children to change, they should have started the change within themselves.
When my siblings and I were growing up, we had to follow many household rules. Some of them were, to wake up at 6am, make the bed and do our assigned household chores, be inside our house on or before 6pm, and wash up and change into nightclothes before going to bed. We also had to pray the Novena during All Souls’ Day with Nanay. Although we were annoyed to follow these rules, young as we were, we followed them to the dot because Nanay followed them herself. She wakes up before 6am, makes up their bed, washes the laundry, cleans the yard, and washes the plates. Whenever she goes out to visit friends and relatives, she was always home before 6pm. She never failed to pray the novena too. Nanay not only gave us her time, efforts, strength. She also gave us her examples. These examples made us who we are today and I believe that was her strength as a mother. To lead and mold by her examples. By living her teachings. By giving her self to all of us --- Tatay included.
With motherhood, giving is limitless. I guess that is why it is said that motherhood is the most noble of all vocation because it is all about self-sacrifice. It is all about giving----- even if you’ve ran out of yourself.
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