MOTHER
(An
article written by Concepcion Cuenco when
she was a schoolgirl)
Who has
not heard the word mother? From the
cradle of infancy to the death-bed man
pronounces the word with respect and
reverence. And, Oh, the thrill and the
sweetness it produces.
This
is what we observe from time to time, and
we wonder, rather skeptically why it is
so. The mind anxious to comprehend the
truth starts to analyze the case and bit
by bit discovers thru elimination the
real cause of the observed effect.
"Mother" in the abstract,
"Mother" in the nut shell and
"Mother" in the concrete means
love, sacrifice and duty. The word
"Mother" is in itself a bliss.
It
is a fact hard to be denied, that
mother's love is the most unselfish, the
noblest and the grandest of all human
loves. Where shall a weeping child dry up
his tears if he does not have the
embracing arms of a mother? How can a
disconsolate one put an end to his grief
if he does not have the soothing word of
a tender mother? A mother's love is very
unselfish. It gives much and expects
nothing in return.
No
language can express the power, the
beauty, the heroism, the grandeur and the
tenderness of a mother's love. The great
writer Chapin said once, "Mother's
love shrinks not where man cowers and
grows stronger where man faints, and over
the wastes of worldly fortune sends the
radiance of its quenchless fidelity like
a star in heaven." A father may turn
his back on his child; brothers and
sisters may hate each other; friends may
become enemies; husbands may desert their
wives and wives their husbands and
lover's love may turn to hatred, but
mother's heart remains always the
fountain of undaunted affection. Altho
the whole world may condemn her child,
still she stands by his side to defend
him, still she hopes he will repent and
still she thinks he is worthy of her
great love.
A
mother is capable of any sacrifice,
however great it may be. Right in the
Holy Bible we find an example. The
Blessed Virgin's life was a continous
sacrifice from the beginning to the end.
Her cares, worries, and sorrows for the
the passion of Jesus Christ culminating
in His death on the cross, spoke
eloquently for the greatness of a
mother's heart and the grandeur of her
soul. Even in everyday life, examples of
mother's sacrifice are shown. The caring
of the child, the maintenance and the
education are but few of the many
hardships that confront a mother. But she
meets them with smiling face and good
will.
A
mother, besides the love and sacrifice
only peculiar to her, has also her duty
to attend to. One of the duties which she
is obliged to perform is to educate her
child. No one in this wide world, not
even the most fond and affectionate
father can shape a child's heart, more
than the mothers. The future destiny of
every child is the work of the mother.
When Lincoln, one of the presidents of
America, was congratulated by the whole
world for his victories, he always
uttered these words: "All that I am
and hope to be, I owe to my great and
angel mother." Surely, every mother
performs this task marvelously, being
prompted by high motives and dictated by
the two principles of love and sacrifice
which are only her own.
To
conclude, let this little advice of mine
be forever engraved in golden letters in
your hearts; Love and be kind to your
mother while you have them - the
priceless, the most sublime gift. In life
you may have many friends, good and dear
friends, but you will never find one
among who will ever love you as a mother
does.
- Concepcion Cuenco
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