Homage to Mothers

This is for all the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up spit-up laced with hot dogs, birthday cake, and fruit juice saying, "It's OK honey, Mommy's here."

Who have walked around the house all night with their babies when they kept crying and wouldn't stop.

This is for all the mothers who have shown up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who have run carpools and made dozens of cookies for school teas and sewn Halloween costumes.

And all the mothers who haven't because they are at work trying to earn enough to keep on top of the bills.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see.

And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes and all their love.

This is for all the mothers who have sat on cold metal bleachers at hockey, baseball or soccer games instead of watching from their cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and meant it.

This is for all the mothers who have yelled at their kids in the grocery store and swatted them in despair when they stomped their feet, like a tired two-year-old does who wants ice cream before dinner, and then hated themselves for "losing" it.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children to explain all about making babies. And for all the mothers who wanted to but just couldn't.

For all the mothers who read Goodnight, Moon twice a night for a year. And then read it again. "Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who taught their sons to cook and sew and their daughters to be brave and strong. (And sink a jump shot.)

This is for all mothers whose heads turn automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home or grown up.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches, assuring them they'd be just fine once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away. And they do.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, and who can't find the words to reach them.

For all the mothers who bite their lips, sometimes until they bleed, when their 14-year-olds dye their hair green.

What makes a good Mother anyway?
Is it patience?
Compassion?
Broad hips?

The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time?

Or is it the heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time?

Or the terror in your heart at 1 a.m. when your teenager with the new driver's license is an hour late getting home?

The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 a.m. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?

Or to feel the dull ache as you look in on your sleeping daughter or son the night before they leave for a college in another city?

The need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

For all the mothers of the victims of all the school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

This is for mothers who have tearfully placed flowers and teddy bears on their children's graves. Whose children have died from illness, accidents and the worst of all and hardest to comprehend, suicides.

This is for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation.

And mature mothers who have learned and are still learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.

Single mothers and married mothers.

Grandmothers whose wisdom and love remains a constant for their grown children and their children's children.

Source: http://parenting.ivillage.com/mom/joys/0,,hvkg-5,00.html

Strong women

She is loved and hated in equal measure. Whether we like it or not, she is the only woman who can hack it into Kenyan presidency come 2012. I knew this when I listened to some old drunk men on my way home the other day. They are Kikuyu men, and old. I would expect them to defend the state of affairs in our country and to protect the political class of the likes of Kibaki, Uhuru kenyatta, Saitoti, Mudavadi and Raila. But nah! They said that they are going to vote for her, that woman, Martha Karua.

I agree with them on the pointbthat she could be the something different taht this country needs. Women bicker alot. they fight, rig each other out of elections through malice, hate each others gus, but women, will never descend to the levels of grand corruption we see in our country. Their chamas will never get to the same point as the gold buddy league we see.

There may be injustice in a woman's tenure. But it will not be the gross injustice againt the mwananchi. it will be instead be against the man who opposes her, or the woman she never liked. Injustice all the same but petty.

Do they have the guts to lead this country? we mean, do they have the guts to command the armed forces and sack corrupt Central Bank Governor? Yes. Are they bold enough to blatantly steal from the masses and condone both high and low level corruption? I dont think so. And I bless them for that.