Happy Mother's Day

Bijenti Irengbam *

MANY OF US don’t remember this, but a long time ago, we lived inside our mothers’ wombs. We were tiny, living human beings. There were two hearts inside our mother’s body: her own heart and our heart. During this time our mother did everything for us; she breathed for us, ate for us, drank for us.

We were linked to her through our umbilical cord. Oxygen and food came to us through the umbilical cord, and we were safe and content inside our mother. We were never too hot nor too cold. We were very comfortable. We rested on a soft cushion made of water.The nine months we spent in the womb were some of the most pleasant times of our life. Then the day of our birth arrived.

Everything felt different around us, and we were thrust into a new environment. We felt cold and hunger for the first time. Sounds were too loud; lights were too bright. For the first time, we felt afraid. This is original fear. Right now, today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones.

In China and Vietnam they call the womb the palace of the child. We spent about nine months in the palace. The nine months we spent in the womb were some of the most pleasant times of our life. Then the day of our birth arrived. Everything felt different around us, and we were thrust into a new environment. We felt cold and hungry for the first time.

But at the moment of our birth, someone cut the umbilical cord and we were no longer physically joined with our mother. Our mother could no longer breathe for us. We had to learn how to breathe on our own for the first time.

If we couldn’t breathe on our own, we would die. Birth was an extremely precarious time. We were pushed out of the palace, and we encountered suffering. We tried to inhale, but it was difficult. There was some liquid in our lungs and to breathe in we had to first push out that liquid.

We were born, and with that birth, our fear was born along with the desire to survive. This is original desire. As infants, each one of us knew that to survive, we had to get someone to take care of us. Even after our umbilical cord was cut, we still had to rely entirely on adults to survive.

When we depend on someone or something else to survive, it means that a link, a kind of invisible umbilical cord, is still there between us. When we grow up, our original fear and original desire are still there.

Although we are no longer babies, we still fear that we cannot survive, that no one will take care of us. Every desire we will have in our lives has its root in this original, fundamental desire to survive. As babies, we all find ways to ensure our survival. We may have felt very powerless. We had legs but couldn’t walk. We had hands but couldn’t grasp anything.

Entering May month, everything seems to wake up after a long sleep. All the scenery joyfully welcomes the new May month. The sky is higher and wider, dotted with white clouds floating in the air. If in winter, people only see the sky as dark, gray patches with heavy clouds, now in spring, the sky seems to be much more beautiful.

Mother's Day, becomes not just a celebration of a single day but an invitation to cherish and honor mothers every day. The beauty, strength, and enduring impact of mothers around the world - a tribute to the everyday heroes who shape our past, present, and future. I usually thought of my own mother. Oh, yes, a mother is the best thing a child can have; she is a child’s God, an extension of God’s hand.

My mother is what we will call a sweet mother but for me, she is the sweetest mother, my solid Rock, my pillar, my shelter, my everything that is good. If you have a mother and you do not value her, then, you do not deserve to be loved.

She discovered that being truly capable of loving meant that she had to love even those who were cruel to her. Mother built a strong relationship with family. Mother, you may face many challenges and difficulties in your daily life. You may feel overwhelmed, exhaus-ted, lonely, or discouraged.

You may wonder if God cares about you and your children, and if He has a plan for your future. Mother, you may feel weak in many ways. You may struggle with physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual exhaustion.

You may face financial, relational, or personal challenges. You may doubt your abilities, your worth, or your future. You may wonder why God allows you to suffer, and why He does not answer your prayers the way you want.

Soul needs body as much as body needs soul. Each is out of context without the other, an abandoned fragment of what it is. A great cherishing mother is often the link that manifests in dreams. Sometimes she appears as a striding Presence in the sky. During my childhood, I loved looking for rainbows after a storm. I thought they were like something out of a fairy tale.

I didn’t understand exactly what they were, but they felt other worldly. Women in Ema Market who sell vegetables in markets often face numerous struggles and challenges in their daily lives. These challenges can include....

Physical labor: Selling vegetables in markets typically involves carrying heavy baskets of product, setting up stalls, and sitting for long hours in all weather conditions. This physical labor can take a toll on women’s health and well-being.They may face stiff competition from other vendors, particularly larger businesses or male vendors who have more resources and bargaining power.

This competition can make it difficult for women to make a decent income. Many women who sell vegetables in Ema markets also have caregiving responsibilities at home, such as caring for children or elderly family members.

Balancing these responsibilities with the demands of running a business can be challenging. Despite these struggles, many women continue to work hard selling vegetables in Ema mar- kets to provide for themselves and their families.