Being a mother in today's world can at times be very overwhelming, because we enter into motherhood with no experience, with no clue as to what this entails.

As mothers we become overwhelmed when we suddenly realise that other persons are depending on us for their very survival. I am a mother of four children and I got married when I was 22 years old. I have been married now for 31 years.

Some mothers like me are lucky to have a spouse to lean on throughout the years of motherhood as we watch our children grow up from babies, to adolescents, to adults. Other mothers have to depend on a grandmother, an aunt or some other family member to help them, because they are all alone with this awesome responsibility.

Motherhood fills me with joy and a sense of pride. Every day I have to pinch myself when I look at my children and what they have accomplished. Then, I look at mothers who, for some reason or other, cannot seem to understand what went wrong from the womb to the tomb.

It just did not work out the way they expected. But, why throw up our hands in the air in despair? It is time that as mothers, we put our hands around our children instead, and in turn let God put his comforting hands around us.

I am celebrating this Mother's day by the grace of God. It was, and still is, very difficult for me as a mother to really understand the health issues that I face on a daily basis, but this is my cross to bear. I always remember a very kind priest who said, “Wear your suffering with a smile”. So today I am smiling, and I will still be smiling tomorrow and the next day.

TRUSTING IN GOD

To talk about my experiences as a mother is hard. In the latter part of my parenting years I have been gravely ill, with kidney failure due to lupus, then hypertension, life-threatening pneumonia and recently diabetes.

All of this I believe has made me stronger. I prayed and I had faith. My first-born was preparing to get married recently, and his biggest concern was whether I would be well enough to walk with him up the aisle.

All I wanted as his mother was for him to be happy, my sickness came second. By God's healing power I was able to be in sufficiently good health to walk my son down the aisle and I continue to feel better each day.

Sometimes, I think of those mothers less fortunate than I, such as mothers in prison. My wish is to visit them some day. We must pause and reflect on what they are going through. We mothers were entrusted by God to care for our children. Was His trust misplaced?

No, He knows best, and we have to trust Him and call on Him when the going gets tough. Would I do it again? Yes, I would. Would I give up everything to reach out and help my children? Yes, I would.

Would I throw my hands in the air when things get tough? No, I would not, because God does not do that to me.

Jennifer Armour is an active member of Princes Town parish and a mother of four children. She is married to Teddy Armour.