Celebrating mothers, mother figures
On the second Sunday of May every year, little gestures such as cakes, jewellery gifts and lunch treats flood contemporary social spaces, as society commemorates the relevance and role of mothers.
Mother’s Day has come to represent an acknowledgment of a remarkable place for mothers in a system that continues to drive down a complex path.
Motherhood is not a single role. It is a thousand small acts that rarely make it into headlines. It is about waking up at 2 a.m. to a feverish child, preparing and rushing children to school, mediating sibling disputes, and still showing up to work with focus and honour.
It is the emotional labour of noticing when a member of the family is off, asking the right question, and making space for honesty.
That kind of labour does not come with a tangible reward in wages, for instance, but creates the conditions where other people thrive.
In Ghana and across the world, that burden falls heavily on women who are also breadwinners, caregivers for aging parents, and active participants in civic life.
Many do it without extended support systems, juggling informal economies and formal jobs.
The irony is that societies rely on this unpaid infrastructure daily, yet there are hardly policies that reflect its value.
Tomorrow at the Labadi Beach Hotel, The Mirror and the hotel will partner to celebrate mothers for what they represent in our society.
It will bring together families from across the country for a memorable and intimate celebration for mothers and mother figures.
Similar events across the country will seek to acknowledge the immeasurable role of mothers and mother figures to the development of the family system, and as a pillar of the general society.
Mother’s Day may be restricted to just a day’s celebration, but the event should be a constant reminder of how mothers sustain the cycle of life through biological circumstances and social mandate.
Perhaps, mothers should get even better recognition than the mere enforcement of affirmative action protocols. It should start with the recognition of the mental load mothers carry, and refusing to treat this load as natural.
This mental load appears never to disappear even when the mother is a grandmother, long after a mother is no longer the breadwinner or the tower of strength that fought every aggression to maintain family cohesion, balance and dignity.
No amount of gratitude will compensate for a mother’s love, care, support and sacrifice. Honouring mothers means making room for that full humanity, not just the parts that serve others.
Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers and mother figures.
