The importance of mothers

This Sunday, most of us will be observing Mother's Day, the one special day that we honor the woman who gave us life while risking her own life for nine long months.

- MARIANNE GO

If she is healthy, the child will most likely turn out physically and mentally well-developed. If she is not healthy, the child's physical and mental health may be compromised as they grow.

She will be the first mentor, teaching her child how to communicate with the rest of the world, introducing him or her to what is new and strange, fueling the child's curiosity and encouraging them to explore and understand something they are not familiar with.

It is the mother who will again sacrifice her own health to feed and nurture her infant child, and who will protect that child from outside factors that could endanger them.

It is our mother's example that we first followed. If she showed us strength and courage, we are more likely to feel safe and follow the same confident path. If she showed weakness and indecisiveness, we may turn out to be timid, fearful, and easily lose our way in the face of challenges and adversity.

It is our mother who taught us how to respect others, our elders, and even those who serve us. Our mother was our first educator, teaching us how to speak, recognize our emotions and reactions, and how to interact with other people we meet as we grow.

More importantly, the level of intelligence of a mother will be one of the biggest factors in a child's own path to knowledge. If the mother is educated, she will value that education and strive to ensure that her child is taught early and at a level that will ensure they become knowledgeable and productive members of society.