The globe half-full

Mar 18, 2022

By Noreen Cura

(Every woman is born with the full potential of motherly instincts, and with the ability to fill our world with grace, gentleness and a nurturing presence.)

Since the beginning of time, the planet that we live on is called Mother Earth, the fauna and flora we fondly refer to as Mother Nature, the country we reside in is our Mother Land, and the language/dialect we speak is our Mother Tongue. Throughout History, women have owned the right to produce offspring and yet, to date, the silent majority of women are still marginalised. However, a gentle reminder to women is that you have held, and still hold, the potential to preserve our families, communities, and, our God given planet, from the beginning of creation.

A woman’s role (and this is not for the faint hearted) is multi-tasking. And she wonders why they are always aiming for the only pound of flesh that keeps her and them alive… her dear dear heart. The act of sacrifice, giving, caring, nurturing, loving unconditionally, are truly some of the many attributes of a woman. They are not attributes of weakness but of strength, dedication, endurance and sacrifice. The first to be blamed, but the last to claim glory.

How many times has she sat in her little corner wringing her hands, tears rolling down silently on her gentle cheeks, her heart breaking inside and her mind wondering where her voice is, how come she does not hear it, what did she do wrong and when did she fail to be a daughter, wife, mother, sister, friend or colleague, all in the same breath. And more often than not, the prioritisation (of work and family) is mind boggling, as everyone around her claims their little pound of flesh.

Dear sisters in Christ, welcome to the world of multiple roles that a woman plays 24/7…… 365 days a year.

For many years, I have tried to complete the jigsaw puzzle to understand our role. I have faltered, fallen, picked myself up and marched on into more foggy than sunny days.

How many hats do we wear, roles we play until we bruise, buckle, or break? It took me a whole 61 years to figure this out. One morning while attending Mass, a visiting priest presented simple yet well-dissected homily on our Holy Mother’s role.

I found it simplistic yet profound when the priest clearly stated the four simple components to a woman’s role throughout her lifetime. Let us now reflect on the life of our dearest Mother Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, to self-actualise these multi-facetted roles.

The Core Family: Mama Mary (her first role was home-maker, mother, and wife) started off as a young mother caring for our Lord Jesus. She took care of all His earthly needs. A silent yet formative guiding force in His human development. The courage to bear her first born on that cold, cold night in Bethlehem, fleeing to Egypt with the innocent babe, losing Him at the presentation when He was 12 years old, not to mention His crucifixion. These were only some of the many challenges she faced.

The Extended Family: At the wedding in Cana (the extended role to family) when she asked our Lord to help with the problem of the wine. Again, her role in the extended family is portrayed. It was His first miracle, but it was at the request by Mama Mary, her concern for the host of the wedding feast.

The Community: At the crucifixion of Our Lord Jesus, before He breathed His last, He said, “Woman this is your son”, then He said to His disciple, “This is your Mother”. From that moment onwards, Mother Mary became the mother to all His disciples. It only shows that we should extend ourselves in a motherly manner to all who need our wisdom and counsel. We are not limited to our immediate families. This is also how we grow community spirit.

The World: Our Holy Mother was assumed into heaven, and she was awarded the special place as Mother to the world. Mama Mary has never left and the evidence is through her apparitions in Lourdes, Fatima, Mejugore, Guadalupe, and the list goes on. She always asks us to pray and work for peace in our hearts and for the whole world. The novena devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Succour is practised all over the world as proof that she is with us. As women and homemakers, saving water, watching our family’s carbon footprint, recycling and reusing are good habits to embrace, one that we should teach our children, to preserve Mother Nature and all that God has given us. Our children will inherit this Earth, teach them well. Give your children a fish and they will eat for a day, teach your children to fish and he/she will have food every day.

As Catholic women in this day and age, we need to remember the multiple roles we are required to play based on our multi-cultural way of life. As we become more urbanised and borders disappear, as we leave the old and embrace the new, leave the kitchens and master laptops. I gently remind you my sisters, that the four dominant roles you play must stay. Your role has morphed into the emotional intelligence required to manage households while you contribute to the household income. Hold on to the role of nutritionist, therapist, teacher, nurturer, peacemaker, and comforter, and never forget the hugs and kisses your tired body provides 24/7 to the little ones. Your good counsel to teens and wisdom to young women will prepare them with the much required motivation to carry and own this special role.

Our roles are intertwined and linked to provide the foundation for a balanced emotional psyche with all whom we come into contact with. However, be vigilant, you are still human like Mama Mary, and she had to do the work before she received her reward.

So, when the light gets dim and you seem to be running out of fuel, remember, “the hand that rocks the cradle… may not rule the world but it definitely nurtures the world”. We have been given this incredibly wonderful role. We have no better role model than our very own Mama Mary. Align your vision and mission for your family/community/the world with hers. Take the lesson of her incredible strength, courage and sacrifice, for she had nothing but she gave everything and she now rules the world…… and remains a Mother to All.