Empower Haitian Women Organization: Today’s Mother’s Day

It was about 6: 30 AM; I woke up with a little pain in the stomach but spent some more time laying with my back on the bed and my eyes staring at the ceiling.

My little sister Nedjie ELIUS

“Eh honey! what’s your plan for today, are you going to a party to celebrate this big DAY?” Asked my little sister with a smile. I took some minutes, thinking. What is she talking about? Isn’t today like any other day? Plus we are on Saturday and usually on Saturdays we just sit down and relax if we don’t go to the beach or to a meeting. Ey! Nedjie what are you talking about? We are going to do as usual, aren’t we? She glanced at me twice and with an air of surprise, she stayed quiet before throwing an answer at me. You don’t even remember that each May at this time we have mother’s day, ey! Doudly wake up, though you are still lying on the bed, that doesn’t mean you are asleep. You have to buy our mom a gift and tell her how much we love her since today is her day”.

Doudly ELIUS (Me)

How could I have missed it, such an important day for all the mothers in the world? Whether poor or rich, it makes no difference since women who gave birth to a baby have gone through the same pain, the same misery and those who do carry out until their children have grown up into responsible citizens; they stand for what makes a society consistent since after God, life of any generation is held in their matrix. Besides all the prudence and effort made by a newly mother to keep her body in shape for the sake of her baby, there is also the fact of educating by providing the best principles in life which must help her child to become a man or a woman respectful and respected. I know for myself that my mother deserves all the attention and support in the world for her patience, love and the education that she provided me up to this day but how about those who failed to their tasks? This is a sad situation since most of their kids became Juveniles and usually the case of tragedies around Haiti and throughout the world.

“Education and instruction have a different meaning when it comes to talk about family environment”, said my mother to all her children. I do understand why she always stated this as a main foundation to build up our maturity and forge our personality because someone may have the best instruction which means, he or she has been raised in a school environment with good teachers and students but he will still miss the most important thing, thing that are not taught in schools and are related directly with the basics of life or the everyday life situation.My mother meant by "Instruction" what is taught in schools but by "Education" what is taught in the family at home.As a result the best instruction doesn't equal a best education and to benefit both a child MUST be part of a structured family environment.

I didn’t have anything prepared in advance for mother’s day but I know the most important and courageous act should be the “GESTURE OF LOVE” so I said to myself, I will wait for the best moment and take time out to express all my gratitude and love to my mother. Meanwhile my sister went out shopping, she bought mom a lot of presents because she has money but what are gifts without true expression of LOVE?

Mother and I having fun

It was around 7 PM when everybody sat around Mimose Mathurin, that’s my mother’s name since her husband (my father) died she insisted on being called by her single woman name. All my brothers and sisters handed nice presents to her except I, because I was totally broke at that time so couldn’t afford buying her presents. After everybody had finished handing present in her, they all started at me expecting to see what my gesture would be like in that precious moment of MOTHER’S DAY. Then as a competent communicator I knew that my only weapon was communication, so I delivered a two-minute-speech with a lot of energy and emotions.

After the speech we enjoyed the night

After the mother’s day reunion was over, mom came to me, kissed me and said: “My son, your gift has been the most valued to me tonight because you spoke with your heart, you didn’t hide any sentiment of true LOVE, it was the most difficult since anybody can hide their hatred behind gifts but when speaking, your emotions has revealed your true love. Thank you Doudly ELIUS, my son, I love you and I will always do”.

Please dear reader, I invite you to watch this video as it reflects the courage of a mother.