O Mother !  A tribute to all mothers – By Dr. Ashwani K. Malhotra

O Mother !  A tribute to all mothers – By Dr. Ashwani K. Malhotra

The young first time mother lies back on her bed, bathed in sweat after the physical exertion of enduring the labour pains during the couple of hours. After some time, as the nurse brings the baby to her,  she looks lovingly at him, she cradles him in the crook of her arm and nurses the baby who hungrily sucks at her breast.

There is no one like Mothers, who love, adore and protect their children, fuss over them, worry when they return home late, protect them from all adversities, nursing them from sickness to health,  remain awake and rock the child gently in her arms till he or she sleeps. Her world revolves around her children and right from the time the child is in the womb, through the child’s growing up years during childhood and adolescence and even when her sons and daughters get married , she lives for them till her last days.

I recall the time when I would return from school, throw my school bag and run to the nearby park, where I would play with my friends in my school uniform and mother running and shouting after me, “ beta pehle kuch to kha lo ( son have some food first), but I wouldn’t listen and behave even she admonished me lovingly. Even when my father would say, “ tum use bigaad dogi ( you will spoil him) she would retort, “ wo abhi bachcha hai( he is still a child). Through my adolescence and growing up years, she would shield me from my father’s anger.

A mother’s love is selfless, always worrying about her children even due to the challenges and adversities of the Covid-19 pandemic,

The words of Rudyard Kipling , ” God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers, ” aptly describes the role a mother plays in the life of her children as a guiding spirit and a protector.

On Mother’s Day, we, the children buy gifts for our mother, elderly aunts and grandmothers, paying a tribute to her, remembering, acknowledging and reciprocating their love and sacrifice in our lives.

Robert Browning said,  ” Motherhood : All love begins and and ends there.”

Indeed, there is no one like Mother!

Dr Ashwani K. Malhotra  MBBS, PGDMCH, PGDMLS,  is a retired Senior Medical Officer,Punjab Government,and can be reached @M-9417188867 E-mail : ashwini.doc.1954@gmail.com

He is also an alumnus of SCD Govt. College, Ludhiana