The Sunday Mail
HOW can I put into words the things you have done for me? How can I describe the love you have given me?
Changing Perspectives
Rutendo Gwatidzo
How can I explain the sacrifices you made for me?
How can I tell of the sleepless nights you spent because of me?
How can I put into words the burden you have endured for me?
Can somebody tell me where I should begin?
I was young and now I am mature.
Mum’s love remains unmatched.
I will always treasure you.
Mum, I love you!
Happy Mother’s Day to you.
The fact
It is a fact that a mother’s love has a long-lasting impact on our lives.
The impact mothers have can last a lifetime.
Our experiences are, however, different. Some have good experiences and others horrible ones.
But, in one way or the other, someone had to play the role of a mother.
Do not focus much on what you get in return; delight more in knowing that you transformed a life.
A feeling of doing good is more fulfilling than that of receiving good.
The Bible says there is more joy and blessing in giving than in receiving.
Below is an extract from my book “Born to Fight”:
“‘Mum! I’m scared,’ I whispered to my mother, as I woke up in the middle of the night stretching out my hands to grab her.
“The sound of unpleasant footsteps had woken me up. ‘Ssshhh, keep calm,’ mum answered back, as she hugged me . . . I felt her heart thudding like never before. However, she tried hard to be strong.
“She grabbed a match(stick) from a matchbox quickly and put the lamp on. Immediately, she took her Bible and started declaring Psalm 23. As soon as she had finished the Psalm, she rose up slowly and peeped through the tiny window. ‘
“‘Jesus Christ!’ she screamed, stepping backward in surprise. Without saying a word, I grabbed a stool that was nearby, climbed on top of it and peeped through the window also.
“The moon was shining bright and I clearly saw a herd of elephants that were grazing outside our hut.
“Some were even feeding on the roof of our little hut since it was made of grass. I jumped down the stool and grabbed mum’s Bible.
Holding the Bible in my hand, I softly whispered, ‘God heard you mum, come back to sleep.’ She nodded in agreement . . . This was how we experienced our first night in Dande.”
Lessons from a mother
One author once said: “A mother is she who takes the place of all others but whose place no one else can take.”
In most cases, mothers love unconditionally, and this is part of the reason it is difficult to match their love.
Come to think of it, workplace love is conditional.
Employees can only be paid once they get the job done.
Even friendship is underwritten by a common understanding, absence of which the relationship collapses.
We should all unconditionally love and care for each other, as mothers do.
If you are a mother, this month, be encouraged to reach out to someone without a mother and shower them with a mother’s love.
A mother’s love is so deep and can transform lives.
Organisational status
Many organisations are struggling due to high staff turnover.
Little things can cause people to resign.
If organisations can have committed teams that are determined to make a positive impact, even when things seem difficult, businesses would perform better.
If teams can appreciate that they are the light of the organisation in dark times, the situation would be better.
The challenge with many employees is that they do not want to share their light; they only want to partake of the light that has been put up by others.
A significant number of employees only want to work in environments where everything seems good because they are lazy to work towards making a difference.
A lesson that can be learnt from most mothers is not to give up easily.
Life is not a stroll in the park and motherhood is not always a bed of roses.
Many organisations have great potential only if they have dedicated and committed teams that see the bigger picture and that do not quit easily.
Good performance eventually pays off.
General facts
We all need to be loved in a special way. We all need to feel secure and protected.
We all need someone to stand by us during difficult times.
And we all need someone to share in our joy during happy times.
Take the initiative to cover the gap that exists in someone’s life.
Try to give that person a genuine kind of love beyond transaction.
Remember, you are not the mother — and you can never be — so do not try to be the mother.
Just stand in the best way you can.
Rutendo Gwatidzo is the managing consultant at The HUB HR Consultancy, a culture and change management organisation. She is a multi-award-winning leader as a consultant, speaker and mentor. Contact detail: 0714575805/ [email protected] / Rutendo Gwatidzo official fb public page.
