Mother : The First Lesson in Love, the Eternal Shelter of Life

Miad Hossain

If there is one word that holds the essence of unconditional love, sacrifice, and divine care, it is “Mother.” This word alone carries the fragrance of a thousand emotions—the comfort of home, the strength of silent prayers, the warmth of selfless touch. A mother is not just a relation; she is the very beginning of life itself. From the first heartbeat inside her womb to the last breath she witnesses of her child, a mother’s journey is the truest reflection of undying love.

Every year, the second Sunday of May is marked as Mother’s Day in many parts of the world. On this day, people share photos, write captions, send gifts, and say kind words. But how can a single day capture the depth of a mother’s love? How can a post or a gift repay the years she spent losing sleep beside a fevered child, the times she sacrificed her dreams so that her children could chase theirs, or the countless moments she held back her tears so that she could smile and give strength to her family? Mother’s Day is not just a day of celebration. It should be a day of realization—a reminder to pause and reflect on how often we truly honor our mothers, not through grand gestures, but through genuine time, attention, and care.

A mother’s love begins even before birth. She endures pain with a silent grace that no one sees. She lets her body change, her routine break, and her world revolve around a life that is yet to open its eyes. After birth, her sacrifices only grow. She becomes a caregiver, a teacher, a protector, and a friend—day after day, without expecting thanks or applause. Her reward lies in her child’s smile, in their safety, in the smallest expressions of love. Yet as children grow, the world begins to distract us. Responsibilities take over, priorities shift, and all too often, mothers get left behind—waiting quietly, loving endlessly.

There are many mothers who, despite giving their lives for their families, find themselves alone today. Some are confined to quiet rooms in nursing homes, some live in distant villages where children rarely return, and some sit beside windows, gazing into roads, hoping to see familiar footsteps that never arrive. These mothers do not ask for luxuries. They only long for a word, a visit, a sign that they are still loved. In a world racing forward with speed and ambition, it is perhaps the greatest tragedy that the ones who taught us to love are sometimes the most unloved.

For those who no longer have their mothers, this day carries a different weight. It is not filled with gifts or greetings, but with memories. It’s a day when an old saree brings tears, when the scent of her cooking floats suddenly in a quiet room, when the sound of her voice echoes in dreams but not in life. Their grief is wrapped in silence, but it speaks louder than words ever could. A mother’s absence is not just a loss—it is an emptiness that grows with every passing year. Yet even in that absence, her love remains alive, flowing through our habits, our kindness, our very being.

So, let this day not just pass with flowers and photos. Let it be a quiet call to our hearts, to remember the woman who gave us everything before we even knew how to ask. Let us speak to her more often, listen more deeply, and be present not just on one Sunday, but every day we are lucky to have her. And if she is no longer with us, let us live in a way that honors her, that reflects her teachings and love in every act of compassion we show the world.

A mother is the only person who can still bless you with all her heart even after you have broken hers. She is the only one who finds strength in your smile and whose love does not shrink even when the whole world turns its back. Her presence is the safest shelter we ever know, and her memory, once she is gone, becomes the most sacred place in our hearts. Mother’s Day is not just about gifts. It is about gratitude. Not just about greetings. But about grace. To all the mothers who are with us, may you be loved as you deserve. And to all the mothers who have left this world, may your love forever light our way.

Happy Mother’s Day.