THE EDITOR: It's a sign of the times in which we live that no one speaks in defence of motherhood, and when the Opposition Leader encourages women to be mothers she is decried by most, including an editor.
If women and men seriously and honestly ponder on the value of life and what is important in it they will come to the conclusion that it is family. What would a job/career provide in the latter years of life as to what is needed in those years?
Women are the bedrock of society because they are the nurturers of the coming generations. Our wise God created women with the tools – physical, emotional, mental, etc – to carry out that role. The optimum time to bear children is when women are (ideally) in their 20s-30s and even into their 40s. Bearing children fulfils the purpose of the woman once it is done in the right way as ordained by God – in a marital bond.
However, we arrogantly think that we are wiser and use our time to build careers and devote our energies to our jobs, pushing back having children or not having any at all.
What is the result over the years? We only have to look at the crime rate, the literacy rate, the economy and the overall decay of our societal behaviour. The blame is not on mothers but the mindset and the attitude we pass on to our children. The focus is no longer on the family, but the lifestyle.
At the end of the day the support, comfort, love, caring, sense of belonging and kindness provided by family – children, grandchildren and the extended family – cannot be replaced by the name and fame of a career.
Both can be had but which one deserves more attention? If we are serious about changing the ills of society we must begin from the foundation – the family.
Just a plug for our Prime Minister for he said the right thing in 2017 about women being careful who they partner with, but it goes just as well for the men. They should be careful who they want to bear their children.
Motherhood is the most difficult of roles because it is the most rewarding and satisfying. The last prophet (God's peace and blessings be on him) said that paradise lies under the feet of mothers. What higher honour is there?
"One of the most 'pro-family' things you can do is bear children and create strong and stable marriages and families" – Wendy Wixom, president, United Families International.
To end on an alarming note: it is being viewed with great concern worldwide that the rate of reproduction has fallen to levels where soon we will have more old people than young on the planet.
Hope we can ponder on these and act accordingly.
M RAHAMAN
San Fernando
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