The Falsehood Of Motherhood!

Dr. Jarlath Uche Opara Jarlathuche@gmail.com

Happy mothers’ day to all of us in advance. We are all mothers in our individual right. Motherhood is so unique, it transcends the limitation of gender. Not a feminal thing, beyond feminal biological constituents, more of a mentality, a state of mind, a feeling more than biological features.

It is a lifestyle that produces certain results not as a result of being a woman or a mother; beyond child bearing, not about getting married, far above shape, figure and endowment . It is much more, reflecting more in character, behaviour and attitude.

According to dictionary definition, Motherhood is a relationship of care, intimacy and nurture. The real reason why parenthood exists is that it’s designed to be a reflection of God’s deep care and unconditional love for His children, in same deeper level, motherhood could be said to be functioning and finding expression across board regardless of gender profiling.

It may sound bizzaire to think that motherhood is beyond “feminal genderization”. It is beyond it! Think deeper, you would probably see the light however flickering.

When the word mother is used to describe a state of authority occupies by someone for instance “Mother general” it shows clearly how beyond marital status it is. When it is used in the light of Mother Earth, it shows deeply the fertile nature and ability to produce things and the source of life it is. When it is used to describe ingenious expression of talents “The Mother of Invention” or the unbeatable nature of events- “The mother of all wars” etc it yet again, takes the conversation off from the stable of femininity to a bigger platform of intrinisic qualities awesomely manifested by all regardless of gender.

The falsehood of motherhood is in the conventional belief on its gender limitation and restriction. Though it could be feminal, however there are more to it than what dictionary has sold to us, which of course formed what our subconcious mind runs with. There is a bigger picture to what motherhood is. It is about embracing all, once the traits, the results, the behaviour and the attitude are all manifested, motherhood becomes a more appropriate description of it.

Motherhood is like a Rose flower which would always smell nice regardless of the name it is called. Motherhood could also be better understood in the words of James Whitcomb an Indian poet “Can’t prove you are a Communist. But when I see a bird that quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, has feathers and webbed feet and associates with ducks—I’m certainly going to assume that he is a duck.

In same strength, when I see one who is so loving, caring, whose patience is overwhelminigly amazing, who sets others’ interests before theirs, whose sense of peity, love and resilience is invincible, who carries loads however burdened they feel, still coordinate seemlessly the affairs and responsibility charged with, I wont hesitate to say regardless of gender, “here comes the effiggy of womanhood”

Such a person could be a male or female gender fully muscular or flabby, once such virtues are expressed by them , intrinsically they become an epitome of womanhood. Womahood is a state of mind that releases nothing but love, care, authority, productivity, ingenuity, creativity, endurance, perseverance, empathy, sympathy, etc

The expression “Mother earth”, gives no preference to any gender. It is neutral, neither male nor female but exhibits starling qualities of womanhood in great depth. God in our subconscious has been seen to be a male gender. However, his attributes and doings could be seen from the light of womahood as explained above.

The falsehood of womanhood is in our inability to see it beyond gender customization, the falsehood which we have falsely assimilated over time. Each time regardless of our gender we exhibit love, faithfulness, care, diligence, forbearance, fruitfulness etc we express womanhood in its divine sense. It might sound preposterous, bitter pill to swallow but that is the truth from the point of my standing and my reality from my point of inspiration. Yours may differ.

Happy Mother’s day in advance to all of us who express in profound measure these virtues of love, care, faithfulness, diligence, forbearance, tenderness, selflessness etc. Such is motherhood!!