Happy Mother’s day!

Mother is the ultimate definition of selflessness! No matter what happens to the world or even her, she is there for you in your need; she recognizes your need much before you know it. Of course every day is Mother’s day, and each one of us honors her in a variety of ways. From simple caring to doing things for her that makes her happy. Mothers don’t need a whole lot; they just need to know that you care. Remember you were showered by her attention when you needed it.
Mother is our home, and what is a home? Prophet Muhammad had said, home is like a mother’s lap, where the child feels safe and secure. No matter what is happening around, or what is happening to him/her, the child knows it is safe in her laps, the child knows mother will take care of him/her. Mother is one’s security!
Different people have a different ways of celebrating Mother, and in my case, I get up in the morning, meditate and pray for her and then write something about her, or revisit what I have written before as I am doing it today.
My sympathies to those who did not have good relations with their mother, it’s unfortunate and all I can say is you have the ability to give that affection and caring to others, related to you or not. I am sorry, you missed it or were abused. Let’s pray that it won’t happen to others and hopefully that restores the inner balance in you. You can be a good mother (men can be mothers) by caring for others who need care, related to you or not.
Every religious tradition has elevated mother to nearly the status of God, because she possess many a qualities of God; kind, merciful, beneficent and caring among thousand other qualities.  Mother is the reason for our existence; sustenance, nurturence and shaping who we are. I dedicate this write-up to my Mother, and all Mothers out there.
Although every person adores respects and nearly worships his or her mother on a daily basis, the mother’s day is a special day to honor one’s mother. Thanks to this beautiful tradition of America, a day to honor Mother. No mother should be alone today some one or the other must give her a call.
About fifteen years ago, my Mother passed away in one of the most beautiful manners one could embark on the eternal journey; a clean slate with no loose ends.
A week prior to her death she had called every one she knew, and she knew a lot of people on her own, she had people from every walk of life and every religious background. They would sit down with her and chat; I remember a Zoroastrian lady Mrs. Bahramjee, our “Parsi-amma” she visited my mother every week when she came to visit the town; there were two Brahmin ladies who were her friends and recited Bhagvad Gita upon my mothers passing; there was Swaran Latha in whose house I spent Christmas evenings and I got to see her and her husband Roberts at the funeral; there was Durga Aaapa and her brother Bhaskar who literally baby sat me so was Fazloon Aaapa;  My mother organizaed Halaqa’s, that is gathering of Muslim women for religious discourse; my neighbors were Jains and Mrs. Sugalchand and her daughter were fond of my Mom. Additionally my Dad was the Mayor of the town way back in the fifties and she had another crew there.
She was amazing and thrilled me to no end when she decided to learn a few words in English to communicate with her Grand son and daughter, she did learn a few words and thank God I was able to get my kids to see her.
I guess, all of us kids and her grand kids turned out that way; boundless. No barriers between us and another soul and our relationships have always been multi-cultural and multi-religious.  Thank you Mom for inculcating those values.
She was incredible; she tied all the loose ends before she took her last breath, she called every one and cleared the air and said goodbye.
She even had her funeral prayers done a day prior, one of my cousins is a Muslim missionary and he delivers beautiful sermons and my mother had asked him to do that and he complied and he also did the last prayer rites prior to burial.
I reached 4 hours after she had taken her last breath and I sat by her… not knowing what to do; there was admiration for her to have lived a clean life, she had tied all the loose ends, and on the other hand I do not have any one to call Mom ever again.  I chose to smile along and had the whole family turn around on that, admiring her teachings. To me I was celebrating her life.
After burial we came home, I had another pleasant surprise from her; she had left a note, monies and things she had given to one of her daughters in law to safe keep it to be opened on Sunday. Sure enough on Sunday after burial, we opened it. There it was; a clear good bye note and funds for her burial, funds for education for an orphan… etc, She left the world in peace with nothing left to be done.
She pulled another one on me; she was a pluralist. My youngest brother Farooq runs a real estate business in Bangalore, and his manager had hung the picture of Lord Krishna in the office; my brother asked my Mother about it, she was blunt and asked him, do you have Islamic religious symbols hung on the wall? He said, yes, and she said, let him have his symbol. I salute you Mother and I am proud of you.
Here is President Obama’s message: https://www.facebook.com/barackobama/videos/10153852418266749/
RELIGIONS ON MOTHERS:
Christianity and Judaism: “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God will give you.
Hinduism: Hindu idea of Shakti, all the many mother goddesses is viewed as being the embodiment of one singular deity.
“Diverse images of what are believed to be Mother Goddesses also have been discovered that date from the Neolithic period, the New Stone Age, which ranges from approximately 10,000 BCE when the use of wild cereals led to the beginning of farming, and eventually, to agriculture.” Wiki.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was asked by his followers, who is the most important person on the earth, he responds, “Mother” and then they ask again, who is the second most important person, he repeats, “Mother” and he repeats it again for the third time, “Mother”.
The top three women Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) glorified are; Mother Mary, Mother Asiya (the one who raised Moses) and Fatima, his daughter. The list can be expanded to five or seven, but what do these women have in common? They were the pioneers, social reformers and stood up against the social norms. They paved the way for acceptance and dignity of women. None of them were conformists, think about it.
“Paradise is under the feet of your mother” is the mantra probably every Muslim recites and it is part of our Hindu culture as well. The idea is of gratitude, if you are grateful to you mother, then you would be grateful to the creator and other benefactors around you.
Here is how Mom is called in different language,
please add yours….
I called my mother, ” Amma” and at times “Ammi”
LANGUAGE – MOTHER
Afrikaans – Moeder, Ma
Albanian – Nënë, Mëmë
Arabic – Ahm, umm
Aragones – Mai
Asturian – Ma
Aymara – Taica
Azeri (Latin Script) – Ana
Basque – Ama
Belarusan -Matka
Bergamasco – Màder
Bolognese – Mèder
Bosnian- Majka
Brazilian Portuguese- Mãe
Bresciano- Madèr
Breton – Mamm
Bulgarian – Majka
Byelorussian – Macii
Calabrese – Matre, Mamma
Caló – Bata, Dai
Catalan – Mare
Cebuano – Inahan, Nanay
Chechen – Nana
Croatian- Mati, Majka
Czech- Abatyse
Danish – Mor
Dutch – Moeder, Moer
Dzoratâi – Mére
English- Mother, Mama, Mom
Esperanto- Patrino, Panjo
Estonian- Ema
Faeroese- Móðir
Finnish- Äiti
Flemish- Moeder
French- Mère, Maman
Frisian- Emo, Emä, Kantaäiti, Äiti
Furlan- Mari
Galician- Nai
German – Mutter
Greek – Màna
Griko – Salentino, Mána
Hawaiian – Makuahine
Hindi – Ma, Maji, Mata
Hungarian – Anya, Fu
Icelandic – Móðir
Ilongo – Iloy, Nanay, Nay
Indonesian – Induk, Ibu, Biang, Nyokap
Irish – Máthair
Italian – Madre, Mamma
Japanese – Okaasan, Haha
Judeo Spanish- Madre
Kannada -Amma
Kurdish Kurmanji – Daya
Ladino – Uma
Latin – Mater
Leonese – Mai
Ligurian- Maire
Limburgian – Moder, Mojer, Mam
Lingala- Mama
Lithuanian- Motina
Lombardo- Occidentale Madar
Lunfardo- Vieja
Macedonian – Majka
Malagasy- Reny
Malay- Emak
Maltese- Omm
Mantuan- Madar
Maori- Ewe, Haakui
Mapunzugun – Ñuke, Ñuque
Marathi – Aayi
Mongolian – `eh
Mudnés- Medra, mama
Neapolitan – Mamma
Norwegian- Madre
Occitan – Maire
Old Greek – Mytyr
Parmigiano- Mädra
Persian- Madr, Maman
Piemontese – Mare
Polish- Matka, Mama
Portuguese – Mãe
Punjabi – Mai, Mataji, Pabo
Quechua- Mama
Rapanui -Matu’a Vahine
Reggiano – Mèdra
Romagnolo – Mèder
Romanian – Mama, Maica
Romansh – Mamma
Russian -Mat’
Saami -Eadni
Samoan – Tina
Sardinian- (Limba Sarda Unificada) Mama
Sardinian -Campidanesu mamai
Sardinian- Logudoresu Madre, Mamma
Serbian – Majka
Shona – Amai
Sicilian – Matri
Slovak – Mama, Matka
Slovenian- Máti
Spanish – Madre, Mamá, Mami
Swahili– Mama, Mzazi, Mzaa
Swedish Mamma, Mor, Morsa
Swiss German -Mueter
Telegu- Amma
Triestino – Mare
Turkish – Anne, Ana, Valide
Turkmen -Eje
Ukrainian – Mati
Urdu -Ammee, Maa, Amma
Valencian – Mare
Venetian – Mare
Viestano – Mamm’
Vietnamese- me
Wallon -Mére
Welsh – Mam
Yiddish -Muter
Zeneize -Moæ
Years ago, on my Radio show we spent three hours taking about “Mother” and every one was crying on the air, beautiful expressions were relayed that day. Hey, I cried too and it felt good. My Mom is no more and I find a tear in my eye and will end here before I cry. Hell, I am letting myself loose.. I will end it here. Darn… thank you Mom.
Here is my favorite Indian songs admiring Mother, singer equates mother with God in the essence of kindness, caring and beneficence. I got up from sleep and wrote this and dediccate this song to all mothers. If you know Urdu/Hindi you are most likely to play it … this is my 5th time.. while writing this.  Happy Mothers day!
Here is that wonderful song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XquVaTHY6nY&feature=related
My friend Rajiv Chakaravarthy, a Urdu Poet of Dallas has translated it beautifully:
We have never seen HIM…,
but what is the need for this?
O Mother, O Mother, how different
can HIS face be from your own?
Why talk of mere humans, even Gods
have grown up in your bosom
Heaven is nowhere but on Earth,
right under the shadow of your feet!
The affection that emanates from your eyes,
Which Idol can take its place?
O Mother …
Why would the heat of suffering burn me?
Why would storms of sorrow affect me?
These hands which raise to prayer of yours
Come and rest permanently on my head
When you are my guide in the dark roads of life,
What would I even need the Sun for?
O Mother …
It is said that no words suffice
to describe your greatness
Even God does not have enough wealth
that constitutes your price
All I know is that, in this World
There is no fortune that exceeds YOU!
O Mother …
—
Lyrics in Devnagiri and other formats:
http://aczoom.homeip.net:8080/cgi/tmp/it08112-46F63B7A-1/done1495.html
Mike Ghouse