A TRIBUTE TO MY MOTHER

As a mother and son, I had a deep relationship with my mother. For the last five years, I became her caregiver, whereby we shopped, cooked, cleaned, visited doctors, and went to the hospital ER for each other. I learned so much about my mother during those times that I did not want it to end, but I knew it would eventually end.

I began to understand that parenting never ends. Parenting is a lifelong journey with different stages. If you are fortunate, your parents never stop loving you, and you never stop loving them.

When my mother was diagnosed with her illness, I called her every day (sometimes twice a day); whether I was in Uganda, Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Florida, her voice would always comfort me and instill hope and encouragement for my day.

Undoubtedly, she was my rock and foundation.

My mother instills these lessons in me.

1. Listen to People – Despite our culture of selfies, persuasion is not about me, but about the person I am engaging with. The first and most crucial step is to listen to them.
2. We believe what we believe – Understand that we all cling to our opinions. Sometimes you can't change people, and you must accept that.
3. Cultivate empathy.
4. Understand moral values.
5. Be upbeat, personable, and admit when you are wrong.
6. Facts aren't magic; however, facts do matter.
7. Replace Fear with Faith
8. Replace Hate with Love
9. Replace Uncertainty with Determination/Perseverance
10. Replace Pessimism with Hope/Purpose
11. Most importantly, she taught me that God works through us, and therefore, we should look in the mirror and know that we have the power to change our world through our consciousness (internal). "Know thy self." - "Your Faith is Your Fortune" by Neville Goddard.

Lastly, she asked me to repeat the prayer I had said to her one day.

A Prayer,
Mom,
For the Blessing of You

Thank you, Lord,
For my beautiful mother-
For the love
She always gave me.
And her friendship
That is never-failing,
For her kind eyes
That saw the best in me.
And her gentle wisdom
That carried me through,
For her prayers
That lifted me.
And the dreams she held.
In her heart, for me,
For the happy memories
We've made it together.
And all the hugs and smiles
We shared.
I am forever grateful.

THANK YOU, MOM.

By Kamau Lizwelicha