Mother’s Day Celebrations: Eve Magazine’s editor celebrates her mother with the sweetest words ever!

She was widowed at 35 in 1991 when her husband died of cancer. Her four children were still young, the eldest at 12, just on the edge of beginning the journey into manhood. The youngest was only 3. Even at his father’s funeral, he was more concerned with playing with his toy cars and did not even notice that there were more people milling around his home than usual.

But she soldiered on. She learned the ropes of being a breadwinner pretty fast. Nothing could stop her from giving her children the best she could afford. She made sacrifices and by the time the children were adults and ready to leave the nest, none of them could say they had noticed a change in their lifestyle.

Today, she is a grandmother, enjoying the fruits of her labour. Her youngest grandchild, my two-month-old nephew, is the spitting image of my mother. Yes, my mum.

Apart from being the wind beneath my wings, she is also a mother figure to so many people. My cousins, nieces, nephews, even my friends, her church mates and neighbours all call her ‘mum’. It’s because of her caring and nurturing spirit. She’s always kind, always gentle and yet always strong. She is always ready with a word of encouragement yet she is not afraid to rebuke.  It’s amazing how one person call hold all these attributes.

You probably think I’m talking about your mother or mother figure. Yes, they are all individuals with different lifestyles, personalities, beliefs and circumstances but they have one thing in common – they know how to love you just as you are – yet they always know how to inspire you try to be even better. As we end the Eve Mothers’ Day campaign, I’d like to thank the readers, partners and my colleagues who helped make it a success. See our Facebook page for what you missed. Happy Mothers’ Day to all mothers, mother figures and nurturers.

Christine Koech, Editor, Eve