Three-minute Speech by Sandi Suarez – January 9, 2020
“What Being A Mother Means To Me.”
I believe there is no more noble work in this world than that of being a mother. Every mother has the potential and opportunity to shape the future as she teaches her children moral values and to be good and honest people—people who love God and love their fellowman.
We live in a world that needs more light and hope. Depression, anxiety, and suicide are all on the rise among our children. Every day, we send our children out into the world to face a barrage of conflicting and ever-changing moral values. Because of this, I believe more is required of mothers than ever before.
Being a mother requires time and sacrifice. It requires unconditional love and unlimited patience. Being a mother means you are willing to be sleep-deprived—whether you are up with small babies, waiting up for a teenager to come home from a date, or sitting up late listening to a child who just needs to talk.
A mother has many roles in her children’s lives. She is a confidante, a mentor, a therapist, a cheerleader, and a friend. She is always there to listen, talk, sing, laugh, joke, and cry with her children.
I believe one of the most important roles a mother plays in her children’s lives is that of teacher. She will not only teach her children to read, clean, and do laundry, but she will also teach them who they are and instill in them their value and purpose. She will teach them to be comfortable in their own skin; to be proud of who they are, regardless of their stature, shape, or size. And, because we live in an imperfect world where cruelty and prejudices exist, a mother must teach her children that others have value too and that no one is better than another and that we must be kind to all. She also teaches her children to stand up for what is right and to be willing to defend the truth, even if they must stand alone.
A mother is also a spiritual tutor. She will teach her children that divine help is available to them every minute of every day. How is a mother to instill these values and so many others in her children when the world they live in teaches the exact opposite? She does this through love—unconditional love. When children truly know they are loved right where they are, regardless of the mistakes they have made, they will be
more inclined to listen. A child will not care about what you have to say, until they know how much you care.
Being a mother means you must walk the walk. It means you must live what you teach. I was raised by such a mother. I love reading because my mother loved reading. I learned how to serve by watching her serve, and I learned to love God, because she loved God.
There is no such thing as a perfect mother and my children will be the first to tell you that I am far from perfect; but at the end of the day, no one ever said a mother has to be perfect. Being a mother is to love unconditionally; it is to be a partner with God in raising up children in wisdom, encouragement, and love.