Mother’s Day is an annual observance to celebrate mothers and motherhood. It is observed in more than 40 countries. Although for some regions it falls in the month of March, most of the world observes Mother’s Day sometime in May. Regardless of the date, it is a time to commemorate the importance of mum’s everywhere.
Mothers make it possible
The bond between a mother and her child forms long before the child is born. It is one of the strongest bonds in the fabric of human society. Mothers are genetically hard-wired to protect and care for their children. Their maternal instincts are seemingly boundless. However, many mothers have to make difficult choices. In a previous article we discussed the case of mothers who become migrant workers. They voluntarily put hundreds of miles of separation between themselves and their families to earn better livelihoods and give their children better lives. This year it is time to highlight the complementary aspect of the story.
Millions of children in developing economies are raised in environments where employment opportunities are limited. As these children grow up they face poor job prospects locally. As young adults they can have significantly better opportunities if they seek employment overseas. It is a hard choice for a mother, because she has to pick between seeing her offspring flourish, and keeping them close. Parents must make this choice early, while the children are quite young. It takes time and committed effort to educate and condition children for gainful overseas careers.
In most developing societies traditional gender roles still prevail. Fathers perform the role of the breadwinner, while it is the mothers who raise and groom the children. Indeed, all members of the family including the fathers, siblings, grandparents, and others play their part. All their contributions are important, and cannot be undermined. However, they all have their special days. Mother’s Day is just for mothers. There are more than 272 million migrants worldwide. Most of these are overseas workers who earn significantly more than similar jobs in their home countries. Many of them attribute their success to their mothers. Clearly, mothers make it all possible. At Ria Money Transfer the theme for Mother’s Day 2020 is ‘mothers who raised the kids who are now migrants working abroad’.
Celebrating mothers
Mother’s Day is a time to pamper mothers and make them feel important. You can bring your mother flowers and gifts, cook for her, or take her out to dinner. One of the best gifts for a mother is for her child to spend a day with her. There is hardly a better way to make her feel valued and important. Unfortunately this is not always possible. Many of us are separated from our mothers by oceans of responsibilities and rivers of commitments. As we go about our lives and work in foreign lands, we must find other ways to show our appreciation.
Our mothers are always in our thoughts, and one way to show this is to send them gifts of money. The vast majority of migrant overseas workers regularly send remittances to support their families back home. Think of Mother’s Day as an opportunity to send a little something extra, just for mum. Interestingly, now happens to be one of the best times to send international remittances. The US dollar is at its strongest in years. Beneficiaries stand to receive more remittance money for every dollar sent.
Mother’s month
Mothers add much value to lives of all family members. For their children they act as nurturers, protectors, guiding lights, supporting pillars, mentors, and everything else the children need them to be. For all the good things that they do, one day in the year hardly seems enough to appreciate them. At Ria Money Transfer we’ve decided to observe Mother’s May – a whole month dedicated to celebrate mothers! We’ll feature the stories of two exceptional mothers, as well as a video dedication. This is an excellent opportunity to send money to mum by an international remittance transfer.
