MOTHERS ARE BEST PLACED TO INSTIL MANDELA’S VALUES

I AM a proud mother of three small children – Onthatile, Omphemetse and Obakeng.

This is a role I hold dearly because I am a firm believer that being a mother is truly a spiritual experience bestowed upon us by God.

In this role, we are often called upon to be super humans who bring forth life, nurture it as one would a precious seed, while carefully tending to it until it is in full bloom.

As a mother, I have been called upon to navigate my young children through the raging storms of life while they sometimes feel the pressure and pain of the falling rains upon their young and innocent faces.

Being a mother, I am also called upon to wear the cap of teacher. This is a cap I both cherish and fear as it is through my teachings, whether through my lifestyle or formal lessons, that I will shape my children ’ s character traits and habits.

As teacher and mother I have pondered which lessons to instil in my children in my pursuit of molding them into good, decent adults of tomorrow.

I believe there is a dif- ference between being human and a human being. A human being is a living physical entity. Being human means espousing virtues and caring about ones own life and the lives of others.

Last month, people the world over paused for 67 minutes in a collective pursuit for goodness, kindness and service towards fellow human beings. This we did in honour of former statesman Nelson Mandela, who dedicated 67 years of his life to the emancipation and upliftment of humanity.

He devoted his life to the service of humanity as a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience, an international peacemaker and the first democratically elected president of a free South Africa. He demonstrated what it means to be human. He followed three principles throughout his remarkable life: free yourself, free others and serve every day. This he did despite the perilous, often lonely and long walk towards their attainment. But Madiba understood a principle that very few understand: that God created us all as human beings, but it is up to us to demonstrate our humanity.

Madiba once said: “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”

So as my three children look to me as mother and teacher, I take a leaf out of the remarkable life story of Nelson Mandela and draw lessons to teach them how to be human. To be kind, even in the midst of provocation. To be strong, even in the midst of adversity.

I strive to encourage them to be a voice for the voiceless and lend a helping hand to those who need help. Inherent in each one of us is a human who cares for his fellow human. What is required is for us all to draw this human out of our being. Mandela also said: “I think all of us truly are born with an element of kindness and within the depth of each one of us is a nice human being.”

His example is one worthy of emulation. As mothers we are in the best position to pass on his lessons through living out these values in our lives and in this way being an example that our children can follow. This is what I desire to do for my children.

Shuenyane is spokeswoman for the National Council of Provinces and writes in her personal capacity

“This is what I desire to do for

my children