Until I became a mother, I believe I had tunnel vision, oftentimes unable to see the total picture because I was so engrossed with I, me and myself. However, once a helpless infant is cradled in her arms, a mother becomes overwhelmed with the realization that physical severance of the cord that binds only serves to make her more protective. That is the exact moment when a mother sprouts another set of (invisible) eyes, one at the forehead to give her more wisdom in understanding a child genetically hers but discrete and increasingly unique through time and another at the back of her head so she can better appraise the environment her child is in, along with its inherent challenges. For her success in life and onstage, Phylicia Rashad in a recent Glamour Magazine interview credited “a mother who fought fearlessly, courageously and consistently so that her children, above all else, could realize their full potential as human beings.”

Not all mothers are as nurturing and some children still carry the burden of unresolved conflicts and insecurities way into their adult lives, but I sincerely believe that a good majority of mothers earnestly try to raise (in a loving manner) healthy, smart, compassionate children who are capable of making empowered choices in a world fraught with new dangers.  

When I was growing up, television was limited to three networks, only few homes had telephones and there was no internet to speak of. We communicated with friends by actually going to each other’s homes or much to our parents’ consternation tied up the telephone line for hours. Our favorite topic of conversation then (and cause of our teen-age angst together with unrequited crushes) was the so-called “generation gap”. I can only imagine with horror what that means in today’s world with its rapid rate of technological changes and practically unheard of barriers. We, baby-boomers are probably considered dinosaurs by our teens, so different were our own wonder years compared to what they are exposed to. I could only pray that rules of life, code of ethics and good sense (and taste) remain unchanged because I would like to believe that what I teach my children now will prepare them to meet future challenges with confidence, courage and a more than fair chance for success.