By Marcus M. Mottley, Ph.D.
Last Sunday was Mothers’ Day. I would like to pay tribute to mothers everywhere and to one mother in particular.
To do that I am sharing a reworked passage from my book (Ask, Seek, Knock) and combining it with a ‘bit’ from one of my keynote addresses.
Have there been times in your life when you thought that the difficulties, problems and challenges were just too much to overcome?
Well, there are times in my life… when things are tough and rough…
And, there have been times in the past when few things seem to be going well… when I wondered what was around the corner? How would I make it? What could I do? Would things change? When?
There have been times when doubt and worry clouded my every thought.
When those times surface… I turn to the memory of a woman and her struggles and how she handled them.
She was a woman who was desperate. She had no skills. She had few resources. She worked as a maid and was paid about three dollars a week. She was a stranger in a strange land (Antigua)... and had no one to help her.
And she had a young child to take care of...
She prayed and sought guidance "What can I do? What's possible? How can I do it?”… And then, in the midst of her asking and praying… she got an inspiration ... “What if…”
She took her last few dollars and bought a small suitcase, as well as some trinkets - some combs, brushes, scarves, cheap perfumes (like Cush Cush), etc.
Then every Sunday she would travel through the countryside... trudging from village to village... selling her products... From English Harbour to Falmouth to Liberta to New Village. From Crabbs Hill to Johnson’s Point to Urlings… and even sometimes walking to Old Road. Round South one Sunday… then in St. Paul’s the next…
Every Sunday, whether cold or rainy, hot, humid or windy ... she would knock on the doors of every house, every hut... approach every villager...
Every Sunday, she would sell, loan, and barter her goods.
And as Sundays, came and went, she built her customer base, developed new friends and acquaintances… Like Mr. Hector and Ms. Minta from Liberta, Ms. Dayliss from Urlings, The Tonges from Johnson’s Point, Mrs. Christopher from New Village.. and hundreds more.
Her business developed… and she was able build a small house… in Perry Bay…
And, with the money she made… she sent her son to one of the best private schools in the country …
This woman… a stranger in a strange land... with no one to turn to… But to her higher power and her inner character…
With strong belief and faith that things not seen can become a reality…
She did not make a living – she built, created and developed a life…
With one hand holding her suitcase... and the other hand draped around the shoulders of her young son...
She had an optimistic and vibrant attitude towards life and a powerful belief that:
- You can get what you want…
- You can overcome difficulties…
- You can triumph over trouble…
- How: Ask powerful questions… and you shall receive!
Seek creative answers and solutions… and you shall Perceive!
Knock and take decisive, relentless action… and you shall achieve!
Today, May 13, 2009, my Mother, Hyacinth Mottley is 95 years old. To her, I pay tribute with thanks and gratitude for giving me life and love – and everything else!
