A Mother of a day...

Technorati tags: Mother's Day, May 13, History, Pink Floyd

Happy Mother's Day

There is no doubt whatsoever in Walski's mind as to the great importance of the role mothers play in the lives of their children. What bonds are built, and whatever else transpires, between mother and child in the formative years and beyond, lives on in the child, consciously or otherwise.

No song written (at least to Walski) more so underlines this powerful fact, than this classic from Pink Floyd (from The Wall, courtesy of YouTube). And it doesn't necessarily always turn out for the better...

What kind of a mother nurtures her child, for example, to grow up one day to be a racist, or religious bigot, or worse, a serial killer? Is it any of her fault to begin with? Did she plant the seeds, or merely prepared and nourished the soil, into which such tendencies were later planted?

Undoubtedly, no mother knowingly raises her child to be bad. And Walski is in no way implying that there are some mothers out there evil enough to do so. But looking at some of the grown up, once upon a time children, around us today, it does make one pause. And wonder....

As fate would have it, today is also the 38th anniversary of the blackest of black marks in our nation's young history... May 13th, 1969.
(more mothersome thoughts, in the full post)

Walski was, of course, very young when the mayhem occured. Plus, he was living in Kulim at the time, quite insulated from what was happening in KL, Penang, and wherever else that there was strife. All he knows about the events is through history books and articles written about May 13.

And it would appear that official history, as we know it, may be in the process of being re-written, with the recent declassification of certain documents in the UK. If you're a Malaysiakini subscriber, you can read about it here, here and here.

Hypothetically, if it were to be that the identity of the real culprits behind the race riots 38 years ago are revealed, what emotions would the mothers of these people feel in their hearts? And in the mothers' hearts of whom, up till now, have been unjustifiably villified?

Moot question really, since in all likelihood these mothers would already have passed on to the next place.

But really, how would a mother feel?

Would it be "Hooray! My child's shaped the nation's history!"? Or would it be a certain amount of bitter-sweet regret? Again, Walski's not trying to lay any blame. We'll leave that for Father's Day.

It all underlines the fact that the little things we say, do or take for granted, sometimes have far and wide reaching effects on the people around us, and on those being nurtured by us. For the mothers, and fathers, of today, the effects of their persona will undoubtedly manifest themselves in their children.

Perhaps not soon, or not even in your lifetime. But one day...