Eye-Opening Reasons to Celebrate Mothers!

In the United States, we celebrate mothers with cards, flowers and brunch once a year. Here are some eye-opening reasons to celebrate mothers everyday!

Mother’s Day is the day we express gratitude for all the sacrifices, support and encouragement that mothers make for us throughout our lives. It is often recognized that there is no greater bond than the one between a mother and her child. However, this Sunday many mothers will only hold a memory of their child in their heart, instead of holding them tightly in their arms. A report by Save the Children highlights the international plight of women who lose their babies on their first day of life. “More than one million babies die on their birthday each year.”

It’s painful to conceive that on a day when a mother would be celebrating life, she is instead faced with the pain of losing her baby. The leading causes of newborn deaths are prematurity, birth complications, and severe infections. The top ten worst countries to be a mother are all in Africa. However, the developed world is not immune to these problems. For example, the United States ranks 30th (not even in the top 10!) throughout the world in terms of the best and worst places to be a mother, with 1 in 2400 women dying from maternal causes, the same as Iran.

This reminds us that a mother in the US isn’t so different from a pregnant mother in rural Gambia, Mexico or India. The death of an infant or mother is an international loss.

So this Mother’s Day remember to appreciate your MOM, and let her know just how much she is valued!