THE Mother`s Day this year, observed globally on May 11, was the first time I observe d it without my belove d mother being around. While the world celebrated, I learned to honour the memory of that wonderful presence in my life.

Her life was one of service. Like others of her ilk, she gave without limits, forgave without hesitation, and lived with grace.

Her greatest legacy was not wealth or social status, but critical values; humility, generosity and unwavering faith. Even in hardship, she remained gentle.

This is not just my story. Mothers keep giving without asking for anything in return. Their labour may go unnoticed, but the lives they nurture continue to carry their influence forward.

Now that I walk without her, I realise I still walk in her footsteps. The values she lived by continue to guide me. And perhaps that is how we honour them best: by carrying their light forward.

Those who are lucky enough to still have their mothers around them should not wait for their absence to recognise their presence. They should take time out to listen, to thank, to learn, and to earn their prayers,those silentblessings that carry us in ways we may never fully comprehend.

To those who are not lucky enough, may we find strength in the memory of our mothers and live the values they quietly stood for. Their legacies, as such, must endure in our words, in our actions, and, above all, in how we choose to live.

Shafgat Hussain Memon Gambat