The Power of Motherhood
Many tales are dedicated to the woman-mother. Here is one of them. Once upon a time, there was a very stubborn and willful son of a widow. He constantly contradicted his mother. One day, the mother, losing her patience, asked him:
— What about your duty as a son, my dear? I dedicated my life to you!
The next morning, the son decided to "settle" all his "debts" to rid himself of his mother's care.
— What should I do to fulfill my duty as a son?
And the mother said to her son:
— I have long dreamed of making a pilgrimage to holy places, but I could not afford it because I devoted all my time and strength only to you. And now I simply have no strength left. If you want to fulfill your duty as a son, then carry me on your back to Mecca. Without hesitation, the son fulfilled his mother's wish. He faced many difficulties on the way to Mecca. Upon returning, he asked his mother:
— Have I fulfilled my duty as a son? Am I now free from my debts?
Shaking her head, the elderly mother quietly said to him:
— For all that you have done for me, I forgive you only one of those infinitely long nights of sleeplessness and worry that I spent by your cradle.
Only after this did the son understand the true essence of the concept of "being a mother." Can the depth of a mother's love and self-sacrifice ever be measured?
In ancient times...
Many legends and tales have been preserved on the ancient Kyrgyz land. One of them, full of philosophical meaning, tells of a khan who, possessing immense wealth, commanded before his death that his last wish be fulfilled: to be laid on a stretcher after his death, but to leave one hand with an open palm outside and carry him through the cities and villages like that. Passersby were to place gold coins in his palm. He bequeathed to bury himself only after his palm closed into a fist, which was to signify saturation with wealth.
One day, the stretcher with the khan's body was stopped by servants at the hut of a poor man, who had not a penny and placed a handful of dirt in the palm. The palm of the deceased instantly closed.
Truly it is said: "From dust you came, and to dust you shall return!"
