The news has been extensively covering the passing of Mrs Lee Kuan Yew, wife of 63 years to the founding Prime Minister of Singapore and then mother of the present Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Although she was a brilliant lawyer, graduating with top honors from Cambridge, at her funeral, she was remembered first of all as a devoted wife to her husband. Indeed, she was not known to the world as Mdm Kwa Geok Choo, but Mrs Lee Kwan Yew.
In the course of the news coverage, the picture of the powerful Lee family emerged as one of a typical Singaporean household, with rambutious grandchildren climbing all over the furniture to boot. The fact is, the descriptions of Mrs Lee reminds me of my own mother!! (Like this one by her grand daughter: "Frugal to a fault.") So, she was really just like one of us, but by the Powers be, was catapulted into a life in the limelight of politics.
I am so mindful that we have been blessed with founding leaders who were of such high intellectual caliber, but much more importantly, of high moral fibre. I am reminded that when God chose David to be the King of Israel, He was not looking at his exam results but the character attributes of this lowly shepherd boy.
Our founding leaders were not greedy to enrich themselves but fully gave themselves to the task of building a strong, corruption free nation. I was heartened to read how when Mrs Lee set up a law firm upon returning to Singapore, she was very aware that people will hire Lee & Lee and use their name to scare opposition. She would not accept such contracts. Imagine if she did! She would have made a lot of money but our justice system would have been particularly damaged and the credibility of our government would also have suffered by association. She was wise and discrete. Down to insisting to pay the last cent for her purchases. Unblame-able. Famous leaders, politicians, stars can all learn a thing or two from her.
I had to cry when I read the eulogies of her children. All distinguished people in their own rights, but the love they had for their "mama" was undisguised. And that's how I want to be when I die, for my children to say that they had a mother who loved them though she was strict but she imbibed them with a strong sense of love and duty towards God and fellow man.
Yet, In this same week, as our nation venerates the one who is called "the Mother of Our Nation", the Ministry of Youth and Sports is busy replacing mothers. They are ever enhancing the early childhood care in Singapore so that mothers can return to the work force and place their babies in value-adding childcare because "neuro-science research reveals rapid cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and motor development at that stage."
It is explicitly stated that the Government is aiming to get Singaporean women to leave their mothering duties to get out into the work force. Quoting for the Straits Times, Thurs Oct 7: "If the Government is to secceed in convincing more women, especially new mothers, to join or remain in the labour force, delivery of quality childre-care and development services is of prime importance."
Ironic, isn't it? (Infant care, btw, makes my stomach churn.)
Folks, mothering is an "in-house" thing. It cannot be sub-conned out. How many of our future generations will be able to read eulogies like the Lee familiy did for their mothers? The generations who from infancy have been placed in institutions. No institution will ever replace the God ordained role of "the Mother" and any action to attempt to do so will be disastrous because it is breaking His perfect design for the family!
But just to bring it to the personal level, will the Government be able to answer for children who are estranged from their mothers because in the early years, they were shuttled from infant care, childcare, school, tuition....
Moms, how do you want to be remembered at your funeral?
Another thought, I do earnestly pray that MM Lee will be able to find the peace that only God, His Maker and Creator can give. Not in some placebo chant but the perfect Salvation that is found in Jesus Christ and His redemptive work on the Cross for sinful man.
From the words of the wisest King who walked the face of the planet:
Ecclesiastes 2:16 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
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