In this heartfelt reflection, Gloria Anima Jnr, known traditionally as Nana Ama Anima Tutuwaa, a Queen mother and Headmistress of Aboabo No. 4 Presbyterian Primary School in Dormaa, and 1st Runner-up of the 2020 National Teachers Award in Ghana shares how understanding her mother’s pain reshaped her views on life, teaching, and empathy. Her deeply moving story reminds us that behind strength often lies silent suffering and sacrifice.
Growing up in a small Ghanaian town, my childhood was filled with lessons that stretched beyond the walls of any classroom. My mother was a strict woman, unyielding in her discipline. The slightest mistake brought a stinging punishment, so harsh at times that I wondered if I had committed an unforgivable act. Yet, we weren’t disobedient children; we were simply learning, fumbling our way through life’s early lessons.
But behind her firmness was something deeper—pain.
I often noticed her eyes glisten after she scolded us. Sometimes, she would serve our meals in silence, tears slipping quietly down her cheeks. It wasn’t anger that ruled her, it was sorrow. She carried burdens too heavy to name, wounds too deep to show. My twin and I didn’t understand it then; we only saw the discipline, not the heartache.
Years later, after I became a teacher at Aboabo No. 4 Presbyterian Primary School in Dormaa, I came across the biblical story of Jabez the man who cried out to God for transformation. His plea resonated with me deeply, and it gave me the courage to ask my mother why she had treated us so harshly.
Her response changed me forever. She took a long breath, her voice trembling, her eyes once again clouded with tears. For the first time, she spoke the truth not as a disciplinarian, but as a woman who had weathered storms in silence. Life had dealt her blows that few could endure. In her quest to protect and provide, pain had become her only language.
That day, I prayed the prayer of Jabez, not only for myself but for her too. I asked God to turn our pain into purpose, our struggles into strength, and our past into a blessing.
Our mothers, many of them have fought silent battles. They have cried in the dark so their children could smile in the light. They have endured wounds they never spoke of, bearing the weight of sacrifice with grace.
So, let’s be kind to the women who raised us, to the people around us, and to ourselves. Behind every strong face lies a story untold, a heart that has endured, and a spirit that still hopes.
In a world that can be harsh, may compassion be our truest inheritance.
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