A Mother’s Day Story

Many years ago, my mother who lived in Nigeria, became a widow. The life she had imagined for herself as a young girl quickly evaporated. She tried moving on, finding a life with her extended family, but she was always worried, always despondent.

When offered the opportunity, soon after I was born, she gave me up for adoption. An international adoption agency placed me with a family in Canada.

Some might think my mother was weak; others might call her selfish. Many call her an opportunist, looking for a way to have her children raised in comparative luxury.

I think none of these things. Instead, I’m grateful for the life I have and to have a mother who sacrificed our relationship to give me a chance at a better life. She is courageous. She is my mother, no matter who raised me. I carry her courage inside me as all children of mothers do.