She's a Mother

We are a few days past Women's History Month, but this needs to be shared, with the author Joh S. Randal's permission.

Like any mother, she still asks him if he's eaten enough.

Even though they can't see each other as often as she would like - for obvious safety reasons, they try to talk to each other by phone every day, sometimes three times a day.

And, she asks him if he has eaten.

She is the mother of one of the most admired men in the world, called the defender of democracy, a hero in the eyes of many.

But, she is still his mother.

Behind every great leader, there is a mom who raised her child to be the best they can be, who supports him or her in their choices, teaches them the good from the bad.

Hi, this is Jon. For Women's History Month, The Peace Page usually focuses on heroes who contributed in their own way to history.

But, we mustn’t forget the women who may have contributed just by being a “mom”.

This story today is for the every day heroes, especially the moms who just for being who they are influenced and inspired their children.

The best example of this is this woman.

She is not well known, but her family name may be familiar to many.

The strength and courage of their family goes back to World War II, where their family, like many families in Europe at that time came face to face with the horrors of n*zism.

Her son still proudly talks of the courage of his great grandfather.

According to The Times of Israel, her son “said that his great-grandfather and three of his grandfather’s brothers died as a result of the N*zi invasion of [his country]. His grandfather and his grandfather’s brothers took up arms against the N*zis in the Red Army; his grandfather was the only one to survive.”

According to writer Tomasz Glen, “she lives quite modestly. She does not lead a public life, so little is known about her.”

She “is an engineer by profession, wrote Glen. “Already in her youth, together with her husband and son, she dared to leave her hometown . . . and go to work in Mongolia. At that time, the woman was engaged in engineering technologies, and her husband took part in the construction of a mining and processing plant. The harsh Mongolian climate damaged the woman's health, so after 4 years the family decided to return to [their hometown, where she would devote “ herself entirely to her family.”]

Her son “said in a 2018 interview . . . he is unable to accept lies. “I always react painfully to lies,” he said. “This is the main feature that my parents gave me.”

His mother prefers “to stay behind the scenes” and rarely gives interviews, although she did admit “that she tried to dissuade her son from politics.”

“He consulted with us and I said he didn't need it at all. It's pure dirt, but that's what he decided, it's his choice. At least I know he won't steal and won't let anyone else steal. We had a modest family, we lived very modestly. So far, Dad has defended himself and achieved everything. That's why he grew up not in a rich family, but in an ordinary, working one," she said in an interview.

Because of the current situation in their country, her son rarely sees his parents, although he says he calls them every day.

His parents are worried about his health, Glen writes.

“Mom always asks if he has eaten and asks him to be careful.”

If you’re still guessing who this widely-known Mom and son are, here is a big clue:

Her son was born on January 25 1978 in Kryvyi Rih, a heavily industrial city in central Ukraine.

Her name is Rimma, her son’s name is Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

~~~

Leadership author Kevin Bowser writes:

“Abraham Lincoln is credited with saying this: Behind every great man is a great mother.

“But that is really a hard quote for which to find a provable attribution. However, you can find these words attributed to Abraham Lincoln. And they seem to fit a little bit better for today.

“‘I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.’”

“Remember this today. No one achieves greatness or success in a vacuum. No one does it alone.”

from The Jon S. Randal Peace page.