Mother's Day 2022: Athirah and Ayyash

Athirah, 20 years old, is the proud mother of five-month-old Ayyash Rayyan. Being a mother is no easy task. This Mother’s Day, we remember the strength and love of mothers who give so fully of themselves to their children.

"The greatest surprise about motherhood is how much better my life is now than it was before. Ever since I’ve become a mother, I’ve realized the huge responsibility I have taken on as a parent. But it isn’t something I despise.

Instead, I am thankful to my baby, Ayyash, because he motivates me to do better every single day. I am not the same person I was before.

When I first found out I was pregnant, I couldn’t believe it. I took the test three times. I didn’t know what to do because I knew my parents would be really mad with me and I was worried about the future. Am I able to financially support my son… What if my partner and I are not together anymore… What would happen? Thankfully, everything worked out.

Of course, there are challenges to being a mother. Some people look down on me because I gave birth so young and had the baby before marriage. There were moments that I felt upset and that my family— especially my parents — were ashamed of me. But while there are bad moments, there are good moments too.

My baby boy is so cheeky and smiley. And when he falls asleep in my arms? He’s so angelic. I hope that when my son grows up, he’ll be a good person and that he will succeed in life and not make the same mistakes as his parents.

Being a mother is a journey — and a tough one at that. I didn’t know a single thing about parenthood and how to care for a child but I worked my way through it. Like, at first, I found it difficult to bathe my son; he’s just so delicate. My mom helped me to bathe him for the first month and eventually I got the hang of it… though even now I would say I’m still adjusting!

My son is a blessing to me and my love just grows for him with each passing day. My life has changed completely."