One Wounded Eagle: The Woman Who Became Sick & Died
(Dr. Pipim's Funeral Tribute To the Late Mother Josephine, June 6, 2013)
Though I’m a Ghanaian living in the USA, and though she was a Nigerian, the late Madam Josephine was my mother. This is why I deem it a privilege to be asked by the immediate family to represent all the people to whom Madam Josephine was a mother.
Before I share my tribute, I’ll briefly explain (i) why Mother Josephine was my mother and (ii) how I got to know her. Then I’ll proceed to share (iii) lessons I’ve learned from her sickness and death.
1. WHY SHE WAS MY MOTHER
Giving birth doesn’t necessarily make a person a mother. Nor does loving and caring alone (as does a step-mother, adoptive mother, guardian, grandmother, aunt, nurse, teacher, or social worker). Motherhood is more than biology (nature) and sociology (nurture); it’s also theology (Scripture). Jesus explains: “Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My … mother” (Matthew 12:50).
Correctly understood, a true mother is any woman who caringly...
