Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

“Cleanliness is next to Godliness.”

In our place, we have a saying: a mother is the Light of the Home because she cares for the entire household — the children, the family, and her husband. And the father is the Pillar of the Home, the one who supports the needs of his wife and children.

Do you still remember the year you first entered school when you were young? For us, our mother was our very first teacher — teaching us how to write, how to read, and how to care for others.

I was six years old when I was enrolled in Kindergarten. After enrollment, we went to the market. She bought me new underwear and seven pairs of socks. “Mom, why so many socks?” I asked. She said, “Because you need to change your socks every day so your feet won’t smell. And when you take them off, turn them inside out and put them in the laundry basket. Every Saturday, you will wash them.” “Huh?” I whispered. “Yes,” she said. “You need to learn how to take care of yourself, even if you’re a boy.”

We didn’t have a washing machine back then, so Mama and I washed my five pairs of socks separately, because she said the dirt from the feet is different from the dirt on clothes. On Sundays, the two of us ironed my school uniform together. So every time I went to school, I was freshly bathed, and my uniform and  socks were clean.

When she brought me to school, she gave me so many reminders — how to behave, how to be careful, how to survive being alone outside since our home was far. And her final reminder was always the same: “Always stay clean because Cleanliness is next to Godliness.”

I gave her a goodbye kiss and entered the school gate. When I looked back, she was still waving at me. I waved back and went inside. I smiled to myself — Mama had so many reminders.