Article by: Aaradhana Umesh, Std. 9, Porur.

Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate all the amazing women who have shaped our lives and made us who we are today. Irena Sendler, a hero of the Holocaust who risked her own life to save the lives of thousands of Jewish children. But Irena wasn’t just a hero to these children – she was also a devoted mother to her own children, and her love and courage inspired them and countless others.
Irena Sendler was born in Poland in 1910. During World War II, she worked as a social worker in Warsaw, where she began helping Jewish families who were facing persecution by the Nazis. Irena risked her life to smuggle Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto and into the safety of Christian homes and orphanages. She kept detailed records of each child’s identity and location, with the hope that they could one day be reunited with their families. Irena’s work was incredibly dangerous – she was arrested by the Gestapo and brutally tortured, but she never gave up the names of the children she had saved. Despite the risks, Irena continued her work until the end of the war, saving an estimated 2,500 children.
But Irena’s heroism didn’t end with the war. She went on to raise three children of her own, instilling in them the values of courage, compassion, and kindness. Her daughter, Janina, later said of her mother, “She was always ready to help those who needed it. She believed that every person had a right to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter who they were.”
Irena Sendler’s legacy is a testament to the incredible power of maternal love. She risked her life to save the lives of children she didn’t even know, because she believed that every child deserves a chance to live. And her love for her own children inspired her to fight for a better world, one where kindness and compassion triumph over hate and fear.
Let’s remember that motherhood is about more than just giving birth – it’s about love, sacrifice, and the unbreakable bond between a parent and child. And let’s thank our own mothers for all the ways they have shaped our lives and made us who we are today. As Susan Gale said, “Mothers are like glue. Even when you can’t see them, they’re still holding the family together.” Let’s celebrate the incredible power of maternal love in Mother’s Day, and every day.