In films as in real life, some step-mothers are often portrayed as being cruel, selfish, and greedy and so on and so forth. But there are others who can be described as angels as GIFT  KALUBA discovered despite his earlier doubts. Read on…

ALLOW me space to express my deepest thanks of love and respect to the woman who the word ‘goodness’ was created for, from one of the children who have been blessed enough to proudly call her our stepmother.
As fate would have it, the cruel hand of death took away my mother when I was just five years old. Later my father decided to marry another woman who would replace our beloved mother Hope Kalaba.
The first time I saw my would-be stepmother was when she came with father, who directly introduced her to us as our mother and that we should not only regard her as, but call, her mother.
In the twinkling of an eye, I looked at my three-year-old sister and I saw how happy she was to have a mother. Perhaps at her age, her eagerness for motherly care and love that she had been yearning for since the loss of our mother was more fervent.
For my part, however, I didn’t know what to do or say. In fact, honestly, the first time I saw her I treated her with much suspicion.
I felt then, that any love or kindness I would show her would be a betrayal to my late mother.
But it was how she reacted to my unkindness, my mistrust, dislike and generally the negative attitude I had towards her which I never wanted anyone to notice, that I learnt that she wanted to be close and take me as her own son. It struck me later how hard she worked at loving me and my sister and how equally I could pay her in return.
From the day we met until when she officially became my stepmother on that day of July 30, 2005, she has treated me with love, respect and kindness.
This is what she always threw at me. She stood in the gap during my childhood.
She stood up for me in a way not even our blood relatives could have ever done. Her actions gave me the much-needed check slap.
I realised that I should not take her for granted or give her much trouble for she could have walked away from us after all she was and still a very beautiful, fine and adorable woman.
Our father is a responsible and hardworking man; he spends most of his time working to sustain the family’s needs and wants.
This leaves us with Mrs Priscilla Mulenga Kalaba, our stepmother who takes care of our education. She supported me until I completed school in 2015 at Mpatamato Secondary School where our great man Mr Timothy Kambilima, my motivator, teaches.
To date she holds the same heart and I must confess that I have never ever met anyone with such limitless goodness, such a wholesome and bottomless heart of humanity. My experience taught me that prejudice can cloud your judgment and prevent you from having a beautiful experience such as being loved and respected.
I know she will read this and so will my father, relatives, other stepmothers and stepfathers.
I know she will smile, shake her head and then show her family/colleagues this article her stepson wrote in the Times of Zambia.
I hope she will consider this as a public acknowledgement of love and respect to my mother from one of the two children who have been blessed enough to proudly call her not stepmother but “mother” for whom the word ‘goodness’ was created.
A good parent is not easily offended, whether your stepchild misbehaved out of resentment or unintentionally hurt you, do not take it personal; put yourself in their shoes before you act and always try to practice patience.
Do not get into co-parenting issues just get to know your children and take advantage of an opportunity to invest in them.
Love them whether you are accepted or not.
Approaching your role with dedication and thoughtfulness will help contribute to your families’ great success and happiness. This is what I have learnt from this wonderful woman! May God bless all caring stepmothers and fathers. -Comments:0965164142