The concept of having or being a godmother has undergone some amount of change In the contemporary world. The bottom line, though, still remains the same. A godmother is someone who takes interest in, if not responsibility for, the godchild’s upbringing and personal growth. If you have been chosen to be godmother to somebody’s child, it is a great honor and a privilege. It is an indicator that the parents trust and respect your wisdom and ability to be a mentor and a guide to their child, and be there should something unforeseen happen to them. You may have questions as to what specific connotations being a godmother has, or what exact purposes a godmother is expected to serve. It is very simple. The godmother is basically an extended support system outside the biological family to which the child can turn to in times of need. Here is a run-down on what the purposes of being a godmother are.
1. A personal cheerleader
One of the most appropriate ways of describing a godmother is as one who is a personal cheerleader during the milestones of the godchild’s life. Apart from birthday’s and anniversaries of major events, a godmother is usually expected to be present at events like high school graduation, or admission to college. As a spiritual guide and mentor, she encourages her godchild to continue to perform at high levels, and accomplish one success after another. Another milestone that is commonly attended by a godmother is the first job of the child. While the godmother is expected to provide good cheer on the successes of the child, she is also expected to be there to support the child in times of trouble and in the face of failures. The godmother’s role here is to provide the godchild with perspective through the highs and lows of growing up into adulthood.
2. A virtual second mother
The purpose of appointing someone as a godmother is also to be present in the godchild’s life as a second mother. Sometimes, the emotional proximity of a biological mother and child can prevent them from being able to see issues or each other’s point of view in an objective manner. In such instances, the godmother can offer a more balanced perspective. The idea is to have someone who is there to love, support and guide the child just as a mother would, but perhaps with a greater grounding in the reality of things. Similarly, there may be issues in a child’s life that he or she may not feel entirely comfortable bringing up with the biological mother. In such situations, the godmother can usually serve as a sounding board and counsel to the godchild.
3. A real second mother
In the unfortunate event that the biological parents are no longer available or able to be present to their child, it is expected that the godmother or godparents will step in and fulfill the role of parents till such time that the child grows into an adult and is able to take decisions for himself or herself. The godmother’s role here is to take the child in and bring him or her up as her own child.
4. The traditional role of spiritual guide
The concept of a godmother is a Christian one, and goes back to the belief that each child should have a sort of a mentor who will initiate them into the religious life, such as sponsoring and supervising their baptism and taking responsibility for their religious education. That is where the “god” of the word “godmother” comes from. Even in other religions and cultures, there is the concept of appointing or nominating a person who will be the spiritual guide for the child as he goes forth towards adulthood. Not all people keep this religious connotation in mind when choosing a godmother, but for those who are deeply religious, this may be a major consideration. If you are unsure of the expectations of the parents, you may want to check with them if they would like you to be a spiritual or religious counsel to your godchild.
