Whether you’re a consumer of historical biographies or simply the mother of boys, like me, you’ve probably wondered what contributes to the making of a great man. Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Bono, in my opinion, are a few great men past and present. But greatness is not limited to men in the limelight. Fathers, teachers, coaches and Sunday school teachers are great men, too.

So, what is it that makes these men great?

In June of 2007 I posted my rambling thoughts on this subject on my personal blog. I have two boys who are now 9 and 6 years old and, of course, I want them to grow up to be great men. But often times I wonder how much influence, as a mother, I really have on their “greatness”. Here are my thoughts from nearly two years ago.

Great Men
From my personal blog, June 25, 2007
I wonder if the mothers of great men had moments when they had a foreshadowing of what their sons were to become, a glimmer of the greatness that was developing within their small boys.

If she did, was she wise? Did she nourish and encourage her son so that he would rise up to be all that was within his potential? Or did he naturally grow and learn to become what he was destined to become?

What is it that makes great men great? Is it something placed in them before they are even born? Is it their destiny? Fate? Circumstance?

What is it that makes small boys grow into great men?

Just recently, Thabo, the only son of Beaded Hope’s Mama Peggy, passed away from complications due to skin cancer.

Thabo, in my opinion, was a truly great man, and as I witness the grief and pain that comes with this premature loss, I wonder, again, how a small boy becomes a great man.

Mama Peggy single-handedly raised both Thabo and his sister. With little to her name, she rose to the challenge. She educated both herself and her children and they became pillars of the community.

Out of humble beginnings, Thabo went on to become a clinical psychologist with a master’s degree who traveled the world and was highly respected by his peers and his community.

But what strikes me about Thabo is that, as a grown man, he gave selflessly of himself to others. Whether it was taking a homeless man to the store to buy food for him, or instructing his niece to “always keep a smile on your face,” or pre-paying for the education of another niece just before passing away, Thabo always quietly and humbly took care of others.

So again, I am forced to ask, what makes small boys grow into great men?

While I don’t know what makes a man great, I do know that great men like Thabo are the reason that I continue my work at Beaded Hope. Because it is my hope that one day my boys will become great men who quietly and humbly help people in need. And now, while they are still growing up, I choose to surround myself with great men (and women) who inspire us all to be great people.