Friday, May 8, 2009

My Mother, my hero

Mother Nature

Mother of all storms.

Mommy. Ibu. Madre. Ma ma.

My Mother is a force to be reckoned with. My Father was and is still outstation a lot so she looked after the homefront with the incredible efficiency of the Volkswagen engine. If we were to profile her experience professionally; she has a Ph.D in Home Economics with years of experience as an interior decorator, chef, nurse, counselor, financial manager, event organizer, family relations coordinator, fashion advisor, social worker, hygiene and sanitation expert, child minder and mind reader.

Mind reader, you ask? Yes, she knows the instant you dropped some food on the floor and tried to pretend you didn't. She can read you like a book.

My mother's mother was also very cool. I will always remember that she was resilient, kind, popular and magnanimous. She led a life fraught with challenges and yet emerged stronger with her humanity intact. This was a person who survived the Japanese Occupation, the untimely and heartbreaking death of a spouse and two sons. Managed a charcoal business. Drove a truck during the times when women were the ones driven around or left at home in the kitchen. My grandmother once grew pot in her backyard. An unconventional woman in a conservative Malaysia. She also told me, "Be open to everyone but choose your friends carefully." Walking on the busy streets of Penang on a hot day with my grandma, we'd stop every now and then to greet someone: young, old, Indian, Malay, Chinese, men or women. How did she know all this people? They LOVE her!!

So you can see where the benchmark of super female is: an amazing grandmother, a fantastic daughter. As the granddaughter, I can only hope I am half as brilliant as they are.

Mother is my first teacher. She is my avid supporter me when I first decided that I was going to save the world. After sitting for the A Levels (a.k.a. the braincell destroyer: STPM), I was sitting at home not doing much. I decided to pick up trash discarded along a small road near our house. Now, because our house is always spotless, I felt there was nothing I could do except not mess it up. Neighbors would walk by and ask why I was picking up someone's trash. They then asked my Mother if the STPM exams fried my brains to the point of irrational behavior. She said, "If you are not going to help her, then shut up." Nuff said.

So this Sunday is Mother's Day. Of course it's not the only day to appreciate your mother. But it is kind of cool to have a day dedicated to women (and men, I guess) who committed their lives to their family. Once a Mom, always a Mom. She'll never stop worrying about you, no matter how old you are. You may disagree with her sometime but if she disapproves of something you'd feel like the whole world doesn't matter.

Mommy dearest, thank you for everything. I mean everything. You are my sunshine, my moral compass, my pillar of strength.

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