My first ABCs
To me, the relationship between mother and daugher is an intricate, complicated, multi-layered one that is often barely understood by the people around them and sometimes, not even by themselves.
The relationship that I have with my mother is a guardedly love-hate one. No mushy "I love yous" on every other phone call for us and she's never been the one I turn automatically to for advice or comfort when I needed some badly.
Instead, my mother will be the first person to tell me that I've put on weight and could stand to shed a few pounds. Or that my new hair colour makes me look totally trashy. Or that a girl should not be "samseng" and do things like travel alone, drive long-distance alone or do high-risk sports like white water rafting. Or nag at me that "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach," because she despairs that cooking is not exactly something I adore.
She believes in telling the painful truth as it is, you see, because in her words verbatim- that she has repeated to me a million times over, "Your parents (mum) are the only people who will ever tell you truly what they think. Other people, hmppphh...they tell you only what you want to hear!" Sometimes, in a moment of hurt, I often try to convince myself that I've read more meaning into her words than she intended there to be.
But, my mother is also the first person who is game for a shopping trip. Her patience is boundless and she's forever suggesting I try out new trends like bubble skirts or long tops with belts, to which some suggestions I accept and others I beseechingly reply, "Mum, that's just not me!"
She's also the person who painstakingly made sure that we always had a wholesome, home-cooked dinner together as a family (no TV!) every night of the year, minus holidays and dinners outside, when my brother and I were still staying at home in Ipoh. After almost a decade of staying away from home, I truly appreciate her effort.
The relationship that I have with my mother is a guardedly love-hate one. No mushy "I love yous" on every other phone call for us and she's never been the one I turn automatically to for advice or comfort when I needed some badly.
Instead, my mother will be the first person to tell me that I've put on weight and could stand to shed a few pounds. Or that my new hair colour makes me look totally trashy. Or that a girl should not be "samseng" and do things like travel alone, drive long-distance alone or do high-risk sports like white water rafting. Or nag at me that "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach," because she despairs that cooking is not exactly something I adore.
She believes in telling the painful truth as it is, you see, because in her words verbatim- that she has repeated to me a million times over, "Your parents (mum) are the only people who will ever tell you truly what they think. Other people, hmppphh...they tell you only what you want to hear!" Sometimes, in a moment of hurt, I often try to convince myself that I've read more meaning into her words than she intended there to be.
But, my mother is also the first person who is game for a shopping trip. Her patience is boundless and she's forever suggesting I try out new trends like bubble skirts or long tops with belts, to which some suggestions I accept and others I beseechingly reply, "Mum, that's just not me!"
She's also the person who painstakingly made sure that we always had a wholesome, home-cooked dinner together as a family (no TV!) every night of the year, minus holidays and dinners outside, when my brother and I were still staying at home in Ipoh. After almost a decade of staying away from home, I truly appreciate her effort.
From my mother, I learnt the meaning of perseverance, discipline, self-restrain and composure and loving yourself enough to make time for taking care of your body and appearance.
But most of all, I am thankful that she taught me my first ABCs from a Ladybird hardboard book that she bought me for my first birthday, that I have a photograph of little one-year old me biting the apple (A is for Apple!) on the cover.
Without her, I couldn't have written this.
Happy Mother's Day, Mum!
But most of all, I am thankful that she taught me my first ABCs from a Ladybird hardboard book that she bought me for my first birthday, that I have a photograph of little one-year old me biting the apple (A is for Apple!) on the cover.
Without her, I couldn't have written this.
Happy Mother's Day, Mum!
posted by N.J.A.P.F. @ 2:46 AM
3 Comments:
awww...
all i did was just to call my mom and wished her. no long dedication.
:|
FeR
Nice. Hope your mom catches this :)
FeR: Your mom's not in Msia marr...anyways, my mom dosen't read my blog. Hehe. I took my mom out for some nice fine dining, treated her to a hair perm and gave her a nice card. Think she was quite happy! :)
Savante: Thank you! Nope, she doesn't read my blog. But I think she knows I appreciate all she has done.
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