Dear Mummy,
I remember vividly of the day that I was born. The instant love I felt when you cradled me so lovingly in your arms. You accepted me without any hesitation. And you cared for me and called me beautiful even though I may not have been the 'Perfect' child.
I remember clearly of the events that happened when I was still too young. But I understand everything now. And I thank you for being there for my brothers and I, for we would not have been able to survive without you.
I remember the times where you brought me for a swim. You had a phobia of the water, and yet, just for me, you went into the pool because I was such a pestering child. I remember how excited I was whenever we had snacks after swimming. I remember the times where you brought us to Toys R' Us to pick our own presents. I also remember how you always fought for us in school whenever our teacher complained about us. I remember everything you did, just to pacify my brothers and I.
A loving mother, you shielded us from all signs on danger, and have even gone to the extreme of putting your life in danger, just for us. You always had us placed as priority, even today. And despite all the many years of suffering, you always emerge as top despite all the struggling.
No words can describe how much we admire you. Your strength, courage, perseverance and of course, your love for us.
But sometimes, we kids just can't seem to agree with how adults think. And I apologize for the many times we made you disappointed, sad and even angry. Words do hurt and I believe that sometimes we say them without thinking about the feelings of others. And for that, I'm sorry.
I remember the day we made you cry. It was on your birthday, when you were 42. It keeps replaying in my head, and I don't think I can ever forgive myself, needless to say, my brothers as well. You don't deserve all this, not when you did so much for us.
It's time for us to spread our wings and take charge, because mummy, you are not any younger. And I promise, that we'll never ever let you down again.
Happy Mothers' Day mummy.
Just a couple of days ago, my mum and I were lazing around, looking at the clouds in my room when she suddenly brought up a topic.
"If you could be anything, anything at all, what would you be?"
I know that this might sounds like a common topic to bring up among friends, but trust me, it's really hard to find the right answer that you'll be satisfied with.
She related one such situation when she asked her friend the same question, and the friend's answer was really odd. Well, at least to me. Because she wanted to be a Princess.
Literally a Princess or one that she dreams to be, with crowns, thrones, royalty, Prince Charming, a palace and lots of gold, or in a bed made out of money.
Both my mum and I found it pretty odd to want a life of someone in the limelight. Because, being a Princess, not only does one have to be dressed and speak proper, you're practically stripped from having a 'Normal Life'.
We then talked about our choices, and we listed all the animals we wanted to be. We were practically sick of the "Human" world, and so both of us thought that it'd be interesting to be an animal.
As usual, we picked our favourite animals, but it pretty much ended with us wanted to be something that was able to fly. My mum preferred to be a butterfly for birds are shot at and hunted for, and she'd rather lay her eggs, her kids, and then die, like all insects do.
That was when I thought of the Eagle.
Whenever I meet someone who asks about my goals in Life, they end up pretty much saying the same thing, and that is to 'Soar like an Eagle'. Everyone wants to be like an Eagle, a majestic creature that rules the sky.
But little do they know of how much suffering the eagle has to go through in order to soar through the skies every single year.
Just watch this clip:
Just watch this clip:
This story was first shared by the great people when I attended Adam Khoo's ''I'm Gifted, So Are You!" workshop, and I have heard/watched many clips online.
They mentioned of that every eagle has to make a very important decision; to live, or to die. It's because at about the age of 40, the eagle physical condition is so bad, its talons lose flexibility and are unable to secure a proper grip on the prey, the beak becomes dull and to bent, and the feathers are so thick and heavy that it disrupts the eagle's ability to fly well.
It then flies to its nest, way up in the mountains, and begin this torturous 5 month rejuvenating process where it knocks off its beak by hitting it against the rocks over and over again. Then it plucks out its talons and lastly, its feathers, one by one. This is so that the eagle can "regrow" the removed parts in order to survive another 30 years.
Torturing isn't it?
Well, you're actually in for a surprise. Because......
Whatever that I said earlier about the eagle, it's all a MYTH(I just so happened to check it out on the net a couple of days ago). In fact, there had been so many viewers wondering about the process of the eagle, that the University of Minnesota's Raptor Center and The American Bald Eagle Information Website have both responded to this issue.
Click Here to Read what The American Bald Eagle Information Website said
Click Here to Read what the University of Minnesota's Raptor Centre said
And no, I'm not saying that Adam Khoo's workshop or the clips are bogus. In fact, the clip is quite true when it applies to us, humans, than to the eagles. Because it shows that in order to live on and be successful in the near future, one has to be able to let go of the past and move on. Or as how the saying goes "In Order To Rebuild, You Must First Tear Down".
And that my friends, is an important lesson to learn.
As for what I want to be if I ever get the chance to, I'd like to be The One who controls everything that happens on Earth (I'm not allowed to say His name for I do not have a religion and may be doomed to burn in Hell). It would be fine even if it were to be for a day. I would just like to reshuffle some things, here and there.
Loves.
When I went for the interview at TP, I was asked "What inspires you to be a teacher?"
My answer was, "My mother. Believe it or not, my mother is the most versatile person that I know. When I was little, I would tag along as she taught in her child care class. I would see that for hours and hours as I watched her in admiration. She taught phonics, art, music and movement, and about anything you needed her to do. She pushed a van that had broken down when she was having me in her tummy. She fixed pipes, climbed rooftops, and with her creativity, built or made things that were useful as tools around the house. She showed me that one had to be very patient when dealing with children. And I loved how the kids felt so comfortable around her. Adding the fact that my mum would talk about games, and ask them about themselves. Can you imagine how the kids felt, eyes all sparkly when they told their tales in excitement. My mum built a firm foundation for the kids, and that was not only through education, but by also making them into responsible and well mannered kids. Through her, I learned to love kids, and through her, I want to be there for the kids, and guide them through their journey in life. You don't have to be a mother to teach, but to teach, you have to be like a mother to the kids. And I want to be just that, just like my mum, to aid kids towards their success in the future".
I of course, exceeded the 1 minute limit that was given. But I guess, I made it a point to them that I did not look up to someone who was distances away, but someone who is just a few steps away, someone I love, and who loves me back.
Well, when I was younger, I never understood why my mother would always stand by the window to watch us as we make our way to the MRT or Bus. When we were away in camps or when my brother was in NS, she would check her phone every five minutes to wait for our calls. She always stayed up late to wait for us to return home, and there were many times where we came home and found her snoozing on the chair.
And sometimes, even though she was unwell, she would wake up early just to make breakfast for us. She would sit with us as we ate, and only go back to sleep after she saw us off.
Even when she was in Thailand or Malacca, she would call back every now and then to check in on us.
But all that, would of course be accompanied by nags. She would nag at us if we did things last minute. Sometimes she scolded us for not being independent enough, but when we did do things on our own, she would come in and do it for us. Then she would scold us again for doing things too slowly, or last minute. She always busied herself with out things, even when we could do fine on our own.
In an obvious way, my brothers and I are really pampered by her.
Sometimes, it annoys(it's not that we don't want her around, but she's a busy woman, and needs her rest!) us that she would rather stay up just to make sure that we have had our meals, rather than have an early sleep. And she would peep to check on whether we were doing fine, and would jump at the chance when we needed help. And how she always eat last so that there's enough food for us all. And how she'll eat the "not so nice" food, and let us have the nice ones. I guess that's what mothers are like, huh.
And the countless times she defended us against our dad (he's not the bad guy. It's just that having Commando parents is pretty tough sometimes. But it's a miracle my mum is brain washed at all.) And the times when she felt eh urge to slap someone else for bragging about their kids. She always treated us as the best of the lot. And she too, is the best of the lot.
She may nag alot, but then again, it's funny to see her kalang kabut around the house. And then when she realizes that we're laughing at her, she'll scold us and then have her revenge! Well, we treat her pretty much like our friend rather than mom. We'll tumble on top of her, hit her (jokingly), do things to make her ter pranjat, or just make fun of her. She too has her moments where she makes fun or imitates us.
Her "in" word right now? 'So gross', 'so lame', 'duh', 'whatever'. Hahaha, it's funny when she does it because she practically imitates me or my brother Vernon when we say it.
Anyway, a while back, more like many years ago, my brother and I bought a book for my mother, for her birthday.
You must be thinking " wah lao.. birthday leh. Treat her go spa or buy something she wants lah. Buy book, somemore both of you share... Damn gonndu man".
What can I say! I was only 8! And before you stomp to my home to smack me on the head, let me say that the book that we bought was actually SPECIAL.
Yes, that is the book.
It's about the size of your palm, and well, that's not the only special part.
What's the most special is the content inside. This mini book is actually a book of 43 quotes for mothers, be it quotes with heartwarming effect, or cheeky ones. And to those who still don't understand and love your moms enough, read, understand, then read these quotes to your mom. I'm sure it'll make a difference.
- When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. - Sophia Loren
- Mothers are the most incisive philosophers. - Harriet Beecher Stowe
- Instant availability without continuous presence is probably the best role a mother can play. - Lotte Bailyn
- A mother's role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car forever after. - Peter De Vries
- Children are the anchors that hold a mother to life. - Sophocles
- Moter is the name for God in the lips and hearts for children. - William Makepeace Thackarey
- There's no such thing as a non-working mother. - Hester Mundis
- Now, as always, the most automated appliance in the house is the Mother. - Beverly Jones
- If dreams were born where gardens grow, and mums were flowers, I'd pick you.
- Whatever you would have your children become, strive to exhibit in your own lives and conversation. - Lydia H Sigourney
- The quickest way for a mother to get her children's attention is to sit down and loo comfortable. (This is so true! I guess, it's become a habit (I'm sure for you guys too) for my brothers and I to disturb her whenever she's comfy. But we do know when to draw the line.)
- A mother's love is a garden where the Sun always shines and the season is always spring.
- No matter how old a mother is, she watches her middle-aged children for signs of improvement. - Florida Scott-Maxwell
- A mother's love and tender care, makes happiness bloom everywhere.
- Who ran to help me when I fell, and would some pretty story tell, or make it well? My Mother. - Ann & Jane Taylor
- Who takes the children by the hand, takes the mother by the heart. - German Proverb
- The more people study different methods of bringing up children, the more they have come to the conclusion that what good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing for their babies is the best after all. - Dr. Benjamin Spock
- It's a wise child that knows its own father, but its one child in a million who knows its mother.
- This would be a better world for children if parents had to eat the spinach. - Groucho Marx 'Animal Crackers'
- I have reached the age when a woman starts to percieve that she is growing into the person she least plans to resemble: her mother. - Anita Brookner
- Motherhood is the most emotional experience of one's life. One joins a kind of women's mafia. - Janet Suzman 'Observer'
- To become a mother is not hard, to be a mother is.
- Children aren't happy with nothing to ignore. And that's what parents are created for. - Ogden Nash
- The are of being a parent consist of sleeping when the baby isn't looking. - American Proverb
- A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary. - Dorothy Canfield Fisher
- A mother's patience is like a tube of toothpaste - it's never quite all gone.
- The first half of our lives is ruined by our parents and the second half, by our children. - Clarence S Darrow
- Sweet little old lady wishes to correspond with six-foot student with brown eyes and answering the initials J.D.B - His mother (Advert in a student magazine)
- A mother's first gift is Life, the second is Love and the third is understanding.
- We never know the love of our parents for us until we have become parents. - Henry Ward Beecher
- There never was a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him alseep. - Emmerson 'Journals' 1836
- A mother knows all about children. She knows abour dentist appointments and footbal games and romances and best friends and favourite foods and secret fears and hopes and dreams. A father is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.
- For the hand that rocks the cradle id the hand that rules the world. - William Ros Wallace 'What Rules The World'
- Parents are sometimes a bit of a disappointment to their children. They don't fulfill the promise of their early years. -Anthony Powell.
- They're a mysterious mob, mothers. - Robert Davies 'What's Bred In The Bone' 1986
- A baby is an alimentary canal with a loud voice at one end and no responsibility at the other. - E Adamson
- Even when freshly washed and relieved od all obvious infections, children tend to be sticky. - Fran Lebowitz
- A mother's love trancends time and circumstances and endures forever.
- Mother is another word for love.
- The most difficult thing for a mother to remember is that other people have perfect children too.
- Parents are the bone on which children cut their teeth. - Peter Ustinov
- Parenthood remains the greatest single preserve of the amateur. - Alvin Toffler.
- The joys are never fully experienced until all the children are in bed.
Which quote do you like? Mine are : 6, 9, 11, 22, 25, 26, 29 and 33.
I hope this had made a difference, because it sure has to me.
Loves.
Despite being jobless, I have been spending my days rather fruitfully, by helping my mother out in her Holiday Classes like Art and Cooking for the Kids.
It seemed rather embarrassing as my mum and I clumsily carry huge bags of boiled potatoes, eggs, sausages, apples, bananas, starfruits, grapes,seasonings, utensils, papers, and Tupperwares while boarding the MRT and buses to Seng Kang, Yishun and many more places. But it was all worth it, because I got to meet many colourful characters; the kids!
It was really nice to see the kids concentrating on their work, grumbling as they dice the eggs and sausages, and mash the potatoes. And seeing how some of them sneakingly eat some of the ingredients and then show you the mose innocent face ever, made me miss my childhood days.
Apart from the events above, I have not been doing any serious hard work. Other than playing online games, watching Movies online, and staying up late to watch the Television. I feel rather guilty for not calling my friends up, and meeting them. But at the same time, I feel like I need more time to rest, or rather recuperate from the "stress" I have been having. So friends, please do understand!
Loves.
Despite being in the midst of the 'O' level Examination week, I am busy helping my mum out with the baking of the festive goodies.
Since young, my mum has always asked me to help her out in the kitchen, be it cooking, baking or preparing dishes and drinks for the guests.
I never hesitated at the offer as I loved to see how my mum used the various methods that were passed down from her Peranakan ancestors, to cook. There were so many techniques and beliefs, just to make a simple kueh kueh.
One belief that I find really interesting, was to NEVER have any disbelief in the raising of the cake.
I, being curious, decided to test that belief one day. When my mum was steaming a cake, I said aloud "Why never huat one?I don't think it will loh".
Just then my mum turned vicious and began scolding me in the usual, Peranakan language. She apologized continuously to the cake. But true enough, the cake never did huat.
Now it may seem like a miscalculation in the amount of ingredients used, but believe me, as we tried doing the same cake the next day, with the same amount of ingredients, only that I never said a word. And amazingly, the cake did huat.
But from then on, however, my mum never trusted me and thus, never asked me to help out whenever she was baking any cake.
Now, I only help out in the tedious shaping of cookies, kueh tarts, kueh mahmut(especially this) and biscuits. I am also a tool for taste-testing, a profession very much shared with my dog, who chooses which kueh kueh is nice, and devours it ravenously. And leaves the not so nice ones alone while looking at me in disdain, as though I had purposely given him the bad ones.
