who ran to help me when i fell
and would some pretty stories to tell
or kiss the place to make it well
my mother, my mother!
my mother lived a hard life. born to poor farmers, she was made to quit school at 10 in order for her to help at home while the older children worked the farm. at 16 she married a man from the working class poor as the family could not support her. it's the cycle of poverty.
though not highly educated, she was resourceful. she walked miles to nearby towns to sell her hometown's specialty -- bottled fish sauce. no car, no carts to carry dozens of bottles or jars, just the farmgirl arms that were made strong by hard work from when she was young. she washed clothes for other people. she was a seamstress, too. later on when she suffered from a stroke and lost the use of her right arm and hand, she folded boxes and stuffed envelopes, just using her left hand. sometimes, while unhappy that some leftover rice got spoiled, she would put the rice on a big tray and left it to harden in the sun. then she cooked it in oil and brown sugar and we would have crispy rice for snacks. old clothes and bed sheets were recycled as pillow cases. worn out towels were cut into pieces so each of us six children would have our own face towels.
and she was a kind and compassionate woman. i remember an old beggar coming to our door, we didn't have money to give but mother offered her a cold glass of water, made her sit on a bench and chatted with her until the beggar had rested and went on her way. she did the same thing with peddlers.
i still remember getting my first pay and handing it over to her. she was on the verge of tears as she looked at the money in her hands. then she handed it back to me and she said, "it's your money, you do what you want with it, but spend it wisely."
she's been gone 44 years but i still miss her all the time.
you whose mothers are still alive, enjoy your time with her. give her all the love and respect she deserves. and greet her happy mother's day for me.
What a wonderful tribute to your mother. Definitely a case of 'gone but not forgotten'.