My hero lives with me
Not just a mother, but a hero. She is the woman who bravely protects me and my family, silently, without us bothering to know at all. She faces all her hardships alone and never once blame the family for not being there for her. She is really a strong woman, making huge sacrifices for her family.
My mother is 40 years-old, working to provide for my family. She has eye bags that stood out from her pale face and has curly black hair. Her eyes are round and her face always contains a gentle smile. She is my mother, but my family and I took her for granted sometimes. That is why I find her a hero as no one, only her, is able to struggle through so much hardships as silently and with determination.
She will start work from the morning and till late in the night till everyone enters their dream-world. Everyday when she comes home she just hoped she can have a relax time. However, she gets nothing but children rebelling at her. She tries hard to get feel the love from the children by caring, but we only see her as someone who nags, someone who we don’t really care about. After which, her reward for being shout at before was a drunk husband throwing tantrum. But she faced it silently, making breakfast the next day for the family while the children are still fuming, and the husband making a fuss.
It was another Sunday. I told my mother that I would be going out in the afternoon to have a study session with my friends. Before I met them, I had a quarrel with my mother back at home. The last sentence I said silence her, while I slam the main door. It didn’t mean anything to the fuming me, but definitely hurts her to hear that no matter how hard she tries, her children don’t appreciate her at all.
I didn’t really care and continued my way to meet my friends. When I met them, we settled down and start to study. At a moment when we are talking to distress ourselves, my brother called me. He was crying. He mentioned that my parents are both quarrelling, and told me to go home straight away. I didn’t know what to do, so I stayed with my friends, deciding not to care. However, few minutes later, my brother called me again to tell me that my mother was being beated by my father. I was scared and broke into tears immediately. I now understand how much my mother has gone through. The almost-broken family with no love that she needs, the stress in her work, the pressure the family gives financially, and the supports she need to stay strong when facing all her problems.
I hate myself for not loving her. That day, I find her my hero. Although she did not save the world like Superman, build Singapore like Lee Kwan Yew, she loves this family. Using her love for the family to keep the family together, not letting it break up, she faces the problems silently and bravely. I wish, I have the guts to say “Thank you mummy, I love you”, but I dared not. Her sacrifices may seem useless to her before, but I will never let her feel this way again. She is really my hero.
Elaine Chua