Everyone has a hero. Can you guess who my hero is? He is not Superman or Batman but is someone very close to my heart. My hero is my mother.
My mother could have a wonderful career but she chose to give it all up because she wanted to be around for me and be my full time caregiver. She wanted the best for me.
I loved listening to stories about myself when I was little. Very often, my mother would tell me such stories and I would get so tickled and amused. We often laughed about them but it makes me wonder how she managed to survive that period, handling a slimy worm! That’s me!
She told me that I was a super active baby. I needed very little sleep in the day. She would rock me in the cradle for two hours just to make me sleep. And I would wake up after twenty minutes. I also had little sleep at night, waking up as many as ten times a night. Imagine not getting enough sleep at night! It must have been tough.
Meal time was very challenging too. I drank very little milk and would get easily distracted and refuse to drink. Feeding me porridge took more than an hour and very often, I would throw up shortly after the meal. She even had stiff neck from feeding me! It must be very frustrating; thankfully, she was very patient with me.
My mother started reading story books to me when I was one year old. I would demand that she read the same story over and over again. And to her surprise, one day I just picked up a book and read it on my own! Thanks to her, I have developed good reading habits.
My mother was the one who enrolled me for swimming lessons. I received a Gold Award for swimming when I was only nine years old. This is a skill that I have acquired and it will be with me for the rest of my life be it for leisure, keeping fit or for survival. She also taught me to cycle, rollerblade, play badminton and basketball.
When I was Primary three, I was asked to choose a co-curricular activity. I wanted to choose ‘soccer’ but my mother insisted that I choose ‘Scouts’ instead. She explained to me the benefits of being a Scout and I am grateful for her firm decision. Right now, I am promoted to a Senior Sixer and enjoying every moment of being a Scout.
She is also very committed in helping me excel in my studies. Each day, she would set aside some time to teach and guide me. When I do badly for my tests or examinations, she would encourage and motivate me to do better the next time. Sometimes it does not work and she would resort to scolding me. Now that I am older, I understand that even the scolding is meant to ‘wake me up’.
Sadly, I developed negative feelings towards school when I was in Primary Four. My results plunged during the mid-year examinations. She was pretty upset and disappointed. Other than lecturing me, she gave me a book to motivate me. It helped and inspired me. The book was written by our late president, Mr Wee Kim Wee. In it, was the story of his extraordinary and fulfilling life. The key forces that shaped and motivated a poor kampong boy to become the President of Singapore are impressive to me.
My mother is my best friend. We talk about everything under the sun. She is my doctor and nurse who takes care of me when I fall sick. My cook who ensures that I eat healthy meals. My dentist who checks my teeth regularly. My counselor and advisor whom I share my problems with. The list goes on. I really love and respect my mother and that makes her my hero.
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