a different kind of mothers' day

this year, my mum is not going to be around for mothers' day.

she has resigned from her job and gone to a foreign land for a well-deserved break! for the past 15 years, she has single-handedly raised us up from a mediocre primary school to our privileged secondary schools and junior college, and on to university. now that we've successfully transited into adulthood and the workforce, i think it's time for her to take the backseat and let us take over the wheel.

my mum often complains that we don't know how she feels, or how difficult it is to be a single mother. sometimes, she would lose her temper out of the blue, or shout at us in frustration. i know it's tough, but i didn't know how tough it is - until yesterday.

last night, after one full day of work and two hours of intensive yoga, i reached home at 11.38pm with an aching body and a tired mind.

i dumped all my things on the couch, unpacked my gym clothes, and walked to the bathroom, only to see a load of dirty smelly laundry waiting for me. i thought, okay let me wash the clothes now. but i looked up to the kitchen ceiling and saw multiple rows of clothes hanging on the bamboo poles, waiting for somebody to keep. so i thought, okay let me keep the clothes first. i took down all the clothes, separated them into those that requires ironing and those which did not. i folded those that didn't require ironing, and placed them back to their respective wardrobe. by then, i was already perspiring despite having bathed at the gym before i came home. i was sticky with sweat, and i still have not washed the dirty laundry, nor ironed my clothes.

that was when i realised how difficult it is to juggle between work and domestic chores. that was when i understood why my mum would sometimes flare up when she returns home from work upon seeing an unkempt house. that was when i truly appreciate the presence of my mum, and all the labour that she has put in over the years.

now that i have a taste of how it feels like, i want to pen down these feelings and thoughts. because one day, my mum will grow old, and she may become ill, weak, or dependent. i may have to take care of her, and do many things for her. but i hope whatever i do for her in the future, i would never forget this day when i experienced the frustration that she's felt for the past 15 years, and remember that she did it all for the love of the family.