Mothers are superhumans. They are everything to everyone around them, seamlessly morphing from sports cheerleader to homework tutor to psychologist to fashion designer. And that’s just before breakfast. After that, they find the time to be wife, friend, daughter, sister, professional and somehow even just themselves.
My mother in particular was that and so much more while I was growing up. Now that I’m an adult (whatever that means), the titles have changed but she holds just as many positions.
The thing about being a kid is that you never pause to realise how awesome your mother is, and you never even dream to think of the possibility that not all mothers are good mothers. As I grew older and got to know different people from different family setups, it slowly dawned on me that there are some people whose mothers aren’t good to them. And I started to appreciate more and more just how blessed I am to have the one I’ve got.
She took me to horse riding lessons every week and waited around for hours, simply because it was something I loved with my whole heart. She studied high school mathematics on her own time when it became evident that it wasn’t my strong suit (understatement there), and with endless patience sat with me weekend after weekend to explain the alien world of trigonometry to me.
She was as excited as I was when it became time for my matric farewell, spending her own hard-earned money to buy me the dress of my dreams – that I would only ever wear once.
She is the most selfless and caring person I know. Even though now we live over 1,000km apart, she is still the one I call when I’ve had a bad day. Or a good one. We have lived even further apart before, but that didn’t stop her from getting on a plane (she is deathly afraid of flying) and dragging my dad halfway across the world to visit my sister and me in Asia.
People who see us often tell us we look alike. “You’re the spitting image of your mother,” they’d say. I can’t imagine a bigger compliment.
Home is where the heart is? Nope. Home is where your mom is.
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