My mother

I decided to write about my mother today because I was talking about her a couple of days ago during lunch.

My mother is a very unique character. When I was young, I felt that my mother favoured my brother over me. She would do everything for him. I didn't envy that though. Because my mother is what a lot of people call a control freak. She likes us to do things her way and would sulk when we don't, sometimes anyway.

She would call us very regularly when we are out to check on us and find out what time we were coming home. Even today, she would call me almost everyday to check on me. Now, I'm not a chatty person over the phone. Not with my mother anyway. So I used to and still show my impatience when she calls me. I know it's not a good thing but I cannot help it. My husband will chit chat with his mother over the phone almost everyday. I don't. When it comes to my mother, sometimes I feel like I'm being interrogated when I'm on the phone with her. Sometimes. She would ask whether I ate, what I ate, where I went, etc.

My mother was also very stern during my younger days. She never had much of a smile, I seldom saw her laugh and she was the disciplinarian at home. My friends were terrified of her. There was once my mother came to my school for a concert and one of my friends came over to inform me, with much cheer, that my mother was smiling! It was a rare sight for them.

BUT...like everything else that always come with a big BUT....I have gotten used to her and after I became a mother, I realize how difficult it is to be one. My mother had it tough, she was a stay home mother and had to take care of the family, all the household chores and cook for us.....all without domestic help. I did it a couple of times for a couple of weeks each and after that, I feel that my mother must have been a superwoman.

She grew up in a tough environment. She was sold when she was a baby or a toddler. She grew up in a big family and was the eldest of the children. There were 6 of them including her. She had to do the laundry for the whole family and household chores. Being the eldest and adopted, she was not pampered. I strongly believe that this contributed to her bitterness. She only broke free when she married my father.

My mother's controlling nature is the only way she knows how to show her love for us. She puts her heart into everything she does, in the way shes knows how. She knows that she wants to make things easy for us by doing all the housework, letting us laze around and watch television programmes while she labours away in the kitchen. Even till today, my mother takes care of more things than she should for me. She buys groceries for my family, she buys us breakfast every time she comes over on the weekend, she buys whatever she can for my kids.

She has mellowed over the years and is smiling a lot more. She is enjoying her life as some people call it. My father's hard work has improved their lives very much and she is able to do what she likes to do most of the time. I'm glad because I know she deserves it.

I only hope that I can love my kids as much as my mother loves me.