To mom, with love

My brother once joked that even if Mom planted something upside down, it would still grow. We used to laugh about it, but it is true that my mother’s love for plants and flowers is enormous, that it seems magical to see anything and everything grow at the touch of her hands. If we couldn’t find it anywhere else, we always knew where to get it. She would be in the kitchen garden, lovingly tending the vegetable plants or totally absorbed in the many flower pots at home.

Sometimes, one of my brothers said, he loves his garden more than us. That, of course, is not true because we also know deep down that his love for plants is just one of many manifestations of his love for us. She has always led an exemplary life, even if that means that we, her children, still lack the rich values ​​that she taught us through her simple ways.

But, thanks to her, we have learned a lot and we are what we are today. I am glad that you have always insisted that we never waste the grains of rice that are served on our plate. She has taught us the judicious use of everything we have in our hands: money, clothes, materials, almost anything. It’s like she always finds a purpose for something we’ve stopped using.

When I was younger, it didn’t seem like a miracle to see all the love Mom puts into every little detail of what she does. Now, I actually see and marvel at her strength, her passion and resilience, her patience, her unconditional love that surpasses everything else that is ugly.

I never knew my home would feel completely empty if she wasn’t around for a single day. Running out of ideas on what to cook for just one meal and then wondering how he manages to make every meal so sumptuous for the rest of the 300-odd days of the year. It is as if all the fresh vegetables, meat and other spices follow her and leave us, as she leaves the station.

With mom, nothing seems impossible. The fact that she is the daughter of a carpenter is even more convincing when she uses a carpenter’s tools. Yes, she has been instrumental…in fact, she has been the driving force in not only building the house we live in today, but making it a home as well. It was his idea to choose a site on the outskirts about 30 years ago when my parents moved to Kohima. Who knew then that the residential peace we have around our place would be so invaluable today?

I believe that his love for us, which has been translated in various ways over the years, has borne fruit today. He has endured the excruciating pain of working so hard so that we could all study. Yes, the seven siblings, who would otherwise be nowhere if she hadn’t taken extra care (as she does herself even today) to make us what we have become. She has allowed us and encouraged us to find what we wanted in life. And I think our little successes and triumphs are definitely the fruits of her labor because she has fought so hard for the comfort we have today.

When we were children, he made sure that we learned about and experienced working in the fields. I remember visiting my grandparents in the village especially during the summer holidays and joining them in all the activities, which to date, we are still familiar with throwing seeds, planting them on terraces, harvesting or taking rice home.

If there were such a thing as super moms, then she doesn’t come short of being one. The woman behind everything we learned and the skills we acquired, she was a school teacher and later a government employee, but she never forgot her roots that are rooted in culture and dignity. Yes, she had rice fields that she passionately cared for, even after we moved to Kohima, and she knitted most of the traditional outfits we have, just as she knitted all the sweaters for our school uniforms during our school days. As if that wasn’t enough to keep her busy and occupy her mind, she raised pigs and showed extreme care for our pets at home.

I thought I would have less to do after I retired from government service. But that hardly happened because he still finds 101 things to do. It surprises us because he has his hands full every day. The walk home after a long day or a long drive is always comforting because we know that she will be waiting at the end of the day. It’s just the feeling of her presence that makes home so warm and special, and no words can express the joy she feels to have such a mother.

I know for a fact that every mother is special for many reasons. The measure of a mother’s love always amazes me. I wonder how they do it, how they endure as much as if they actually find pleasure in it. Their patience amazes me, the patience with which they care for and raise a child. A single child, not to mention two or more… and how efficiently they perform their duties as mothers. Here’s to our amazing, amazing moms, who make a difference in our lives every day!