Happy birthday, mama!

You and your mama >20 years back

If you were still alive, you would have turned 60 years old today - like Popo in the picture.

I would have returned home to hug and kiss you.

Ben would have cracked his head trying to think of where we could go to get you your sashimi fix.

Sophie would have helped her Popo to blow out her birthday candles.

But alas, you aren't here with us anymore.

Anyway...

Today, on your birthday, I would like to celebrate the five ways you've put your stamp on your then-future, and thus, our present.

1. Your mothering methods (most of them), homeschooling approaches, and well-rounded nurturing of our gifts still inspire me.

2. You've raised me into a person who is passionate about learning, reading, and pursuing deeper understanding about things - particularly that of the human body, mind, and soul. You always said that I could learn whatever I set my heart to learn. You too were an avid reader and versatile learner.

3. I function best when I write down my schedules, vision, mission, goals, strategies, and plans - something you taught me to do back in high-school. "Write it down," you would say. "Seeing it on paper makes all the difference to your motivation. Without a vision, you perish." (Ok, maybe you didn't use the word 'perish', but I quote the Bible.) 

4. "Strong foundations matter." That was your modus operandi in life. It is now mine. "Whatever you build on top... if your foundations are shaky, it will all come tumbling down at some point, no matter how grand it looks. Math, science, English, music, etc, etc."

5. Kindness. You were always kind to others. Neighbours, relatives, our friends, school teachers, etc. You smiled at children, fed our playmates well, and blessed our teachers. As for those whom you didn't like, you still tried to be kind - by avoiding them as much as possible. Haha. I watched you, was inspired, and I would like to model kindness to Sophie too (although I am not very good at it).

6. Music. You invested in the best teachers that you could find, sat in my individual lessons, learned music yourself so that you could coach me at home, encouraged my active participation in the musical community, brought me for concerts and music festivals, instilled in me an appreciation for classical music, and was never bored of hearing me play. Of course, you were strict when it came to practising. I remember the rotan tapping on my music score in time to the beats. (How could I forget something so traumatising?) But you meant well - and I am glad that you made sure I had the strongest foundations in the art. :)

Thank you, mama. 

Still loving (and missing) you while you are gone.  

Yours truly,

Huey