Mum… That single, small yet absolutely beautiful word
brings to mind a massively mixed plethora of emotions, descriptions, images,
memories and more. I think that most people would be at a loss for words when
asked to describe their mothers and just how they feel about these lovely
ladies in question. I know I am too – most often than not I get choked up and emotional
in such a situation only because, just like everyone else, my mother means so
many wonderful, different things to me. Add an additional two mothers to the
list and you can only imagine how tough my life is when it comes to explaining
them, who they are and how much they mean to me…
So let’s begin with the First Lady in my life – my
mum, Wina. Growing up, I didn’t realise just how tough she had it. But when she
talks about it now, I get a sense of her pain and often wonder how she pulled
through it all – from having to deal with super stressful situations and some
really unpleasant people to having to be both the mother and father for my
siblings and me whilst our dad was away for months on end on board the ship and
having to be the bad cop more often than she would have liked. Yet, she always
found that source of strength that only mothers are capable of finding and
endured it all. Whilst setting up our house and turning it into a home almost
single handedly, she managed to pack tiffin boxes, cook scrumptious meals, see
us off to school, welcome us when we came home, comfort us when we had scraped
knees and bruised egos, pour over our homework and towers of books, share a
laugh, a song or a dance and love, support and encourage us every single day. Till
today, she continues to provide, protect and push us and we are all the better
for it. And for the record, she is and always will be my numero uno, my rock of
Gibraltar, my very own Wonder Woman and my everything.
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Then there’s my second mum – A Betty; mother to my
oldest friend Aneesh and best friend to my mum. Although we started off as
simple next door neighbours, an instant bond was formed and has lasted us all
these years, continuing to rage strong as we speak. I still remember how if
either Aneesh or I couldn’t be found in our respective homes, everyone just
knew we were at the others. Over the years though, she has morphed into my
advice specialist, therapist, friend and confidante.
Lastly there is my most recent, adoptive mother,
Daphne, who is the mother of my best friend Rachael. Having been introduced by
common friends, we found an immediate connection and, although it was unspoken,
the unwritten adoption of mother and daughter was instantaneous and mutual.
Though I don’t see her as often as I’d like, when we do meet, there’s always a
lot of love, laughs and respect.
They say that nobody is
perfect and so it’s tough to find the ‘perfect’ person. Maybe that’s why I’ve
lucked out and been blessed with three mums. They each bring something unique
and different to my world and fill in the gaps of what I may have otherwise
found lacking in my life. But, as dissimilar as they are, they also share a
whole lot in common. They love me for me, have my best interests at heart and
always have a never ending source of love, patience, kindness, support and
encouragement where I’m concerned. They are my role models, my moral police, my
conscience, my fans and my friends. And all I have to say to them is two
things: thank you and I love you.
