Your mother’s work started long before you were even aware of it. She spent nine months carrying you with her with every step she took, while you were just a thumb-sized group of cells all through your growth into a fully-fledged human ready to be born.
Naturally, this wasn’t easy. You pummeled her from the inside and kept her awake at night as you grew. She dealt with the same things once you arrived, your tantrums and your demands. Whether it was wanting dessert before dinner or the newest toy all your friends from school had gotten their hands on.
Even in your worst moments, she never let you go hungry. She kept you warm through the cold nights, and refreshed when the weather outside grew humid and heavy. She told and retold your favourite stories, picked you up after every scrape and tumble, and made sure you had the confidence to try all over again.
You were always on her mind and she showed it by surprising you with your favourite ice cream or by calling you every day when you headed out to university.
Your mother is probably embedded in every memory you have growing up. Maybe you see her in every colourful school lunch you see packed with your favourites, cleanly folded laundry, or maybe you feel her influence when you share your ideas and make big life decisions.
Your biggest support, your toughest defender, and your right-hand woman whether you were taking on that school assignment you forgot until the night before, the bully who ruined your lunch breaks or the dreams you’re not sure you can achieve.
Consciously or unconsciously, you appreciate all she does, but you do tend to take her for granted. Especially when the teen years set in. Through it all, the teen angst, the rebellion, and the young adult quest for independence, she was there. Lecturing you on curfews, incessantly questioning your eating habits, or packing you a care package at a moment’s notice to get you through exam seasons.
Even as you grow taller and worldlier, your mother’s still there to pick you up. Smiling proudly at your graduation, cheering you on when you get your dream job, and comforting you and encouraging you when things don’t quite go according to plan.
Friends and opportunities come and go, but she is your rock.
You can never come close to repaying her. It’s an impossible feat. This Mother’s Day isn’t about repaying her, though—it’s about telling her you appreciate it all. Every moment and memory with her is worth its weight in gold and there’s no better way to show it than with the gift of gold.
