In memory of my mother

MOST of us take our mothers for granted, until they are gone. Then, we start to think of them in a very nice way. We tell ourselves we should have done this for her, and that for her.
For those of us whose mothers are no longer with us, such thoughts are merely unfulfilled intentions. I happen to be one of these people. But I do have fond memories of my mum.
I remember the times when I was a little boy when she used to pat my back rhythmically until I fell asleep. She usually did that when I am restless or sick or had nightmares. Most mothers would do that same. I remember those times.
There were times when I was already an adult when I actually felt the tapping of her hand on my back as I skirted the fringes of deep sleep. Apparently, the memories of long ago had lodged in my mind and resurfaced at appropriate times.
Most children because of their zero experience in life and innocence actually knew how much grief we gave our mothers with our long absences and mischevious ways.
My mother was no different. When she couldn't take it anymore, I would feel the cane. Now decades later, the stings from the cane had long receded into the recesses of the mind, there are only left the dear remembered face of the woman who rocked my cradle, but in my case it was the sarong and the coils of spring.
The days and nights which I recalled seeing my mother cleaning up the house and washing the dirty laundry with her bare hands have stayed with me. I took very much for granted all the chores which a mother did.
On looking back, I feel a very heavy touch from the hand of long forgotten memory that her daily labour through the decades was very much taken for granted. We never said "thank you". That's the way, children are. I was no exception.
The times she worried about my performance in school. The day I finished my A levels and didn't know what to do next. Her advice was to proceed a little further - all the way to university and told me not to worry about the finances.
For all that, I am grateful. I recall she dipping into her own savings to buy me a motorcycle because she heard that I had to walk to campus and take the varsity bus and hitched rides from colleagues.
And even after I had graduated and didn't have a job, she took out from her meagre savings just enough pocket money to see me through the months when I was job hunting in another State.
My mum passed away about nine years old. About eight years before her death, she suffered a massive stroke and became a semi-invalid. Overnight, she was a shadow of her old self. She could hardly recognised any of her children. She could no longer talk and could almost never walk on her own.
It was a trying time for us the children. At first, I wasn't used to seeing her in that condition. My mother was always one of the most robust and cantankerous women in the neighbourhood. Just seeing her like that broke my heart.
I got used to it and the years passed swiftly. Fortunately, my dad was in fairly good health and my youngest sister was around to take good care of her. For my sister, it became a tremendous strain after a while.
On her death bed, my mother knew her time was near. We called upon our family friend, a priest, to perform the last sacrement. Then she slipped away but not before she left a beautiful smile on her face.
When I saw that, I knew all was well. Finally, her physical discomfort and pains were all over. On the other end of the rainbow, God and his angels were waiting for her. It had been a long ride for her on earth.
Mother's Day is on May 8. My thoughts are about her and the years of joy mixed with years of sorrow that she experienced surged to the fore as my mind is covered with flashbacks of my early years when she was around.
She had done a lot for all of us. It had been good for us all round. I like to believe it had been one good journey for her as well - with five of us siblings as her children. I believe she is smiling at all of us from the other side. We haven't done too badly ourselves - thanks in a large part to her gentle and kind guiding hand.
I remember my mum fondly when Mother's Day arrives, as I shall have wonderful thoughts of her for the rest of my life.