The United Kingdom celebrates Mothering Sunday today. It’s my first year celebrating it again in March after 7 years away. For most of my motherhood, it’s always been celebrated in May.
If I’m honest, I’m not really big on celebrating this day. I believe children should already be celebrating their mums as and when possible and not wait for a special day. Why wait for this one Sunday to buy her a beautiful bouquet of flowers? Why wait for this day to take her out to a fancy restaurant and buy her a nice gift?
Since my children are pretty young, it’s always been up to my husband (and school too!) to remind them of this day. It’s always been breakfast in bed followed by a small gift for me. But this year it’s a little different.
While having lunch yesterday, I felt serious pains in my intestinal tracts. My tummy felt so bloated and I suddenly felt nauseated. I thought I had sudden food poisoning from some Chinese fungus I had added to my Korean soup. Throughout the day, I had to be near the toilet. I still went out to the garden centre with the husband to get beautiful flowers and plants to celebrate the coming of spring. I could barely walk and was constantly buckled over in pain. I told the other half, I have to cancel my plan to make smoked duck for pre-Mothers Day dinner. So it was take-away Indian dinner for everyone. Meanwhile this mummy sat on the sofa crinkled up like a dried prawn and feeling awful that she couldn’t sit with her family for a proper meal.
Husband gave me an anti spasmodic tablet to help with the pain and told me to go to bed. I knew I had to sleep so I could get energy for today. Unfortunately, this infection didn’t allow me much sleep. By 9am, when I was still running to the toilet, husband insisted I cancelled my plans and stay home.
But I knew my heart won’t allow me. I had to leave. Told the kids to get dressed and to follow me to ‘work’. My number two, 8 yrs old Amelia, asked me why she had to come. I told her, “Amelia, most of these ladies that I work with are mothers themselves. They all have children all over the world yet they leave them behind so these kids can go to school. They come to places like London, Singapore and Malaysia to look after children like you. Away from their own kids. Some suffer so much hardships to earn this small amount. Don’t you think we should be celebrating their efforts?”
Amelia cast her eyes down and quietly told me “Mummy, then I’ll come with you. I’ll give every woman there a hug as if it’s their child hugging them.”
It made me so proud that Amelia, 4 yrs old Asger and 2 yr old Ayla joining in the class. Well even the husband too!! We went back to simple alphabets and studied phonics, pronunciation and grammar. We discussed briefly about the idiosyncrasies of the English language and even the local way of life.
As you can see, when class ended, the hugs and kisses Amelia was giving out was not unappreciated. I really hope she will understand more of what these women have been going through in due time.
I was very surprised to be given flowers and gifts by my ‘students’. I totally didn’t expect it. Especially because I have only been a volunteer with them for all of 3 weeks. Yet to be told I am the best tutor they’ve ever had and a friend to them is the most inspiring and humbling thing to hear.
Almost everyone in this photo have been abused physically and mentally by their past employers. They’ve come a long way to be a better person today and it’s still a long process to go before they regain their power again. I hope to be one of their life’s coaches to take them to a more empowered future.
We rushed home after class to my eldest daughter who decided to stay home so she could prepare a small surprise for me.
Turned out my 14 yr old has cleaned the house, made finger sandwiches- Salmon with chopped onions and cream cheese and Roast Beef with fresh horseradish from Denmark- and what was meant to be a 2 tiered Red Velvet cake.
So here I end my day. This hasn’t been my or others ‘traditional’ Mothering Sunday but I’m grateful anyway. Despite feeling ill, I’m still standing proud.
p.s I am volunteering with a small organisation called J4DWUK – Justice for Domestic Workers UK. They are mostly made up of women (with a few men) who have been brought into the UK by employers of various nationalities and were subsequently abused (many treated like slaves). They are basically demanding for the end of modern day slavery.