Mother's Day Present

After Dad’s passing, I tried to transfer to Mum the attention I used to focus on Dad. The outcome was like two living volcanoes which had a tendency to simultaneous explosion, for we were both hot-tempered. I would not hesitate much to answer her back when she made a minor remark. The situation turned worse when she brought up any accusations on Dad. Then I would become very defensive and responded to her with harsh arguments, after which I would pull a long papaya face until I said goodbye to her before driving back to Melaka. The bitterness remained until my next visit and manifested in our lack of interaction.

I think my behavior hurt Mum, but she simply tolerated her daughter's ill temper. Once after our conflict, she finally revealed her opinion on me,

“Aren’t you aware that you get easily worked up since small? And your sourness lasts long. I advise you to change your bad temper; otherwise you might encounter problems in your socialization.”

Her comment struck me.

When I renounced ancestor worship, was I not also telling the world that I still honored my father and my mother (Matthew 19:19)? Was it not more important to honour them when they were alive by obeying them “in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord” (Colossians 3:20), rather than saying all kinds of nice prayers before their gravestone?

Mum never verbally expressed her love to Dad or to children, but she actually showed it by taking care of our daily life, cooking our favorite food, looking after us when we were sick, even nagging at us out of concern! Had I returned as much love as she had given to me, if not more?

One Saturday morning, we went out early for a walk at the lake side. While chatting, Mum said to me,

“To be honest, after I had married your father, I was never deprived of anything, but love.”

That was a week before Mother's Day. The following day, while I was sitting in church and waiting for the service to start, an idea came into my mind. I knew what gift I was going to prepare for Mum.

On 11 May morning, I sent a short message to Mum through cell phone:
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Dear Mum, I’m sorry for not being able to celebrate Mother's Day with you today. Please forgive my disobedience and bad temper in the past. Mum, you aren’t deprived of love, for Jesus loves you, I love you too.”
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That was the best Mother Day’s present I had ever given to Mum.