My Mother

My mother is a saint.

I remember quite well when I was very little. Perhaps, 5 years old. She said to me always that a person should not worry about tomorrow. I didn't understand what she meant, but I sensed that several times she was worried about me. Was she inconsistent? That's what I thought, but I never dared to challenge her; not because she was my mother, but because I was afraid that I might make her more worried. I knew exactly when she was sad and when she was struggling with her turmoil. Again, I never asked.

One thing that I never forget her is that she is my problem solver. With her hands, she would wipe my tears and give me the wayouts. She made me the luckiest daughter in the world.She never agreed or disagreed to any decision I made, but.... she would let me energize myself in times of trouble. Then she would move from passive to active and make it ultimately resolved.

There were times when life was very harsh for her, yet, she remained strong, tough, smart, and still full of compassion. At the same level of difficulties women might not be able to cope as my mother did. No wonder, she dazzled everyone.

She never lost touch with what was real. She would never fly a plane in fog, where she did not know whether she was upright or not. So, she never shut out reality. She said that being afraid of facing it would make people lose their moral balance. For that, I would award her an honorary degree in life.

Once she said: "Choices are easier if you have principles". I was dumbfounded. "Your principles , the ones you work out for yourself", she continued. That was a bona fide advice., while I used to live in the world of "accepted practice." Personally, I grade her idea an A+

My mother always had a heartwarming story. It made me have a dream, a colossal dream that I wanted to work about it. Listening to it each day, I was addicted, especially to the message it conveyed. She really made a difference.

Even, at the end of her life, she still amazed people. She passed away, the same hour, the same day as the hour and the day she was born. A merciful release. Although for us who loved her it was the end of the world, life never ends, even with death. She lives on in us.