The Star of my Darkest Night - Special Mother's Day Tribute

I could clearly remember it was a long night. Studying into the wee hours of the morning while my brother and dad were clearly sleeping from the snores that both of them made. Alone under the table lamp with only biology books as companions, I was in a rush against time.

And I heard my parent's room door open. My mom walked out. Hair ruffled, it was evident that she was already asleep and just woke up probably a couple of minutes ago. She walked to my room door, peered inside and walked in.

"Still studying?" I nodded and mumbled some crap.

"Don't stay up too late ok?" she said as she pat my back. "Love you Joash."

I couldn't have been any more appreciative than for what she had done that night. As she walked out of my room, hearing her fading footsteps and hearing her room door close again, I just couldn't thank God for giving me a better mom than her.

For the last 19 years of my life, a life full of laughter and tears, she has been the one that has seen me through it all. The joy of victories and the pain of defeats, the laughter of happiness and the tears of sorrow, the pressures and stress from school and work, she was always there for me. At the times I needed someone to talk to, she was there, with her shoulder ready when the tears come, and advices in the heart when the problems spill.

A mother, after all, is a star in the sky. Lighting up the night when the sun fails to shine, giving me a direction and a pointer when I'm lost. The star in the sky, is a promise from God of His grace and mercy and love. The star in the darkest night, is an angel from God himself.

When the world taught me how to fight, she taught me how to love.
When the world taught me about sciences, she taught me about life.
When the world taught me about education, she taught me about learning.
When the world taught me how to laugh, she taught me how to smile.

A lady that could have walked with pride and yet chooses the other, she has swallowed many bitter pills of agony over me and my brother. The times I come home after creating trouble in school, having her to go to school to listen to a bunch of nagging teachers that complain about me from A to Z. Despite holding the cane in her hands after every meet with the teacher, deep inside her eyes I could see the pain that she conceals deep in the secret box locked in every mother's heart.

That box, I told myself, must never be opened again. On the day I saw my mom cried, that was the day I told myself, enough is enough. No more tears.

I never believed in celebrating Mother's Day. For what my mother has done, she deserves more than just 24 hours of showing her how special or how much I appreciate her. Instead, I chose to give my mother every single day of my life, dedicating it to being a good son in the best way possible. Making sure that I no longer bring tears to my mother but instead putting a smile on her face - my mom doesn't laugh out loud, she's rather conservative apparantly - I did all things possible to be that good son in my own way.

And I realise, that to her, all that a good son means is not the strings of A's in an exam, but it is the home coming and the love that can be shared with each other that makes every single moment spent together, worth it.

A Mother's Day is the day where a son comes home from afar and says "I missed you mom!". A mother's day is the day where a child comes home from school with a red report card, tears in the eyes, remorsefully says "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to let you down." A mother's day is the day where a kid picks up the broom and sweeps the floor, after doing that telling the mom "Now I know how hard it is to be you!". A mother's day is the day where the daughter comes home from school, places the trophy of a hard-earned victory in the hands of her mom, and tells her, "Mom, this, I did it because of you." A mother's day is a day where her children come home, sweaty and stinky, dirty and unkempt, gobbles up her food she prepared over the whole evening, and exclaims "That sure made a difference for this day!"

After all, God no longer needs to provide His children on earth any better gifts. The second greatest gift He gave to all of us, after His only son, is the very special star of heaven that glittered in the skies so brightly, plucked it from its course and brought it down to earth to be our mother. I realised that my mom never had to go through all that she went through for me, but still she did it. If I were to ask her whether she'd do the same for me again, she would never hesitate.

That makes all the difference between a lady, and a mother. That is the difference between the sun in the day and the star in the night. All the difference, is clear.

Happy Mother's Day anyway.