My Amma Dearest

It was Mother’s day few days ago and then it was my Mother’s birthday two days ago. Hence I wanted to take this moment to thank my Mother (Amma as I call her), for all the wonderful things that she has taught me in life, how she has influenced my life and how she transformed me to be the person that I am today.  Amma indeed is very dear and special to me and the words ‘dear’ and ‘special’ don’t even come close to describing what Amma means to me. Amma is loving and caring, soft yet so tough, she has an extra pair of hands that can multitask , she has an extra pair of eyes that can see what goes on in my life without me having to tell her anything. Above all, she has a very big heart that can love me unconditionally. 

I always like to remember my early childhood when I felt closest to Amma. In fact, those days it was as if Amma was the only person I knew as I insisted to be with her all the time.  She hugged me, she kissed me, she fed me, she washed me, she played peekaboo with me, she took me with her everywhere that she went, she snuggled up at bedtime to tell stories and she sang lullabies. Apart from the usual admonitions to respect the elders, to be honest, sincere and hardworking, caring and sharing,  Amma taught me an awful lot of other important things such as not to beat my brother, not to hide behind the curtains and giggle when guests came home,  not to put puppies in laundry baskets, not to ring neighbour’s doorbell and then hide!  She also taught me basic manners such as not to lick chocolate wrappers, not to yell in public. 

As I grew bit older, Amma was still my best friend. She danced with me when I was happy. She comforted me when I was sad. When I scraped my knee, she comforted me with a gentle stroke and kiss. While I cooked my doll’s dinner, she dressed my doll, sometimes she painted with me, at other times she played board games with me, she listened to my nonstop chatters, she baked cakes for me and my friends. Amma encouraged me to have fun, try new things and do whatever that I loved to do. At the same time, she taught me the significance of education and value of knowledge. She helped me in my school assignments and projects.  I have to credit Amma for teaching me to embrace positive outlook for life and people.

As I entered my teens, though Amma was still my best friend, Amma and I started passing through alternate cycles of getting along and conflicting with each other. This was mainly because I wanted to forge my own path and step into future while Amma was constantly trying to find a balance between holding on and letting go. Holding on because I was still her little baby and she knew life is not always a bed of roses. Letting go because Amma knew I was capable and confident enough to face the world. Amma handled this phase amazingly well because at the base of all these mutuality and disagreements was her truest and deepest love for me.  During those times, Amma taught me the value of strength and endurance, the significance of love, trust and meaning of family and most importantly, she taught me to believe in myself. 

Then one day it was time for me to leave Amma’s nest. It sure did hurt her to see me go but she was very composed.   These days we are miles apart and we get to see each other once a year for few days, but Amma is always there for me. She is my pillar of strength and the glue that holds our family together. She has been and will always be my friend, confidant and inspiration. Amma is truly amazing and unbelievably perfect!

I am writing a Tribute to Mom in association with Parentous.com‘