Celebrating maternal figures around the world

She is not only my mother but also my heroine, my best friend and a sister like l have never had. In times of sorrow, she wipes my tears, in times of sickness she becomes my doctor, in times of giving up she becomes my motivator, and in times of hardships she becomes my baggage carrier.

The thing that I cannot forget was my mom's technique to manage my anger when I was little, around 5 years old. She would give me colour pencils and empty pages, and just install me in a calm corner, without even talking or discussing anything, and she could wait there doing her home tasks and all, for hours, till I went back to her and show her what I drew. That was something that many people cannot establish with a small one, and that’s what we call patience.

She became my first client on my freelance journey. I was changing careers and industries amidst the pandemic. She helped me believe in my art of writing and marketing and helped me to find my first gig with her company's social media. Following that, I have been able to work on many more clients nationally and internationally and have also been featured in many international magazines. Her help was the stepping stone for my journey in the world of Creative Marketing.

My best memory of my mother is one we recently made - we went on holiday together, just the two of us. We did it all - breakfast in bed, shopping, late-night chats, you name it. This was a first of its kind and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Being far away from home due to work and school has been hard for me, so now I look forward to this little tradition of ours, spending mother and daughter time.

I will never forget when I was very sick at a young age and my mama had to stay with me in the hospital all along. It reached a stage where she even cried and at that time I couldn't help her but what she did was to cover me up despite the coldness - that is something sentimental and will always remain with me.

I belong to a family that is quite literally made by my grandmother. She has been my role model and inspiration. She has shown me how a woman in her 20s with four children loses her husband untimely and still manages to create and sustain a little universe of her own. Had it not been her sacrifices and tireless efforts, I would not be here in the universe.

Growing up, my mom was always around - until she began to provide for my whole family by herself. She used to make nice birthday celebrations with marathons for all the kids to play, with perfect decorations and baking. When she started to work more, we were mostly okay with it. I used to sink in my writing and in books, other worlds always felt better than my own. But my mother was always there, and she still is. Maybe I didn't grow up to be the perfect daughter she definitely deserved, but I try my best every day to make her happy because I know how much she did for me and still does. I love our whole story.

I seriously tell her everything, and when I say everything, I really mean everything. All the hot gossip of who's dating who from elementary school up until college. My friends are also probably closer to her than I am LOL! My parents are very open up to the point that my friends would be helping her cook or clean when I come home. I think when 'respect' doesn't equal fear, but a simple silver lining where we have mutual respect for each other - not always the young respecting the elders only like in most Asian homes, the relationship with your mother becomes the best sisterhood you'll ever have.

I usually like to eat food prepared from outside, so she would package my food after cooking, take it out and [come back in] pretending as if she was just coming from the restaurant!