What My Single Mother Taught Me

After my father’s passing, my mum single-handedly brought me up for ten years before she re-married. She became the sole breadwinner and the disciplinarian all at once. There wasn’t a day that went by that I wasn’t on top of her priority list. I am the person I am today as a result of her love, support and prayers.

Despite having lost the love of her life, she never gave up.

I watched how she handled difficult situations on her own without any complaints. Witnessing how strong of a woman my mum is inevitably helped me braved through any obstacles that came my way. I’d always remind myself that I am as strong as the woman who raised me up. All of the challenges that I had to go through were not comparable to the things my mum had to put up with while raising me up on her own.

My mum taught me to be independent from a young age because that was the only option left for us. I learned that I could not solely depend on my mum or anyone else for everything. Being the only child and having only one parent forced me to come out of my comfort zone. I had to learn to do things on my own. There are so many uncertainties in life and my mum knew she had to equip me with all the knowledge I needed to survive.

I am blessed to have a mother who has always been supportive of me. She gave me space to discover my passion and still allows me to make as many mistakes as I possibly can. This taught me to be responsible for all the decisions that I’ve made. I do not get to blame anyone else if things did not go as planned.

My mum has imparted so many values in me but one that she’d always remind me from time to time is to never ever judge anyone. She’d explain how we don’t have the rights to do that as we could not possible comprehend their struggles. This actually allows me to thread the earth with more humility as I don’t feel that I’m better or much more superior to others.

I have never felt incomplete despite not having a father figure because my mum took on both roles to the best of her ability.

Her unconditional love gives me the strength to do the things that I do. No amount of money or gifts could repay all of the sacrifices that she has done for me. She might not be a perfect mother but she’s perfect to me.