The Star Online: Lifestyle: Parenting
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Parenting |
| Posted: A daughter remembers her mother's industriousness, wisdom and many talents. MY mother Tay Hup Neo is an exceptional woman who never fails to intrigue me in so many ways. Although she has reached the ripe old age of 76, she is still capable of doing things which many of us are hardly able to. My mother had six of us by the time she was 25 years old. She got married when she was 18 and after that she was on the family way, year in and year out. When we stood in a row, we resembled the staircase that led into our grandparents' house. It must have been very tough on her to care for her brood at such a young age, and having to raise all of us with no help from maids is unimaginable. She had to do all the household chores – laundry, ironing, cleaning, mopping, cooking, the list goes on – single-handedly. Washing machines, food processors, blenders and gas stoves were unheard of in those days and everything had to be done manually. It is no mean task having to start a fire using wood in the wee hours of the morning. One must know the technique, otherwise there would be no fire and you would only end up getting smoke in your eyes – definitely a different experience from Smoke Gets In Your Eyes sung by The Platters. Staying with an extended family was not much help, either. My late paternal grandmother was a strict matriarch who made sure that my mother did not slacken in her duties as an obedient and respectful daughter-in-law. My mother tolerated it all – silently, patiently and painstakingly – until we moved into our own home. My mother is very intelligent and talented. She is also an individual with great foresight. If only she had been given the opportunity to complete her education, she would have become a renowned individual. She had to quit school when she was 14 to look after her siblings and prepare meals for the whole family because her mother was often ill. Even with minimal education, she displayed the ability to plan and manage the household well. My dad used to give her a monthly sum for household expenditures, and she was able to keep to the budget and put food on the table for every meal. In fact, she was the "home minister" who ensured that all matters to do with the family went smoothly. Dad was the main breadwinner. As for talents, my mother is bestowed with many. She is able to play the piano just from hearing and her melodious voice never fails to enchant anyone within earshot. In fact, her voice might be mistaken for that of Julie Sudiro's. My mother plays the harmonica, too. The Charms Of Sukiyaki is one of her favourite pieces; each time she plays it, memories of my dad moving to the tune would flash across my mind's eye. Oh, they were a great pair ... I do miss him. My mother is also good with her hands. She can sew and embroider; all of her children and grandchildren have inherited outfits made by her. My daughters still wear their cotton pyjama pants even though they are knee-length now. They claim that the pants are so comfortable, they are not willing to part with them. Although they look quite ridiculous in them, I let them be so that they continue to appreciate their grandmother's love. The soft, comfortable feeling of the fabric on their skin would be akin to grandma's loving caress, so reassuring. My mother is the best chef when it comes to Peranakan cuisine. She is able to prepare an array of dishes and kuih just from memory – pong teh, ayam masak buah keluak, itek tim, rempah udang, kuih koci, kuih ku. Just name it and she has it at her finger tips. She does not own a recipe book as all her recipes are safely tucked away in her mind. When you see her prepare her dishes and kuih, you can tell that she is very passionate about cooking. All the ingredients are prepared from scratch and cooked to perfection, the manifestation of a true Peranakan. I regard her as the nyonya Peranakan yang terakhir (the last true nyonya Peranakan woman) as I have not met another who can match her acumen. My daughters, nephews and nieces are indeed a privileged lot because they get to taste the best when they visit their grandma during the weekends. There is no need to place bookings at any Nyonya restaurant for we have the best at home. What is even more wonderful is that her food never fails to bring six families together. My brother-in-law once said that if you cannot find anyone around the house, just go to the kitchen. My mother has made her kitchen the perfect place to be – there is always good food, hearty laughter, the latest updates and love overflowing. What more could one ask for? My mother is a person with a big heart who never fails to shower kindness, compassion and love on her sons, daughters, in-laws, grandchildren, great grandson, relatives, neighbours and friends. Because of what she is, God has blessed her with generally good health and vitality. May she remain healthy and happy always. Thank you, Ma, for being there for us. You have been our source of love and care, our harbinger of hope, our pillar of strength and support, and our fountain of happiness. We love you with all our hearts. As for me, I hope to be like you someday ... |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Family To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan