 RUMA RAJBHANDARI |
It was already 5:30 and I had to head home soon. But I still had not made up my mind about the gift. I knew my children would be eagerly waiting for me to tell stories from school or ask me what I would be making for dinner. I wandered from shop to shop in search of the "perfect" present, something as special as my mother.
I returned empty handed. There was nothing in the shops that would repay my creator, my mother, for that special gift called life she gave me. Nothing in the world would be an adequate Mother's Day present.
At home my daughters were busy making secret plans with their Dad. "They are much smarter than me," I thought and smiled to myself. But this made me more anxious. I had only a few hours left to think of a creative present for my own mother.
That night, as I read bed-time stories to my daughters, memories of my own childhood came back. I pictured myself as a little child running around with my mother trying to catch up with me. She was always there for me, holding my hands when I fell, taking me into her arms when I was scared and wiping my tears with her chunni.
She was always giving, and never expected any gratitude. She wanted me to be happy and enjoy life. From carrying me to my first day of kindergarten to holding my hand during graduation, Ma never failed to give me her best. From the day she nurtured me in her womb till the day I became a mother myself, she has been my hero.
I could spend a fortune buying her a present for tomorrow. I could celebrate mother's day every day of the year. Yet none of these gestures would be enough to show how much I cherish her and how much she has inspired me and given me her blessings.
As I watched my children go to sleep happily that night, I finally found the perfect present. I decided to simply say "Thank you, Ma." I will thank her for her patience and understanding, for trusting me and always pushing me to achieve my full potential. I will tell her she means the world to me and my love for her will only grow stronger every day.
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Eliza Sthapit is a passionate environmentalist and a mother of two daughters.
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