This story was shared by Kalimullah Hassan, one of those on my list of favourite authors . Having believed it encapsulated the gist of a mother's extraordinary love for her child, it was published in The New Sunday Times of April 27th., 2008 ( A Homecoming Delayed, pg. 21 )
Sunset, Straits of Melaka. April 2007.
A Mother's Love
A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper, and handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on.
After his mom dried her hands on an apron, she read it, and this is what it said :
For cutting the grass : RM 5.00
For cleaning up my room this week : RM 1.00
For going to the store for you : RM 0.50
Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping : RM 0.50
Taking out the garbage : RM 1.00
For getting a good report card : RM 5.00
For cleaning up the yard : RM 2.00
Total owed : RM 15.00
Well, his mother looked at him standing there, and the boy knew that memories were flashing through her mind. She picked up the pen, turned over the paper he'd written on, and wrote :
For the nine months I carried you while you were growing inside me : No charge
For all the nights that I've sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you : No charge
For all the trying times, and all the tears you've caused through the years : No charge
For all the nights that were filled with dread, and for the worries I knew were ahead : No charge
For the toys, food, clothes, and even wiping your nose : No charge
Son, when you add it up, the cost of my love is : No charge
When the boy finished reading what his mother has written, there were tears in his eyes, and he said, " Mum, I sure do love you. "
And then he took the pen and wrote in great big letters : " Paid in full ".
The lesson , I suppose, is that you will never know how much your mother means to you till you become one. You will never know how much your parents love you until you become a parent youself.
To my mother and mother in law, thank you for all your acts of kind gestures, for being listening ears and shoulders to lean on. For the pillar of strength you possess, for being an examplary figure, for babysitting my children, for preparing my favourite food, for doting your grandchildren, for caring for me during my post-natal confinement periods, for the fine organic vegetables you planted and etc. etc. etc. This endless list commands my utmost gratitude.
Happy Mothers' Day!
