Happy Mother's Day!!

Anybody who know my eldest daughter knows one definite thing - the kitchen is not her friend! I've been trying very hard to introduce and impart to her some cooking skills. Many a time, I've encouraged her and wooed her into my kitchen only to have her 'disappear' when I get a little busy.

Don't get me wrong, she's can cook, just like her 'momma' (me) we both can fry a mean egg and Instant mee is our favourite (it never ever goes wrong)! She's an amazing decorator though! She's creative and once her creative juices start oozing there's only a surprise awaiting.

I got home at mid day on Saturday and I found her busy in the kitchen. According to her, she was baking a pie. Hmmmm...she must have been very hungry or very ambitious. I saw a pot of 'something' boiling over the stove, and cutting boards with potatoes etc all over. I couldn't connect all of it because I was too tired from my morning at the market and a 3 hour formation that I had to attend that same day.

Imagining the disaster ahead and the mess that was expected, I turned around and announced that I was going upstairs to sleep. When I woke up two hours later, #1 declared that she'd baked a pie and told me to take a look at it. Fine I thought. This was what I saw!



Wow! I realized that she had made me a pie for Mother's day! It really didn't matter if she'd used ready made puff pastry or Campbell soup to flavour the chicken and potatoes for the filling. What mattered was she actually went through the trouble to do something she had no passion for.

I was touched, moved and utterly speechless at the sight of it. Seriously, I wasn't expecting what was being laid before me. Immediately, I could see the effort and love she had put into making this pie. I know her well and with her limited cooking skills, this would have been a 'do or die project'.

In the night, just before I went up to bed, she presented this to me.


I was stunned! She painted this for me. Notice the little embellishments of the dragon flies and the word "MOMMY". #1 has never painted anything more than her nails, let alone this beautiful masterpiece she'd presented me last night. (Don't get confused with the time factor here because I'm continuing my post today, Sunday, because it was too late to it finish last night)

I was awed and we got into a conversation on how she was inspired on an impulse visit to a stationery shop in Bangsar. One thing led to another and 'Picasso" evolved. She bought a plain canvas, a tray of acrylic paint (I haven't seen it yet), some brushes, the "Mommy" words and transformed them using the creative and vibrant skills she'd acquired from our crafting adventures over the years into this beautiful piece of expression. (See Dad! All our scrap booking, cupcakes icing, patchwork pieces and jewelery making hours had not gone to waste!)

I am humbled by her unassuming and sometimes lack sidale attitude. Today, I've learnt that I need to put aside my prejudice and my expectation of the people I love. Only in this way can I really cherish and experience the love and unconditional efforts in the big or small ways in which they do what they do for the love of us. If you're reading this sweetheart, thank you, I love you and most of all thank you for teaching me life's lesson in your actions.

With this, I wish all Mothers a very "HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!"