A Valentine's Day Tribute To The One Who Means The World To Me

        Contrary to what many youngsters think, Valentine's Day is not solely dedicated to the partner or spouse we love. It is a time to pay tribute to people who are dear to us, and to tell them how much they mean to us.
        She is the one who has stood steadfast beside me all these years. Her loyalty to me has never wavered. Even at times when others doubted, she never questioned. When I was teased or bullied, she rallied to my rescue. And even now when I can stand up for myself, she is still my pillar of strength, in whom I can lean on to take a breather when times are trying.
        She is the one who held my hands and steadied me as I took my first steps. She taught me my first words, and went on to read with me the Ladybird series. She tirelessly taught me arithmetic, assigned worksheets for me to work on and revised other schoolwork with me throughout primary schooldays. In my secondary school years, she sat with me in the nights as I did my homework or revision. Even as her eyelids grew heavy, she valiantly tried to stay awake for fear of tempting me to doze off as well.
        She is the one who devotedly nursed me back to health every time I was ill. I can clearly remember the times she played card games to cheer up a moody sick child. And the time she bought me a doll and waved it in front of me as I woke up groggily from a fever-induced slumber. During the agonizing chicken pox days, she was a rock. She soothed the itches and tolerated my screams when she washed my hair and burst some blisters on my scalp. And when it was all over, she drove me out to paint the town red after the imposed confinement. Even though I am now an adult who is capable of looking after herself, she still frets and fusses whenever I fall sick.
        She is the one I turn to for A to Z. She knows my deepest desires and innermost secrets. We share everything under the sun. We instinctively know what the other is thinking and we often finish each other's sentences. I know it may sound a little uncanny but we can sometimes even feel what the other party is undergoing. We are very much a part of each other. On days when I do not see her, I do not feel 100% alive. At times when I feel a little under the weather, the sight of her and time spent with her can be a more effective cure than Panadol and Piriton put together.
        So Mummy dearest, this tribute is for you. You are the one who means the world to me. I love you  for always believing in me, for always encouraging me to believe in myself, for giving me a solid foundation, for incessantly being there for me. Thank you so much for being my Mama. Happy Valentine's Day to my beautiful mother!