Chasing Beauty

This gallery contains 1 photo.

People are fundamentally beautiful just the way they are. But with the introduction of make-up, we are brainwashed that we are not beautiful enough. Therefore, we spend so much time, money and energy in face painting. I always tease my … Continue reading →

Half and Half Makes Two

This gallery contains 3 photos.

Arithmetically, two halves make one. But when it comes to relationships, one has to be a whole person before uniting as one. This is a photo of a newly wed. This is a photo of a married couple renewing their … Continue reading →

If this is not love, then what is?

When it comes to perfect love, I can only think of my Mother.  

Mother has so much love to share.  The story of Mother’s love is no different from others but in my mind, of course, is the best. 

Everybody calls her Mother: her siblings, my family and our friends. 

What kind of love did Mother shared?  These are collective stories shared by one generation to another generation. 

Mother gave up her own education in order to take care of her younger brother.  She reached Grade 4.  Why on earth would a young mind give up her future for a younger brother?  Don’t they have anybody to take care of my Uncle?  The family is rich, for one.  They can afford to hire a nursemaid.  But that is beside the point.  Mother took care of her brother. 

Mother married a soldier.  They had four children and their father died at a young age, cancer of the lungs.  Widowed young with four children.  Who would marry her now?  Who would take care of the children?  During those days, fathers are the one who is a provider.  Enter my Father. 

It was a whirl wind romance.  Father married Mother and he adopted all four children.  Mother must have been an extra ordinary person for Father to fall in love head over hills with Mother. 

Investigating how my parents met, I’ve asked my Uncles.  They didn’t even know that Mother married again.  No wedding pictures to show off.  

Father is a beautiful man, a woman’s man.  He must have been a good provider to my Mother because he was a Civil Engineer.  He travelled to remote places to build roads and bridges.  Being away from home, there must have been so much activity in the bedroom because they procreate 9 times.  In total, there are 13 of us including my half-brother and three half-sisters. 

On top of that, I heard there are other siblings outside the marriage.  Mother went through extremes of getting to know this family.  She helped them.  Why on earth would Mother do such a thing when Father was philandering outside the marriage? 

Then Father died.  We are left with Mother’s love. 

The love of Mother does not end there. 

When there are children born out of wed lock in our family, Mother will search for them and bring the children to the family.  I heard that Mother bought (yes, paid for) one child from the mother in order to bring up the child properly. 

The house we lived was only a two bedroom apartment.  People come and go.  My siblings’ friends call her Mama Chuchi.  It was full of life and love even though we were poor. 

Mother helped young women  by teaching them how to sew.  Mother paid for their work even though they lived in our tiny apartment and received free board and lodging.  It was a symbiotic relationship.  One remained with us until to this date.  We managed to take her to Canada and she is my 14^th sibling.  She and I grew up together. 

I don’t recall hearing Mother say to me: “I love you, Lady”.  No. 

Words are not important for Mother.  She laid her life not just for me but for everyone.  Mother’s love is based on her faith. 

If this is not love, then what is? 

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

 

Related link: Weekly Writing Challenge:  Love in the 21st Century