Mothers are their daughter's best friends

My queen celebrates her 56^th birthday tomorrow and I am so honoured to have her as my mother. The memories I have of this beautiful woman who seem to age so gracefully are too many to count. I have been through so much with her and have seen a mother who loves her children to a point that every choice she made, was made in thought of us (her children). I have come to realise that she is my best friend.

I can’t make up a lot of memories when I was still an infant, but my memories of realising that she’s my mother was because she was always around me. Lol! There’s no other way to put it but as a three year old, seeing this woman who seem to go everywhere with you and take care of you, kind of makes you recognise that this person is your mother. I remember the day offs from work she took to be with me at day care when it was my birthday. I would be the VIP for the day and she would have brought all my favourite goodies including cake with my name on it.

Many don’t know that mommy is the one who instilled the love for reading in me. I learned how to read at age four. She would order all the Disney kiddies books for me that were shipped (yes, shipped from overseas just for me) so I can improve my reading skills. At Primary school it was a given that I would be the chosen one to represent the school on Readathon days to go compete with other schools because I was a good reader. Starting a book club in 2009 really didn’t come as a shock as I was taught from a young age to invest in books.

The love I have for my mom is indescribable. I have been through hard times and the great times. It wasn’t long after she divorced my father, that she was sooner retrenched from the company she worked for as it was liquidated. That was a start of the hardest trying times… the start of poverty. None the less, I saw another side of her. The hard working spirit surfaced. I need to put this out there: Mommy HATES divorce! And so do I.

1995-1998 were the hardest times. Mama made ends meet, literally she stretched to make one end meet with the other. A chicken braai pack had to last us a month. Rice was luxury, we had it on Sundays only. Cabbage didn’t serve as a salad or a veggie (which that is its main function) but it served as meat for those many days when there was no meat. We would alternate and have breakfast for supper simply because there was not anything solid to prepare for supper. Bread with jam and butter was so delicious when prepared at night for supper. With things hard and mommy unemployed, she applied for a job every single day. She would write letters to companies applying for jobs. She never waited for a company to advertise a job vacant, she took the initiative to approach companies and apply for a job. Months later, she got a job.

Things were still rough but better compared to the early years. There’s certain type of foods that I avoid eating, simply because I ate them every second day. Eating them reminds me of the hardest times at home. I remember mommy buying us Checkers cream doughnuts every time she got paid. I and my brother looked forward to that. We would eat half a doughnut and leave some for later, lol. Honestly, the challenges we went through at home growing up made me grow very close with my siblings. We shared everything. Mama taught us to be very close and share with each other. She would buy one pie and we would share it. Maybe that’s why I always feel guilty sitting at a restaurant alone with no one to share my food or money with. Lol!

As I have mentioned earlier that mama was and still is a hard worker, very skilful as well. She worked her way to the top in the company she worked for. She is very reliable and never late for work. When she’s on leave, they hire two more people to do her job. I’ve admired the hard work spirit in her and strive to develop her growth.

 

 

She always cracks me up when she explains if it were possible, she would not have had 3 children. Lol, she’s not crazy in love with kids, she tolerates them, and even when she tolerates kids, she surely has done a great job raising us.

The way she discourages one to be in debt, I have learned to be patient and manage my finances well. She’s taught me that if I really want to purchase something, then I can prioritise it by saving up for it to buy it cash. This is the woman who made sure that I go through varsity without any loan as she wanted me to enjoy my paycheques when working.

“Are you speaking to me in English? Please don’t speak to me in a language I paid for. You know it because I paid for it so don’t think you are better than me! - MamaGem”

Oh! How I love her. I love having her genes in me. I love how I have her eyes and looks. I love it how her peers can’t get over how I look and sound like her. I love how my brother once said when she’s seen me, she has seen her. I love how her colourful personality and how she never judges people. I love how she believes I’m an amazing writer, I tell you, even if I was the worst, with her compliments, I am very convinced I’m the best writer ever lived! I love the fact that she wants the best for me and wants to see me happy. I love how she has taught me to dress and always strive to be a lady.

I’m truly grateful to God that I still have her in my life. I wouldn’t want to take her for granted. I know she will not be around forever, but while she is still here with me, I want to create the best memories that will live on even when she is no more. She is my best friend, although she behaves as if I’m not her best friend, I know she’s the best friend who has my best interest at heart.

“Please note that I am your mother before your friend so don’t speak to me as if you’re speaking to your friend. You better make a good note of that. I am not your friend! - MamaGem”

Strict as she is, I wouldn’t trade her for another kind of mother. Happy birthday from your Temzizo