"Happy International Women’s Day! In this first extension of the week, Team Courage’s Diandra shares about the person who inspires her with their life and how it has moulded her to be the woman she is today." #choosetochallenge #iwd2021
by Diandra Raj
When you ask me about a woman who has inspired me, the first person that comes to mind would be none other than my mother. She is the true embodiment of a woman to me – particularly exuding selflessness and generosity. As a single parent who raised both my sister and I single-handedly, she played the role of both a mother and a father to us. She made sure we had everything we needed and provided so much more than just the basic necessities in life. Growing up, we were always surrounded by family members and went for vacations rather frequently, making us feel like we do not lack anything.
My mother placed a huge importance on education, which made both my sister and I strive to excel academically. In return, she rewarded us with gifts and treats. Going to fast food chains like McDonalds, KFC or Pizza Hut would be such a luxury for us as kids because we did not get it very often. I remember back in Form 5 when I was sitting for SPM examinations and had to burn the midnight oil, she would offer to make me a drink or a snack in an attempt to ease my burden in whatever way she could. Similarly, when I was finishing up my thesis for my master’s degree last year and had sleepless nights, she prepared food and made coffee for me to stay up and get work done, apart from constantly encouraging and motivating me to keep going and not give up.
Needless to say, this iron lady is also the most selfless person I know. She would never hesitate to spend or buy things for us but would think twice (or rather did not even think much of it) when it came to spending on herself although she could very well afford to. On top of that, up to this day, she still wakes up early just to prepare meals for me to take to school (without me asking!).
Frankly speaking, she does so much for me even at this age when she does not actually have to, given the fact that I am perfectly capable of doing those things on my own, but it just goes to show the kind of woman she is.
My mother also leads by example when it comes to giving. She showed me that you can always give to others even when you yourself do not have much, and through this very trait of hers, I learned that I may not have a lot, but I have enough. Enough for myself and enough to give others. As the saying goes, “it’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving”. A recent vivid memory I have of her which proves this saying to be all the more true is during the MCO last year when there was not a day that she cooked without giving some food to the security guards at our condominium.
This really touched my heart as I stand in awe of how she never fails to extend love and compassion as much as she possibly can without expecting anything in return. She constantly exhibits generosity to those around her, so much so that sometimes I feel like she is being “too” generous!
Another valuable lesson I learned from my mother is that life is what you make of it. Life certainly showed us that things do not come easy. If you want something, you have to work for it and earn it. This is exactly what she did, but what amazes me is that she poured her blood, sweat and tears to attain certain things in life for her children, not even for herself. She did not want those things for her own benefit, she wanted them for us.
"When life gave her the sourest lemons, she made the best-tasting lemonade ever! "
Alongside this principle that she strongly carries, she also made sure that we never wasted food, and this practice continues to date. Whenever we have leftovers, she always ensures that they are finished and not simply thrown away.
With all that being said, I could go on and on listing all the extraordinary qualities about her that I admire, but these qualities are not necessarily what “qualifies” her to be an inspirational woman. She did not have to possess all these traits to earn my praise.
Above all, I simply look up to her for being the woman she is (and has continued to be) despite the challenges she has faced and circumstances life has thrown at her. I know none of this comes naturally to her, but it lies in her intentionally choosing to make the best choices and decisions in a given situation with an abundance of wisdom, strength and dignity.
Choose to get up instead of staying down.
Choose to rise again when you fall.
Choose to love instead of hate.
Choose to give more than you take.
Choose to be better than you were yesterday.
It all boils down to the choices and decisions we make every single day, which inevitably affects the days to come and eventually the rest of our life (without us even realising it). If anything, these choices have made her more (and definitely not less) of a woman. For this simple reason, I am tremendously proud to call this epitome of beauty - my mother!
Happy International Women’s Day to all women out there! I commend you not only for the kind of women you are, but the kind of women you choose to be everyday.
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