May 14, 2009 This past weekend I celebrated my First Mother's Day.
David planned to leave for a few days on a surprise trip requiring
hiking gear, swimsuits and extra diapers. While heading down south on
Saturday morning, I realized that we wouldn't be back the following day
to celebrate with my mother. Initially we planned on leaving on Friday,
but due to work obligations it was switched to Saturday. After some
contemplation, I decided that while I wanted to ‘get away' and enjoy
the weekend with our new family…I equally also wanted to spend time
with my mother. My father is in New Zealand right now and I didn't want
her to feel lonely on a day that recognized her love, support and
commitment to me and my siblings our entire lives.
So David and I spontaneously decided
to drive around the Bay area, visiting areas in Marin County and Napa
Valley. It was an un-planned, somewhat adventurous day – however, I
could tell David was irked by my decision, and a part of me was
admittedly regretting my choice to stay in northern California…but I knew it was the “Maria” thing to do.
As a young teenager, I used to
wake my mother up every morning at 5am to iron her clothes and cook
breakfast and lunch because I noticed she was always too rushed. While
she was at work, I managed the household operations by creating lists
for me and my siblings to complete and finish by the time she arrived
home. When she began the first stages of kidney
failure a few years ago, I moved back to Sacramento to assist in
preparing her body for operation. I feel an endless responsibility to help my mother, for she has helped me and shaped me in countless ways.
I can still fondly remember the time when someone asked me why I put my mother before a lot of things in my life…my answer?
“I could only hope that one day when I have a child, he/she will treat me the same way I treat my mom."
In
my life, I want to serve my mother the way she has served me her entire
life. Growing up, she was the more liberal half of my parents
child-rearing. I fondly remember her buying me new pairs of shoes when we had little money.
She raised funds for my expensive cheerleading expenses. Despite her
occasional illness, she still traveled to every national and
international competition with me. She will always be the most charismatic, most beautiful, and most tenacious woman I will ever meet.
As
I reflect on my first mother's day I realize more fully the
unconditional love and endless devotion that streams between a mother
and a child. While we weren't able to leave the entire
weekend, the symbol behind why we stayed not only inspired my writings
today, but will inspire my actions for the rest of my life.
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Happy Belated Mother's Day. |
