A Mother’s love
“The mother-child relationship is paradoxical and, in a sense, tragic. It requires the most intense love on the mother’s side, yet this very love must help the child grow away from the mother, and become fully independent.”
My mother’s love, worth infinity. Beyond my price range. Nurturing was my mother’s love; filled with kindness that only my mother could give. It helped me grow, not just physically, but it filled my emotional appetite, so that I could take on the world when it was time to fly. The love was built to last, even though I thought it was too much, it drove me away from her side. But I know in my heart, what she gave me was her very best gift, her way of loving.
Acts of service, one of many love languages. A language that was always misinterpreted by me. House duties such as cleaning dishes, vacuuming, cooking and taking out the recycling. My mother considered it love. I, on the other hand did not. It was a chore. I felt like a slave when I did those duties. My mother should have done them. She was the housewife. Not me, I hated it. It made me feel unloved, as if I was punished for not having done anything wrong, and so I rebelled. I would skip doing my chores and of course, it had a negative impact. I did not get rewarded, instead I was yelled to and was told to go study or to stay in my room until I consulted my own behavior. My mother showed no affection, instead she did not hug me nor did she spoke to me, and so at that point in time, I started to sense that my own mother did not love or appreciated me.
I was surprised once I left home after high school, to chase my dream of someday being medical student. I was independent, working, studying and paying my own bills and rent. It made me realize that juggling such a lifestyle was tiring. I thought of my mother. I finally understood her strange way of loving, and how she expected me to love her. Acts of service. Chores and duties made her feel loved. The punishments I was given led me to my current spot, studying for the most important exam of my life, so that I could oneday have an opportunity to have a career and a family. She taught me well. Cooking and cleaning just like my mother. She made me realized love can be a lot of things, interpreted in different ways and not just what I defined as love. Her love was by far better than any bought gifts or hugs, even if it took leaving her to realize that.