By Zainab Susi
There are no words to describe how important our mothers are for us. It has been almost seven years since I have lost my Ammi. I have an emptiness inside of me and a big hole in my heart. There is not a day that goes by when I don’t think about her. I miss her a lot but the most important thing I miss about her is calling her Ammi.
My Ammi was the most beautiful, strong, big-hearted woman I have ever met. She wasn’t materialistic at all. She was also not rich, but she always helped others. Sometimes I think about her life, how did she do it all? Growing up I don’t remember when our grandmother (Nani) moved in with us and lived with us until she passed. One of my cousins also moved into our home when she was only 8 years old. For some reason, she couldn’t live with her mother who was divorced and got remarried. Ammi raised her just like she raised her own daughters. Sometimes I am amazed by how eight people lived in the two small bedroom home, and Ammi never complained or got frustrated. She was truly a humble and patient testimony. I feel blessed even though I miss her terribly. At least I got the chance to get to know her. I am proud to say I have learned all of my parenting skills from my Ammi. And when I see how my girls are doing I give credit to her. I wouldn’t be a good mother if she had not shown me how wonderful of a mother my Ammi was.
My heart goes out to those kids/people out there who don’t have a mother or there are so many unlucky people who have a mother and they know where she lives but her kids don’t have time to visit her or don’t have a connection with her. Whatever it is, remember she is the reason you are who you are and where you are today.
I like this American tradition, once a year we celebrate Mother’s Day. But visiting your mother or sending flowers once a year isn’t enough. What she really needs is her kids/family to be around her. Whenever family is around, that’s mother’s day for mothers. On this Mother’s Day, I wish all the mothers out there a very Happy Mother’s day!
