As Salaamu 'alaykum and peace to all,
In My Loving Memory - A Motivational Story about Mother's Love
Today is a special day for me. This is the day when my mother was born. And this special piece is written in her honor of one of the things she taught me in life.
To mum, may Allah bestowed upon you His Mercy, His Love, His Blessings. May He make your temporary abode one of His Paradise, ameen…
And to all my readers out there, I pray and wish the same for your mothers too….
Knock, knock.
“Mum, Dad, I am going to go to sleep now”
“The door is not locked” my mother’s voice came from inside of the room
I opened the door and saw that she and my father were reading books. My mother was on her side of the bed while my father was on his chair.
“So, had you brushed your teeth? And cleanse your face?” she asked
“Yes, I did, mum. Salaam please”
I took her hand, kissed it, then I kissed both her cheeks, her forehead, nose and chin.
“Night mum, forgive me of all my wrongdoings” I said while hugging her
“I have already forgiven you, my darling” said my mum
“I love you mum” I whispered to her ears
“And I love you too sweetheart” my mother said it with a loving smile on her face and kissed me on my forehead
That was the daily night conversation I always had with my mother. It was scripted that way, since I was small, since I can remember, till the last day of her life, alhamdulillaah.
Of course, I would do the same to my father right after my mother.
I believe that my mother was the keen follower of the hadeeth of Prophet Muhammad SAW on the need to touch and kiss children.
Abu Salama ibn 'Abdu'r-Rahman related that Abu Hurayra said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, kissed al-Hasan ibn 'Ali while al-Aqra' ibn Habis at-Tamimi was sitting with him. Al-Aqra' said, 'I have ten children and I have never kissed any of them.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, looked at him and then said, 'The one who does not show mercy will not be shown mercy.'" (Sahih Bukhari , Chapter 81. The Book of Adab* (Good Manners) No. 5651)
I kissed her goodnight every single night when I was at home. And no, she didn’t come to my room, I went to her room before I sleep.
I have this 5-point kiss that I have to do everyday.
It started off simply by kissing the back of her hands. That’s the introduction point! The first point was her right cheek, left cheek, forehead, nose and her chin. After I gave her all those kisses, I sealed it all with a big hug which I believe if Barney saw me doing it, he would be utterly jealous!
This 5-point kiss would also be given to her whenever I wanted to leave the house, every morning when she goes to work, every evening when she arrived from work, during ‘Eids in the morning, every single time I say I am sorry for misbehaving, every time after we pray together, ah well, you get the picture, don’t you?
Pearl S. Buck once said,
Some mothers are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together.
Interesting quote, you agree?
Well, reflecting on my mother, she was surely a 90% kissing and 10% scolding kind of mother. And her scolding was usually, ‘Wait till your father gets home’, kind of scolding. She was so tender and lovable, scolding and her- let’s just say, they do not fit together. That’s my mama.
Anyway, being the 90% kissing mother she was, the exchange of kisses is not only limited between me and my mother only, but, is being practiced in our whole family.
Can you imagine my brother giving my mother a 5-point kiss? That was among the best sight I behold up to today to reflect just how gentle and sweet my mother was when she was being kissed by her teenage son that way, alhamdulillaah.
And now, I passed down the tradition to my nieces and nephews. Whenever I see them, I shall open my arms wide, and they would come running instantaneously to me and hugged me. And I would asked for my 5-point kiss and they took turn giving me their kisses and hugs. Of course, by the time I reached my last kiss, I would have ‘unwanted liquid’ on my face, but, that’s alright. Training makes perfect and with time, I am sure I will get less and less of those ‘unwanted items’!
Psychologist all around the world has agreed that touching would help children to develop a good character and the feeling of security and love in their hearts.
I think one of the reasons why no matter how much sometimes I resented my mother’s decision, or no matter how stubborn I ‘planned’ to be in my head, no matter how upset I was with her, at the end of the day, I had to come to her and apologized, regardless.
At the end of the day before I sleep, I would want to give her my 5-point kiss.
I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I don’t get to kiss her. And I want my big hug from her too. And how can I have all that that if I stay stubborn and upset with her, right?
Come to think of it, I think my mother was a genius, mashaAllah! Such a subtle way to make me an obedient daughter!
No wonder my dad loved her with his life, alhamdulillaah.
Let me share with you a poem by Helen Steiner Rice entitled A Mother’s Love
A MOTHER'S LOVE
A Mother's love is something
that no one can explain,
It is made of deep devotion
and of sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish
and enduring come what may
For nothing can destroy it
or take that love away . . .
It is patient and forgiving
when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters
even though the heart is breaking . . .
It believes beyond believing
when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty
of the rarest, brightest gems . . .
It is far beyond defining,
it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret
like the mysteries of creation . . .
A many splendored miracle
man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence
of God's tender guiding hand.
~Helen Steiner Rice~
Mum, I thank you for bringing me into this world, for raising me full of love and for making me the person I am today.
I love you and I miss you.
Sis Zabrina also known as Zabrina A. Bakar, is a Life Storyteller, motivational and inspirational writer and speaker; and author and creator of Islamic motivational book Life Open Secret book series http://wwww.LifeOpenSecret.com. She maintains an active blog at http://www.WisdomThruWords.blogspot.com. and social networking platform a Web 2.0 at http://www.LifeStoryteller.ning.com
Copyright © Sis Zabrina 2008
Sis Zabrina
Life Storyteller
Author of Life is an Open Secret Islamic Motivational Book Series:
Life is an Open Secret- Think about It
Life is an Open Secret- You, Me and We
Hidup Bukan Rahsia http://www.lifeopensecret.com
-18 Inspirational Stories from Ordinary life experiences-
Now blogging at http://www.wisdomthruwords.blogspot.com
~ Life Storyteller Blog: Your Source for Islamic Motivational and Inspirational Stories~
Tags : motivational stories, islamic stories, inspirational stories, spiritual stories, storyteller, muslim, islam, life is an open secret, motivational book, motivational quotes, short stories
Sis Zabrina, also known as Zabrina A. Bakar, is a Life Storyteller, motivational and inspirational writer and speaker; and author of Islamic motivational book series Life is an Open Secret http://www.lifeopensecret.com She maintains an active blog at http://www.wisdomthruwords.blogspot.com
and her personal Social Networking Platform http://www.LifeStoryteller.ning.com
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