Mother's Day....

This coming Sunday is Mother's Day. My mother passed away many years ago. As an observance to honour my mother and to remember her good deeds, I will make a special trip to my home town, Taiping.

The following is a posting I wrote in 2006 to remember my mother :

12 years ago,
you did not bid us farewell.
Trembling in amazing calmness,
you move on silently,
as gentle as the wind.
You departed to the garden of God.

With your strong wills
and admirable determinations,
you have given us
the spiritual and moral comforts.
You have laboured days and nights,
sacrificed your youth and beauty,
and unselfishly devote your love to all of us.

Without reclaiming your labour of love,
in the evening of warm October's air,
you made the solo journey to be with God,
to rest your tired soul.......
You left your legacy of love and the memories
which forever resides in my heart.

You have always said
"A man is a pillar to the family", and
"Tar Por Kia, Beh Sai Low Bug Sai...."
(" A man must not shed tears ")
I shall always try
not to show my emotions in sorrow and sadness.
But, in solitude,
tears do flow freely recalling the images of you.
Sometimes, thinking of the life you went through,
I do hide in my room and silently cried in my heart.
Forgive me, I can not be a man of perpetual no sorrow....

I have not done enough
to make your life passage smoother.
I have not done enough
to make life more comfortable for you.
I always thought that,
tomorrow, I can make it better for you.
I am sorry
for the countless tomorrow's that you have waited
for me to deliver my duties as a son to you.
Tomorrow came, you are freed from pain,
in eternal peace, and you are gone forever.

I am sorry
for being too blinded to see your pains,
I am sorry
for not having the courage
to accept that you are dying,
I am sorry
for refusing to let you go.
I am forever
indebted to you for thy love.....

By that dear name, I called you. Mother.
losing you is my life's greatest sorrow.
I missed you and cherished the memories of you.
Of those good times, not so good times,
and of those growing up years...

I seek your forgiveness
for everything that I should have done but procastinated.
I seek your forgiveness
for not bidding you the final farewell.

Oh, my most merciful and gracious Buddha,
please accept my humble prayer to you,
please bless my mother's soul
to ease the attainment of grace and joys
in your garden of perpetual happiness.........

Om mani padmi hom,
Om Namo Amithaba Buddha.....