Tell your mother you love her before it's too late
Why waste time when tomorrow isn't promised? Journal entry #3
Hi everyone,
Welcome to my third journal entry. I hope you are all in strong spirits.
Today’s entry will be covering topics such as death, suicide bombings and terrorist attacks. Please stop reading if you don’t feel you are in the correct mindset, or if these themes may be triggering for you. 🤍
The aftermath of the 7/7 Bombings
I wanted to speak on something that has been lingering on my mind. I was watching Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers. This incident robbed the lives of 52 Londoners and injured 770 who were commuting via the London underground and the number 30 bus.
This docu-series left me feeling disheartened at the worst of humanity. Many victims came forward to tell their side of the story, including Azuma Wundowa, who was 16 years old at the time. Azuma’s mother, Gladys Wundowa, who worked as a cleaner at University College London, was killed riding the bus on Tavistock Square when a suicide bomb detonated, destroying the futures of 13 passengers.
Azuma Wundowa featured in this docu-series and said some words about losing her mother, which really stuck with me.
“It wasn’t just that, you know, I lost my mum, I lost so much more than just my mum. I lost my ability to believe that I could do anything. And I didn’t have that person who, no matter what happens in the world, no matter who rejects me in the world, how many times my heart gets broken, there’s one safe space that I can go to that I belong. Suddenly, I didn’t have somewhere that I belonged anymore. That 16-year-old died when my mum did.”
Listening to Azuma share these words and emotions saddened me. No child deserves to lose their safe space. It just slapped me in the face that tomorrow isn’t promised. All these little things I’m putting off till tomorrow may not happen, because tomorrow may never arrive. It reminded me to show the safe spaces in my life how special they are to me.
Perfection doesn’t exist
No one has a perfect relationship with their mother. There’s no such thing as perfect. It may be more rocky than loving, or more loving than rocky. Either way, there will always be ups and downs, because that’s life. I don’t have a perfect relationship with my mother, but I can appreciate how much my mother does for me.
How much she has sacrificed to raise me. How she’s ignored her own needs for mine and my siblings’ needs. How she ignores her pain as long as her children are pain-free. How she sacrifices her sleep to ensure her ill child gets a good night’s sleep. That’s what a mother is. Selfless, fierce and willing to do anything to protect her child.
How can I sit here and be ungrateful towards my mother when there are people out there who would do anything to have their mother around just for a hug? It encouraged me to support and care for my mother more.
If you are reading this, please show your appreciation and love towards your mother. Show her you love her, show her that you care. Make her life a little easier by helping her out with her usual activities.
My mum is not as healthy and young as she used to be
My mother is ageing, not only has she helped me grow up, but she is growing up herself. Her body is not as young and agile as it used to be; sometimes her body cannot keep up with what she wishes, and she needs more rest. I like to just refuse the fact that my mother’s getting older because it’s a hard thing to deal with.
Sometimes I think of how old my parents will be when I’m reaching milestones in my life, like getting my dream job, buying my first house, getting married, having children ect. I like to just push it to the back of my mind because i don’t want to accept a life without them.
All I can do is focus on the present, so there’s no point worrying about the future, which is not even here yet.
Show your mother you love her now
In this very moment. Make her breakfast, give her a kiss and a hug. Massage her shoulders you know she has been complaining about. Buy her flowers. Have long conversations. Be soft and gentle towards her. Show her the softness she showed you as a baby. Go for a walk in the countryside with her. Make her favourite tea.
The most important thing you can do is spend more time with her, regardless of what you’re doing. I encourage you, if you are away from your mother at this moment, drop her a text, call her, visit her, send her a postcard or letter, just do something. This moment will never come back.
Thanks for getting this far. I appreciate you guys a lot. Writing here is one of my safe spaces, so thank you for providing me with this space to share my writing. I pray you guys are always at peace with yourself and the world. I hope that you work hard and reap good rewards for your actions.
Kindest wishes,
Bushra
This is beautiful🌞
Just beautiful.