Dear Mama…

“If love is as sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love.”

-Stevie Wonder

Mama, Ma, Mummy, Mom, Mum, Am’ma, Ohma, Ibu… So many ways of calling the person who we believe is the only one with the ability of gifting us unconditional love. Just by saying the word ma has my emotions taking a whirlwind of an experience. Mothers are our bringer of life, and that is the one thing no one else can give you. Without them, we do not see the existence of this world. I always tell people it is a honor and privilege to be given that designation. Never take it for granted no matter the situation we are in. As such with that very designation, there is always a wonder story that comes with it. A powerful one might I add.

Sunday May 21st, a regular weekend and a day I try to treat my mum by taking her out to stretch her legs without having the worry about work burdening her. We decided to hit up IKEA as it has been ages since we walked through the labyrinth that it is. My mother is a statistics genius, but is an artist at heart. For her to see furniture designs or art pieces bring her more joy far more than anyone can imagine. As a child to have a mother that has gone far beyond her unwritten call of duty, the least I can do is to bring her a little joy in times of difficulty and stress. We had no intentions of buying anything. It was more of taking her mind off work and letting her hair down… figuratively 🙂 With no purchases in hand after making it through IKEA, we decided to walk to IPC to grab a bite. Now this is where the story becomes one to tell for the ages.

As soon as we made it to the entrance of IPC, we were greeted by a little girl with a card and flower in hand. We asked her what it was for. She was a little shy at first and only had a huge smile on her face. We looked up and saw her family right behind her and they said it was for Mother’s Day. Not a second more, my mother was overjoyed and gave the little girl a big hug. For many who do not know our story, my mother lost her son, my brother, to cancer 5 years ago. It was a dark time for us, and it still is as we never outgrow grief. We are only able to grow around it in order to continue on in this living world. For her to receive such a simple yet highly poignant gift made her day exponentially better. As I always say, one small act of kindness can turn the lives of many for the better. This was one of it. A simple flower and kind gesture, filled my mother’s heart with a dollop more of love, light, and hope. My mother talks a lot about how we need to nurture our future generation to help bring better change. This little act of kindness was one of it and she could not be more proud of the little girl for being a part of that change. Not to mention, she was grateful to the little girl’s family for teaching her the trait of being compassionate.

After snapping a picture with the little girl, we took a closer look at the little note. It stated, “In loving memory of Norehan… #cancersucks.” Funny how the universe works doesn’t it? It’s sneaky little plays to make a connection. I went on to ask who was Norehan. A lady named Leah, who happens to be a family friend of the little girl mentioned it was her mother. She went on to let us know her mother passed away from cancer years ago and this was one way of honoring her memory. It brought my mother to tears as she could not believe how we were privileged enough to meet such amazing human beings that have experienced such horrible pain, yet are able to bring positive vibes to the people. I then told her how we lost our Carl to cancer as well and commended her beautiful soul for being generous in sharing her mother’s love with everyone.

After a short talk with Leah and her friends, we went about with our day. It did not take long before I decided I needed to share her story. That night I reached out to Leah to ask her permission if I could share the story with my friends and community. Without hesitation Leah agreed and gave a backstory as to why she started this movement. Let me tell you, it is one of the most wholesome stories I have heard. Every birthday and Mother’s Day, Leah would surprise her mother with flowers and a card. Simple yet beautiful, and it was a tradition that meant a lot for the both of them. As the hashtag stated in the card, cancer truly sucks. Leah lost her mother when she was 16. Losing my brother was by far the most painful thing I had to endure. I could never imagine losing my mother at such a young age. Leah knew she had to do something and in her words, “I have extra rezeki in just extending a tradition that I’ve created, by giving out flowers to other mothers.” Rezeki for many who may not know is a form of blessing in Islam.

Not only is she sharing her mother’s love with the community. She is making a difference in the lives of mothers, fathers, and people that have their own story to tell. There are mothers who have lost children, still grieving over the lost of their own mother, being a single mum, currently expecting, not being able to conceive, fathers that end up being a mother figure for their children, and many more. Her mother’s love with the help of Leah, without a doubt spreads so much light into this world. That my friends, is a thing of beauty. Leah has been doing this for 11 years, and I pray it continues on because we need more positivity in this world. She has been so thoughtful in sharing a few pictures of her initiative, and if you have made it this far in reading, I encourage you to take a look at the pictures sent over by Leah. The reactions are absolutely raw and downright beautiful. Nothing but smiles.

When you think you have seen it all, the universe keeps on giving. It gives us more motivation to keep going and constantly work to be better. Leah, her family and her friends are one of them. If this story does not give you the urge to get up and do something, I don’t know what will. Her story has fueled our family to keep doing what we have to keep Carl’s legacy alive, and to get our gears going to do more. So thank you Leah for telling your story and allowing me to share it with everyone. I hope this one small act of kindness ignites the fire in everyone to be better, hate less, and love more. Stay positive, and keep doing your thing. Till the next my friends!