Whenever I go to my hometown on a national holiday, I get busy to the point where I can’t enjoy it as a holiday. I have to go grocery shopping with my parents, prepare meals, and visit my relatives, and so on. It is probably same for other families, but mothers must be the busiest.
It was on New Year’s Day last year. The sun was setting when we returned to my parent’s house after visiting my uncle’s and my relatives’. As soon as my mother took off her coat, she quickly prepared meals for us. My stomach, which wasn’t shrinking back due to all kinds of holiday food eaten all day, got full again with mom’s dinner.
Even after preparing fruits for us as dessert, Mom was still busy; it was because she was wrapping food and preparing stuff to give to her son and daughter-in-law who were to leave a few hours later.
She checked again and again all the stuff such as sesame oil prepared by my aunt, apples directly purchased from the farmer, side dishes she had made in advance, burdock she had dried and stir-fried, cast iron pots which she had kept carefully, and a gift set of daily necessities. She packed everything in boxes without leaving anything behind. Several big boxes soon became full.
From the first day when we arrived there, she put out quite a spread. Even until we left, she was busy packing this and that for us; I was very sorry for that. I could see exhaustion in her face. My mother was physically weak due to big and small illnesses, and she grew weaker after having back surgery at her old age.
No matter how earnestly I told her to rest, saying, “We didn’t need to take anything,” she said with a smile, “I can have a rest after you leave. I can never take a break before that.”
“Just sit with us and rest. How easy!”
“I want to do that, but it is not easy to rest when you are here.”
Although I said that several times, my mom couldn’t sit still until we got in our car. It was as if she met a golden opportunity to give everything at once to us who lived far away. I wish she could enjoy being served by her children now.
I guess mother’s giving love is something that she can’t do anything about. It must be her instinct.
“Thank you for coming. Though you’re busy, please eat well. Staying healthy is the best.”
After I came back home, I pondered while hearing mom’s voice over the phone. When can I serve my mom even with half of what she has done for me?