..from Riyadh with Love..

They sliced her tummy twice. The first time was when she delivered a breech presentation, single footling baby girl (the foot came first before the head). The second time around was with another delivery of another baby girl  where she was caught in between life and death. She suffered pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy disorder wherein the pregnant woman has an uncontrollable high blood pressure. And so  at 23, she was ligated.

This story took place 25 years ago. I,  was the first born and she, my mother, was the laborer.  When I was still a student and was exposed to Operating Room, there I saw how a surgeon is slicing a woman's abdomen. Layer by layer until the scalpel reached the uterus. And again, cutting it layer by layer, spreading it with the use of heavy metal retractors until the subject is safely delivered. I just can't imagine that my mother had been through it not just once but twice!

Tomorrow, my laborer will be celebrating her 48th. For the past years of toiling, raising us as a single parent, she never   complained how difficult life was. She has a very sunny disposition in life even in the midst of trials, in the midst of loneliness being far away from us, in times where she don't know to whom to cling to whenever the tuition fees are due, in times when she wanted to take good care of us whenever we are sick but helpless as she was caring for other people to earn for a living, in times when only our voice and pictures are her source of strength to go in life, and the many times she forgotten her own happiness in the name of her two daughters.   Often, she would say that she was a lucky mother for having us as her kids. The fact is pretty obvious=) But the hidden truth is that we are the ones lucky for having her as our mom. 

I lied when I said " I love you Ma". Because the truth is that I love her so much that I will do anything to make her feel that she was indeed a lucky mother.
We are just praying that she may have more years to live and always in good shape to compensate for the lost time. We are who we are because of her and we will be forever in debt to our mother.

As to this writing, my sister and I will be sending her a dozen of roses. It's been a very long while she has ever received flowers..and well, this was our first to give.

.From Riyadh with love,  Happy Birthday Mom! 

The sweetest mom and the sweetest sister!