I've been suffering from headaches a lot lately. Even right now, as I write this, the right side of my brain is throbbing to a beat that is just an inch away from being unbearable, and it has left me feeling a bit groggy and clouded.
Even after trying all the ache reducing remedies, I've noticed that in painful times like this, the thing that usually helped me get rid of this monstrosity of a headache was a cup of tea made by my mother.
It's not like she makes the best tea in the world. Her teas most times tastes bland, or has an overpowering hit of sugar that eliminate any other flavours that teas generally have. It can safely be said that she's no master tea maker. But there is just something about that all-too-sweet hot beverage that she prepares, which always turns my headaches down. So whenever I get a headache, I just go around and whine to her about making me a cuppa, waiting patiently for her to bring it to my bedside when she is done.
Sadly, that's not possible for me to do these days anymore. Because my mother has gone to India on a sudden trip, leaving my dad and me behind with our scattered way of living.
I guess it's not until the one who takes care of you leaves you, that you understand what they were doing in the first place. I won't lie and say that my mum took care of all my everyday needs. But now, when I have to worry about basic things such as what to eat and how to clean and prepare meals three times a day every week, I understand how she has been sheltering us from all these, taking away this extra bag of tension and labour which we never really took notice of.
I now realise how messily I live my life. Because now there is no one there to clean up my room for me, no one there to put food on the table, no one there to make sure my clothes are washed, and no one there to wake me up in the mornings when I oversleep.
All in all, I'll say that being independent is a good thing. Learning to take care of yourself and the others around you is a process that needs time and dedication to master. So I'm glad I am going through that now.
I won't say that it's been a wonderful experience for me. Cause as it turns out, I really hate cleaning, cooking every day, and washing dishes. But I'm learning how to do these anyway, and as I learn, I also realise just what my mother, any mother who is a housewife, goes through as they repeat the same stuff every day. Because let me tell you, when you have to prepare meals three to four times a day, every day, the concept of cooking becomes a pain in the ass. Nothing is fun when it becomes a chore, and no matter how hard I try to spice things up in my own way, at a certain point, when you keep on doing these things over and over again for years, it ultimately becomes monotonous. Cause hell, It's been only like fifteen days since my mother went on her trip, and I already want out of all this.
What I'm trying to say here is, the people who take care of us, whether be it about these basic household things, without any expectations of return, should be appreciated.
Cause, even if you don't have a good relationship with your mother, even if the distance between you both is miles long at best and no connection at all at worst, in the end, it's her who puts food on your table, it's her who folds your clothes and makes sure your room stays clean.
And it's her, who, even after doing all these chores every day, still makes time to make you a warm cup of her bland tea, just to make your ailings feel a little bit less.
So even if you are not close to your mother, you must learn to appreciate her efforts. Cause doing something as selflessly as they do, now that, takes a lot of sacrifices.