8 Lies of a Mother... Something to share...

I came across this very interesting article from one of my Lions club's website and I found it very meaningful and wanted to share with every medical students out there. At times, we people in medical lines are so busy with our hectic lifestyles, postings, assignments, activities and we might be even more busy once we start our housemanship and venture deeper into the medical fields... perhaps you might want to read this.

It's a true story from a successful Malaysian who studied and worked abroad. Here we go:

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8 Lies of a Mother:

The story begins when I was a child: I was born poor, often we had not enough to eat. Whenever we have some food, Mother often gave me her portion of food. While she was transfering her rice into my bowl, she would say: "Eat this rice son! I am not hungry."

This was Mother's first lie.

As I grew, Mother gave up her spare time to fish in a river near my house; she hoped that from the fish she caught, she could give me a little bit more nutritious food for my growth. Once she had just caught 2 fishes, she would make fish soup. While I was having the soup, Mother would sit beside me and eat what was still left on the bone of the fish I had eaten; My heart was touched when I saw it. Once I gave my fish to her on my chopstick but she immediately refused it and said: "Eat this fish son! I don't really like fish."

This was Mother's Second Lie.

Then, in order to fund my education, Mother went to a Match factory to bring home some used matchboxes which she filled with fresh new matchsticks. This helped her to get some money to cover our daily needs. One wintry night I awoke to find Mother filling the matchboxes with candle lights. So I said, "Mother, go to sleep! It's late, you can continue working tomorrow morning." Mother smiled and said: "Go to sleep, son! I am not tired."

This was Mother's Third Lie.

When I had to sit my final examination, Mother accompanied me. After dawn, Mother waited me for hours in the heat of the sun. When the bell rang, I ran and meet her... Mother embraced me and poured me a glass of tea which she had prepared in a thermos. The tea was not as strong as my Mother's love. Seeing Mother covered with perspiration, I at once gave her my glass and asked her to drink too. Mother said: "Drink, Son! I am not thirsty."

This was Mother's Fourth Lie.

After Father's death, Mother has to play the role of single parent. She held on her former job; she had to fund our needs alone. Our family life was more complicated. We suffered from starvation. Seeing our family's condition worsening, my kind Uncle who lived nearby my house came to help us solve our problems big and small.

Our other neighbour saw that we were poverty stricken so they often advised my mother to marry again. But Mother refused to remarrying, saying "I don't need love."

This was Mother's Fifth Lie.

After I had finished my study and gotten a job, it was time for my old Mother to retire but she carried on going to the market every morning just to sell a few vegetables. I kept sending her money but she was steadfast and even sent the money back to me. She said: "I have enough money."

This was Mother's Sixth Lie.

I continued my part-time studies for my Master degree, funded by the American corporation for which I worked. I succeeded my studies. With a big jump in my salary, I decided to bring my Mother to enjoy life in America but Mother didn't want to bother her son. She said to me: "I am not used to high living."

This was Mother's Seventh Lie.

In her dotage, Mother was attacked by cancer and she had to be hospitalized. Now living far across the ocean, I went home and visit Mother who was bedridden after an operation. Mother tried to smile but I was heartbroken because she was so thin and feeble but Mother said: "Don't cry, Son! I am not in Pain."

This was Mother's Eighth Lie.

Telling me this, her Eighth Lie, she left me.....

M - O - T - H - E - R

"M" is for the million things she gave me.

"O" means Only that she is growing old.

"T" is the tears she shed to save me.

"H" is for her Heart of Gold.

"E" is for her Eyes with love-light shinning in them.

"R" means Right, and right she will always be.

Put them all together, they spelled "MOTHER".

A word that means the world to me...now, it may not mean so much, as I could have done a little bit more when she was alive.

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If your mum is still around, taking 2 hours drive back to your home town and pay her a visit won't kill you. If you are living with her, bringing her out for a dinner or shopping, won't kill you. Giving a surprise present to your mum when you are back from oversea trips wont kill you. Giving her a HUG, send her a sms saying "I love you Mum" wont kill you...

Humans are very weird. When we do not have something, we worked very hard to own that; when we have it, often we take it for granted. We will not appreciate whatever we have until we have lost it. So, don't give a chance for yourself to regret one day, for not appreciating whoever is around you now, especially your parents who are getting older and older.

Most of our time we are preoccupied by knowledges and information every day. We think that distinction students will become a good doctor. At times, we neglect the most important part of becoming a good doctor- "Love and Passion". It takes more than Med school to make a good doctor. To be a good loving doctor, you need to love yourself, take good care of your health, and next, love whoever around you: family, parents, siblings, partner, TRUE friends. Without loving yourself and people around you, it is hard for you to care about the patients. So, start from yourself and start from your home. Be a good loving son, loving brother/sister, you are half way of being a good loving doctor.

The journey of venturing deeper into the medical field, to be a good doctor, starts from Home!

*My english and grammars might not be perfect, please correct me if I written anything wrong. This is only my personal opinion, it doesn't represent the opinion of SMMAMS.

With warmest regards,

Vincent Khor

SMMAMS Webmaster