from The New Straits Times.
KUALA LUMPUR: Eshah Din has lived in poverty for a large part of her life. Married at 15, the 70-year-old sold nasi lemak and noodles to help her husband support their 17 children.
Rosilah Sulaiman, 45, the fifth of Eshah's children, could not contain her emotions as she described her mother's loving strength and perseverance. She remembers helping her mother sell noodles and rice after school.It was this strength of will that got 14 of her children into university and three into teacher-training college. Now, one of them is an accountant, another is an engineer, one has become a chef, another a teacher and still another a lecturer.
Yesterday, she was rewarded for a lifetime of work, love and dedication to her family. She was presented with the ninth "Ibu Mithali" (exemplary mother) award at the Putra World Trade Centre. The award is given to exceptional mothers who have contributed to society and provided care and education for their children, including sound religious teaching.
The surprised mother from Sungai Petani, Kedah, praised God and attributed the honour to her 74-year-old husband and children, aged 27 to 57."I never expected a reward but I'm proud that my family is with me today. They even rented a bus to be here," she joked.
Eshah now has 80 grandchildren and a great grandchild.The ceremony received 137 nominations for the award. Five were shortlisted for the final.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
The Motherhood Decision
Once upon a time, the hit HBO series “Sex and the City” was about four smart women in their early 30s who wanted to have fun and indulge their sexual appetites. These days, as the characters slide toward 40, each is coming to terms in her own way with the consequences of having put off motherhood.
- Should she have a baby?
- Now that she has a baby, is she a good mother?
- She definitely doesn’t want a baby.
- She’s anxiously trying to have a baby--can she even have a baby?
These dilemmas are being faced by millions of women who have delayed motherhood in favor of careers and lifestyles far more liberated than those of their mothers. Now, as the biological clock continues to tick, time runs short for making a choice that will forever affect their lives. As women age, that internal dialog grows ever louder and more insistent, says Dr. Diana Dell, a reproductive psychiatrist at Duke University Medical Center.
She adds, “Women didn’t used to have much of a choice about whether or not to become mothers, and now they perceive that they do, and they want to make the right choice.”
That struggle has spawned an entire self-help category for women, visible in Web sites, books, and advocacy groups.
In addition to the fact that more women are having babies later in their lives, a growing number of women are choosing not to have children at all. The decision process and its aftermath can be a source of significant distress, says Dell: “As women feel their options narrowing, and contemplate roads not taken, there is often a deep unhappiness, a sense of loss.”
Dell, who chose not to have children, writes in “Do I Want to Be a Mom?” that her career has always been her most cherished endeavor. While she is, in her own words, a nurturing person who loves puppies and children, she says she has never regretted her choice to not have children.
As she put it,“As long as we have a sense of personal choice, we’re OK.”
- Should she have a baby?
- Now that she has a baby, is she a good mother?
- She definitely doesn’t want a baby.
- She’s anxiously trying to have a baby--can she even have a baby?
These dilemmas are being faced by millions of women who have delayed motherhood in favor of careers and lifestyles far more liberated than those of their mothers. Now, as the biological clock continues to tick, time runs short for making a choice that will forever affect their lives. As women age, that internal dialog grows ever louder and more insistent, says Dr. Diana Dell, a reproductive psychiatrist at Duke University Medical Center.
She adds, “Women didn’t used to have much of a choice about whether or not to become mothers, and now they perceive that they do, and they want to make the right choice.”
That struggle has spawned an entire self-help category for women, visible in Web sites, books, and advocacy groups.
In addition to the fact that more women are having babies later in their lives, a growing number of women are choosing not to have children at all. The decision process and its aftermath can be a source of significant distress, says Dell: “As women feel their options narrowing, and contemplate roads not taken, there is often a deep unhappiness, a sense of loss.”
Dell, who chose not to have children, writes in “Do I Want to Be a Mom?” that her career has always been her most cherished endeavor. While she is, in her own words, a nurturing person who loves puppies and children, she says she has never regretted her choice to not have children.
As she put it,“As long as we have a sense of personal choice, we’re OK.”
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Funny joke about moms
Peace and Quiet
Aunt Karen is the mother of two high-spirited young girls. When I called her one morning, our conversation was constantly interrupted by the din of kids screaming and chasing each other. "Could you hold on for a moment?" my aunt finally asked, putting down the phone. Within ten seconds all I could hear was absolute silence. Then, "Okay, I'm back." "But it's so quiet!" I exclaimed. "You must have complete control over those two." "Not really," my aunt confessed wearily. "I'm in the closet."
-- Contributed by Steve Brundage
Aunt Karen is the mother of two high-spirited young girls. When I called her one morning, our conversation was constantly interrupted by the din of kids screaming and chasing each other. "Could you hold on for a moment?" my aunt finally asked, putting down the phone. Within ten seconds all I could hear was absolute silence. Then, "Okay, I'm back." "But it's so quiet!" I exclaimed. "You must have complete control over those two." "Not really," my aunt confessed wearily. "I'm in the closet."
-- Contributed by Steve Brundage
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Sport of Motherhood
Been surfing the internet for a while now to find resources on managing motherhood challenges. I found an interesting site in which the principal & founder built a training program where mothers can use the tried-and-true training strategies of marathon runners to strengthen their focus and balance their lives. They will find
1) their days are more productive,
2) their personal experiences fuller and
3) their families happier.
She gave new perspective on time management for mothers. She believes that motherhood has a lot in common with endurance sports. For her, motherhood isn’t about winning a competition; it’s about moving forward with energy, strength, enthusiasm and a sense of accomplishment.
She realized that motherhood is a lot like a marathon: in both, the end result is less important than training for endurance, finding your pace and enjoying your run.
1) their days are more productive,
2) their personal experiences fuller and
3) their families happier.
She gave new perspective on time management for mothers. She believes that motherhood has a lot in common with endurance sports. For her, motherhood isn’t about winning a competition; it’s about moving forward with energy, strength, enthusiasm and a sense of accomplishment.
She realized that motherhood is a lot like a marathon: in both, the end result is less important than training for endurance, finding your pace and enjoying your run.
Monday, November 19, 2007
12 more weeks to go.
Currently in my 28th week. Feeling very big and clumsy. With 2 older children to tend to, my energy is really running low. But I'm still in no liberty to have my rest yet. In a few minutes, i will be following my daily routine of running hubby's business- with the children! The plan is to take my rest in about 6 weeks time. In the mean time, just have to go with the flow, I guess. (Sigh).
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