Dear Mom

Many will say that they have the best mother in the world. From all of the sacrifices they make to the care they provide us all throughout our lives, our mothers mean more than just mere words can explain. I am also one of those people who will adamantly proclaim that my mother is the most wonderful mother in the world. She has had a profound impact on my life, and I can never thank her enough for all that she has done for me.

One of my earliest memories as a child came from the time when I started to lose my vision. At such a young age, I had no idea what was happening to me and the uncertainty of the situation really frightened me. Although I never expressed my fear to anyone, my mom was able to figure out how I was feeling. While we were in the doctor’s office waiting for the results of a particular test, my mom knelt down to my height and took my small hands into her comforting ones. “Listen, I know this is scary but I know my little girl is strong.” I looked at her, puzzled over how she knew what I was feeling in the moment. “Have hope, and I promise you that you will be better than ever.” Her words have always stuck with me.

She has taught me many things over the years. However, that particular memory demonstrates the biggest lesson she has ever taught me. We can’t always control what happens to us but we can control how we view the situations we are in. I have carried this lesson, along with many others, with me throughout my life, and I truly believe that they have helped shaped the person that I am today.

I hope this Mother’s Day, you all are able to spend time with your mothers in whatever capacity that may be during the pandemic, and I would just like to wish all the mothers out there a very Happy Mother’s Day!

Artist Statement
This is a poem that I wrote for my Mom sometime ago. I hope you all enjoy it!

Dear Mom

Today is a day that we thank our mothers for everything that they do for us.
We praise them with many compliments, and shower them with gorgeous gifts.
But amidst all the celebration, we often forget to thank them.
No, not for being wonderful mothers, but rather for the simple, everyday things that we take for granted.
So here it goes:
Dear Mom,
Thank you for checking with us to make sure we have eaten enough throughout the day.
Thank you for waking up early in order to make sure that we will be ready for the day.
Thank you for making sure that we are well prepared for every single task we are taking on.
Thank you for being there for us when we are knocked down, and are too weak to get up on our own.
But most of all, thank you for teaching us the lessons that will carry us through each difficulty we will face in our lives.
It is because of you that we are who we are today.

Happy Mother’s Day

by Ishita Bhatia