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| Grandchildren born between 1981 to 1994 |
My late mom's second set of grandchildren were born between 1981 to 1994, a total of thirteen altogether. Only three were born when she was still alive. She passed away on 8.6.86 at age 66 and 2 months later my daughter was born. My eldest son was barely two years old then. Come to think of it my children never knew their maternal grandma and they never ask about her. I would go through the same fate I guess, buried and forgotten unless told.
Born in 1920, my mom was the second child of 6 siblings. Those days the girls stayed home and was never sent to school. Her eldest brother was an educated person with a good career, then in the 60s was working with an oil and gas company and went as far as Brunei to work. The rest of her siblings, all went to school except for her. I guess being the eldest girl she had to sacrifice to take care of her younger siblings. I was informed that she always ask her mom why she was not sent to school.
She may have not been educated formally but but then again the small world she lived in was her University. One does not need a Degree, Masters or a PhD in raising children but one need to have good values, lots of love and most important of all religious knowledge. She raised 11 children ( a child died a week after birth and another died at age twelve). Whether she succeeded in raising all of us is not for anyone to judge but Allah.
Mom only dressed in the traditional 'baju kurung' all her life, donned the same hairstyle pulled back in a bun, never worn any make up except for a light pat of powder on the face. Never owned a house or a car, only travelled to places in Johor, Melaka, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Singapore (to my knowledge). Her world were her family, her siblings family and those in the neighbourhood where she lived. She was never a person who complained much about her needs not being met or what she did not have. My sister remembered her clearly as someone who is selfless and always put the needs of others before her. Despite all that she lacked in material she made it up in spiritual, she raised us well and made sure all of us had a good education. If only she lived long enough to see her descendants, she must have made lots of doa for all of us to be blessed by Allah.
Mak, it will never be enough to pay you back in this world for what you have done for us and for us to raise our children and leave your legacy for them to raise theirs. We will always love you and you will always be in all of us forever, either they know it or not.
She may have not been educated formally but but then again the small world she lived in was her University. One does not need a Degree, Masters or a PhD in raising children but one need to have good values, lots of love and most important of all religious knowledge. She raised 11 children ( a child died a week after birth and another died at age twelve). Whether she succeeded in raising all of us is not for anyone to judge but Allah.
Mom only dressed in the traditional 'baju kurung' all her life, donned the same hairstyle pulled back in a bun, never worn any make up except for a light pat of powder on the face. Never owned a house or a car, only travelled to places in Johor, Melaka, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Singapore (to my knowledge). Her world were her family, her siblings family and those in the neighbourhood where she lived. She was never a person who complained much about her needs not being met or what she did not have. My sister remembered her clearly as someone who is selfless and always put the needs of others before her. Despite all that she lacked in material she made it up in spiritual, she raised us well and made sure all of us had a good education. If only she lived long enough to see her descendants, she must have made lots of doa for all of us to be blessed by Allah.
Mak, it will never be enough to pay you back in this world for what you have done for us and for us to raise our children and leave your legacy for them to raise theirs. We will always love you and you will always be in all of us forever, either they know it or not.
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| Some of the grandchildren and the great grand children. |
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| The Family at two of the Grandchildren's wedding |
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