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Friday, May 7, 2010

Photohunt: Mother


http://tnchick.com/


The year was 1973. This is a photo of my mum, Mary Wah Kiew Chan Nee Kong.

On this day, I remember her and how she was taken away from us twenty two years ago in a terrible car accident, at the age of sixty. Gone but not forgotten in her children's heart.

The second World War came and altered her life. She was a teenager during the war, and became a war bride.

For fear of forcedly made into a Japanese Sex Worker, my grand parents married her to an unknown man at fifteen. Loved blossomed and together, they had nine children.

This photo of Mum was taken as a group photo of some of my siblings as we were at the airport to farewell Elizabeth, the day of her engagement to Kalang.

Mum was dressed in a Kebaya, the national dress of Malaysia. People asked if she was a Malaysian Airlines stewardess. She smiled and said she was too old. We teased that she should have told them she was the director of the stewardess. At this time, she was the DEO's wife.

I wish my children got to know her, except for Deborah, the others have not seen their wonderful grandma.






I was at Western Springs when I saw this hen. I was wondering why she was all fluff up and refusing to move. I got bits of tree chips and gently threw at her to coax it to move. It refused to budge. Then I heard chirping. I understood why, though it is autumn, she still had her chicks. She was protecting her brood of chicks from intruders like me. I threw a bigger hunk of chip, and she momentarily stood up enough to satisfy my curiosity that indeed she was protecting her chicks.

This is a real story. After a bush fire in Australia, a fireman saw a charred body of a hen. He kicked it and under the dead hen was a brood of live chicks. The fireman couldn't believe himself. He saw the sacrificial love of the hen for her chicks. He likened it to Jesus dying for us.

22 comments:

magiceye said...

beautiful takes on the theme

Elisabeth said...

Your mother is like the hen, Ann. This is a lovely story, and it's sad that she should have died so young.

LifeRamblings said...

thanks for sharing your memories,. your mom looks great in kebaya.

yes, the shot of my mom was captured at New Zealand.

Happy Mother's day!

jams o donnell said...

A superb take on the theme. Your mother was a beautiful woman

TorAa said...

Very engaging story about your Mother.
Also weet story about the hen

Ladykli said...

your post was very touching for mother's day weekend. Your mom sounds like she was a wonderful woman. Your children may not have got to meet her but you can share her through your memories. I like what you posted on my blog. Thanks for visiting.

Carver said...

Wonderful shot of your mother and such an interesting life she had. My mother died before my brother's children were born and my daughter was only 5 so I know what you mean about wishing your mother had known her grandchildren and they her.

What an amazing story about the hen.

Kim, USA said...

Such beautiful woman!! Your story Ann is very touching, made me emotional here. My mom passed away 10 years ago and I do missed her. As you have said gone but not forgotten. Happy Mother's day to you!!

Mother Nature

Scott Law said...

A great tribute to motherhood and an excellent angle on this week's theme. Happy Mother's Day.

 gmirage said...

I feel this, my dad died last year and he was 60 too, my youngest son never met him and he happened to look like him so much! Amazing story to go with it...all the best to you and your family!

Serline said...

Inspirational stories. I was a toddler back in 1973, but I do recall some old photos of my mom and mother-in-law featuring them in kebayas. I suppose they were more commonplace back then. Happy Mother's Day!

Noel Morata said...

aloha ann,

i enjoyed reading your story about your mom, thanks for sharing this with us...happy mother's day to all moms

Magia da Inês said...

♥ Olá, amiga!
Passei para uma visitinha.
Para você... com muito carinho ♥

"Quem tem o abraço mais apertado...
mais carinhoso...♥
e um amor tão grande... tão grande...♥
que apaga qualquer desamor?"♥

Feliz Dia das Mães!!!

♥Ótimo fim de semana!
Itabira♥♥
Brasil

EG CameraGirl said...

Nice photo of your mother, Ann. Too bad your children never got to know her but she lives on through this photo and the stories you tell. :)

Cheryl said...

A touching tribute to your mother Ann.

Elaine Yim said...

Ann, I'm sorry to hear about the tragic way your mom was taken from your family. That was a beautiful and touching tribute to a great lady. Our moms will always live on in our hearts. We are going to teach our next generation who will teach the next, all the great things that our moms had taught us.

"It's not what you leave to your children, it is what you leave in your children."
... anonymous.

Tussy said...

You look similar to her, a touching tribute to your mother.

My Wordless Wednesday
Thailand In Photo

Ah Ngao said...

your mum beautiful - so are you .

Jama said...

Your mom is beautiful lady!nowadays it's quiet rare to see chinese wearing the batik kebaya anymore.
I love going to our zoo, used to Friends of the zoo's member when the kids were younger. Now I wait for my NS boy to bring us there using his corporate membership.By June he'll be finishing his NS, so cannot borrow the card anymore , unless he work for another company that's also has a zoo's corporate membership.

Ruth said...

Your mother was a very strong woman and I am sorry to hear that you lost her so tragically. It is hard for me to imagine the struggles many people in the world have gone through to survive.

Anne said...

Wonderful take on the theme. Blessings to your mom. And to the hen who was a wonderful mother too.

Thanks for visiting mine and have a great week.

Annie
http://www.slowtrav.com/blog/annienc/

Anonymous said...

Love reading your blog, sis Ann! This mother's day story is so touching, wish I have known your mom....what a beautiful woman!