Category: Mother’s Day
Mums – the creator of life; the glue that keeps a family together; the heart of a household; and the personification of love itself.
Many would agree that the strength and unconditional love of a mother is unparalleled, which is why Mother’s Day is an annual fair to be cherished.
In celebration of mums on their special day, we’ve compiled a list of empowering stories featuring incredible women in Singapore we love and adore.
From a childless bakery owner who adopted a son to a homeless pregnant mother who crawled her way out of a desperate situation for her kids, we hope these strong women will inspire you to celebrate your mum in your own special way on Mother’s Day.
Maha Lakshmi: Bullied as a Kid for Having Curly Hair, Beauty Queen Learns to Love and Accept Herself
“I despised my hair when I was a kid because I was bullied excessively for having curly hair. In primary school, kids would throw staple bullets and pour eraser shavings into my hair. At that age when you’re so young and just want to be accepted, it was so hard to fit in.”
“Every year on her birthday, I make sure that my daughter says a prayer for her biological mother. For most, birthdays are about others holding celebrations and buying you gifts; but, birthdays are actually not about you. They’re about your mum, the one who gave you life.”
“The biggest thing I’ve learnt on this journey is that self-care is crucial, especially in parenting. As the saying goes, ‘You can’t pour from an empty cup.’ Anything can happen with the kids, but when I become dysregulated with my emotions, that’s when things go down the drain…”
“What convinced me to take up this role were the many cultural touchpoints that I very much identify with. Faith talks about our struggles with work-life balance, societal and self-imposed pressures, and the gender roles that we conform to or rail against.”
“So it always comes back to the same question of ‘Are you happy?’ And what does it even mean to be happy? Does it even matter? Because it’s really hard to be happy in Singapore. There are so many expectations and it’s all very heartbreaking.”
“Radio gave me my calling, that I should spread joy and laughter wherever I go, and to make a difference, one life a day. And that’s exactly our philosophy at MADLY Gems – to spread joy and beauty and make a difference in a person’s life, one bespoke piece at a time.”
“And if he ever reads this story one day, I want him to know that he’s always loved. I want him to know that he’s lucky to have more than one family and that no matter what, he will always have a forever family in me.”
“What keeps me going is the love for our community. It makes me happy when I’m able to help a person find halal versions of foods they love. At the end of the day, eating is an activity that brings people together. It seems so simple but it means so much to us…”
“I’m an actress by training but my work goes beyond that. My passion lies in education and engaging with the public through the arts. And while I don’t have children because I choose not to, I continue to educate the future generations through programmes like N.O.W.”
Looking back upon my life, what I’ve really learnt is the importance of resilience; persist no matter what. I always ask my kids, ‘Do you remember what we went through? Never forget that. Because that period made you so much stronger.’
Yes, I feel blessed right now. My husband and I are working hard to create a good life for our family. Whenever I’m tempted to do anything bad, I just look at my children’s faces as they remind me of what’s important. I’ve lost my son; I don’t want to lose anything else.