What is the definition of a strong woman?
passport photo of my mother and late father's marriage certificate
A strong woman who inspires me
She's my mother! Someone who inspires me and teaches me many life lessons, both bitter and sweet. She was born on April 10, 1974, and is now 51 years old. She was born in a remote village to a mother who was also a farmer.
My mother is the eldest of six children. Before she married my father, she was just a village girl whose livelihood depended on the rice grown by her mother, my grandmother. In 1990, my father married her, and she moved to the city with him. That's where my mother's life adventure began.
In the city, my mother and father lived in a small, cramped rented house. My father used to work as a street cleaner in Banda Aceh, but over time he started to work as a cook at a food stall in the city. However, in 2004, a tsunami struck parts of Aceh, especially Banda Aceh, causing hundreds of thousands of Acehnese to die as a result of the natural disaster. My family and I survived, but my father lost his job because the shop where he worked was destroyed, as was the rented house we were living in at the time. Finally, because it was no longer possible for us to live there, my father and mother decided to return to their hometown.
After 2 years of the Tsunami, my mother and father decided to return to their hometown and build a small business in the suburbs and start life all over again. My mother and father worked day and night to support our school-age children. In 2016, my father suddenly passed away after suffering an embolic stroke, and after that, my mother began to fall ill. Eventually, we decided to return to our hometown, and my mother became a farmer and needed to work in the rice fields.
During the rice planting season, my mother also worked as a laborer, paid to plant other people's rice seeds. The proceeds she earned covered her daily needs and my younger sibling's schooling. My mother was already very frail, but she continued to work! That's why she's such an inspiration to me for her hard work.
Sometimes when I see her working hard, I feel so sorry for her! but I can't help much either.
My mother is still sickly, but she continues to work in the rice fields! My youngest sibling lives at a boarding school to study. My relationship with my mother isn't that close. I rarely joke or talk to her, in fact, we rarely exchange pleasantries or greet her, or even go shopping together. I don't know why she's not very friendly to me. Unlike my other siblings.
I took this photo secretly a few years ago while my mother was talking with my aunt. I really wanted to be close to her, but I felt it would be awkward to talk to her or even tell her. I wish I could give her a small gift and say thank you for being such a strong, hardworking, and resilient woman for her family.
Thank you for reading my story, which may be a bit boring! But I'm happy to share it. Thank you also to the LOH community for holding the contest.
My Regards, Lidia.🤗
