I came from a poor family. When I was a child, we barely made ends meet. Mother had to work hard but received little pay. Some days, all we can afford is a little bowl of rice. Mother handed the bowl to me and said "eat all your food, my little child. You need to grow up and I am not hungry.". But, mother, how can you not be hungry? You worked hard all day but hasn't eaten a thing. Mother did not reply. She tenderly stroked my hair and smile. "I love you more than anything in the world", she said.
My father passed away when I was nine. Without him, we were in financial hardship more than ever before. My mother was very sad. I could tell that she missed him so much. Soon after, mother had to sell her wedding ring to pay for my food and school tuition. My mother often took out that ring to admire but she told me she didn't like the ring after all. "It's just too ordinary for me", she said. But, mother, if you don't like that ring, why are you crying?. "I cry because I am so happy. I am the luckiest woman in this world to have you as my daughter.", she replied.
Without father's support, mother had to take up a second night-shift job as a construction worker. She came home late at night after I went to sleep. I only saw her in the morning when I woke up in her arms. She made me breakfast and kept my dinner in the cupboard. Then, she had to go to work. I made an offer to go to help her at work because she seems very tired but she refused. "You need to go to school so that when you grows up, you don't have to work like I do", she said.
Mother worked so hard to save money for my college. She eventually fall to the illness and had to lay in bed. She was so thin and feeble. I wanted to call the doctor but she refused. "Don't worry, I will be just fine. I just have to rest for a few hours.", she said. She tried to smile though it was obvious that she was in pain. She didn't even want me to buy medicines for her.