Mother’s Day: My mum is the wind beneath my wings

Lim (seated) and Yee celebrating his birthday at a restaurant last year. The mother-and-son duo make it a point to celebrate all their special occasions together. Photos: Priscilla Yee

Charles Lim, and his mother Priscilla Yee, 51, have a Mothers Day ritual which they carry out every year: dinner at a nice restaurant (a different one each year), to celebrate not only the special day but also their shared love for food.

This year will be different though. While the movement control order (MCO) has been relaxed to make dining out possible, the duo don’t intend to take any chances.

“It’s not where we celebrate, but being able to celebrate (the day) that counts, ” says Lim, 27.

“And that the family is safe, ” adds Yee, a banking services executive.

The mother-and-son duo also celebrated Yee's birthday at home this year by ordering food delivery.

The mother and son share a special bond because Yee, a divorcee, is a single parent.

“It isn’t easy to be a single mother or raise a child alone, to be the only one there for him through his school years, when he gets his school results and even at his graduation, ” she admits.

“And to endure all the difficulties on my own to make sure my son was being taken care of and felt loved at all times, even during special occasions like his birthdays, ” she adds.

But this has made their relationship as mother and son stronger. In fact, Yee and Lim are also good friends.

“As I grew up, I realised all the sacrifices that my mum had to make for me and it made me love and appreciate her even more, ” says Lim, a retail entertainment executive.

“We can talk to each other and share about what is happening in our lives, whether it’s about relationships, work or other stuff, ” he adds.

A sweet hand-made Mothers Day card that Lim gave Yee in 2015. Lim values the sacrifices that Yee made, raising him on her own.

Lim’s appreciation for his mother is evident in the thoughtful little things that he does for her, such as the sweet card that he got her for Mothers Day several years ago.

“He gave me the sweetest card and wrote in it: ‘It can’t be easy being a mum words cannot express how much I appreciate your presence’,” recounts Yee.

“He even printed out The Simpsons’ (which she likes) Lego figurines of Bart and Marge for me, ” she adds.

This year, they are ordering food delivery to celebrate Mothers Day at home.

“We need to be cautious about the whole situation even though we’re given more flexibility now, because the virus is still out there.

“Safety and good health is very important for us, as it should be to everyone else too,” says Yee.

“It may be inconvenient not being able to go out to celebrate, but the important thing is that we’re safe at home together during such a crisis,” Lim concurs.

Yee’s own mother lives in Tapah, Perak. Since she is unable to visit her this Mothers Day, she has ordered a special cake to be delivered to her.

“It’s the least I can do to make the day special for her, since I can’t go back to spend it with her until the MCO is fully lifted,” she says.