A Mother's Hug

Favoritism, that's what most of the people doesn't want to think especially when it comes to family. It's hard to accept that our parents sometimes cannot be deny that they have their favorite son or daughter. It's quite annoying to think but it's like inevitable.

Claire, second to the eldest in four of her siblings. She has a younger brother next to her and a youngest sister which has a big age gap. And she is one year apart from her older sister. And the two of them of her younger siblings are very close to the eldest which sometimes make her feel alone.

When she and her sister was still a kid. The older ones always get the attention of the mother and she get the attention of her father. But for it seems not right because she slowly realizes and noticed that her sister gets more than her. Like she always get into public school and her sister got to enter in a private school. She always gets the hand me down clothes from her sister and her mother always praises her older sister even if both of them got a high score in test though her sister is much higher than her. Less praises and attention. Less love and affection, and that's how she felt when they we're a child until growing up.

Claire, did her best but when she was in college, she become a teenage mom when she was 18yrs old and her world became fall apart even her parents, got disappointed with her. Her marriage become failed too, so she went back to her family together with her son. Her parents also got separated on that year 2011. But Claire always did everything not to be a burden to her family especially that she has a son. She worked, any kind of work that she could do. Though her sister helps her too, and she was grateful about that.

But, sometimes the feeling of being alone is still there. Hard for her to let go of that feeling because, there are times that her own family especially her siblings, thinks that she is not helping at all. They were sometimes blaming her for being in that kind of situation. Homeless, failed marriage and separated. She got so much depressed and stressed that's why she made some mistakes to her life.

Until one day, when Claire was going to borrow something from her older sister because she need something for her work, her older sister got angry at her. It surprise her because she was just asking for a permission to borrow a computer. Her older sister still mad at her and saying words that is not appropriate. And Claire got burst out too.

She cried and while she's crying, she told all of her feelings and all emotions came up from her chest. She also mentioned about everything, from the time when they were kids, the favoritism part, being feeling alone and no one is on her side and then all of the tears runs down through her face. Their mother was also crying too, because of those words, she felt that she is unfair to her children. She takes on Claire side this time and for the first time, she hug Claire and comfort her.

The mother didn't realized all the pain that was hidden on her and that she realized that it is really painful to carry all of it. Claire got more emotional and a lot of tears when her mother hugged her. Her mother apologized to her and Claire apologized too. A mother's hug make Claire calm down herself and realized that she is not alone. A hug that changed her mind when it comes to her family. A hug that gave her a hope to prove herself to be worthy to her family, to her son and to her mother. After that hug she felt that her mother was also on her side, that her mother did not forget her, that her mother just watching her to grow and to be strong. And to surpass those challenges that comes to her life.

Claire gotten back to her feet. Started to think very carefully about her future and her son's future. When she always got a job, she always do her best in everything, but fate sometimes is harsh. And everytime she's stressed in everything she do, she just hug her son. A mother's hug that came from her and giving it to her son. Because for her, when she's hugging her son, it gives her energy. As a mother, Claire realized the powerful meaning of a hug. Not just from her own mother's hug but also from her. That she is not jut giving a hug, it also gives you a sense of security and comfort not just for the person that you are hugging but also to the person that's hugging you. That's why everytime, when she is stress about her surroundings or to her day, she always wanted to give her son a hug, like her mother's hug.

Life is difficult but sometimes when it's your turn, it's your turn. Claire's turn has come. She got an employer abroad and because of this she thinks that she could help her family now, especially that she will be earning a lot more than before. She passed the test of life in this stage. And now she's on next level of her life.

Saying goodbye to your family especially to your son is really hard and leaving her son to make sure of his future was the hardest part. But she knows that she will gain a lot in this new journey. And now that she is going to say goodbye, she hug all of her family one by one and her mother's hug was the best part.

It gives her courage to face the new chapter of her life. It reminds her to always pray and ask for guidance from our Lord. And she knew that her family loves her. That hug cheer her up and give her strength to face forward the better future. She left a great big hug to her son too. And she remind her that she will going to her him. A hug of promises and encouragement. A hug of love.

Love, security, and promises that everything's will be gonna fine, is what a mother's hug.