Specialist Dental Group has launched an on-going series of blog posts by our individual dental specialists. All views provided are the dentist’s own opinions and are posted on this blog as part of our on-going efforts to educate the public about dental issues and other matters of interest.
Marvelous, meticulous, maternal
Outstanding, open-hearted, organized
Tenacious, tireless, thoughtful
Hardworking, honorable, humane
Exemplary, energetic, empathetic
Resilient, reliable, rolemodel
Put all the first letters together and it spells MOTHER. These are all the adjectives that come to mind when one thinks of a mother. My mother is certainly all of these and more.
My siblings and I were not born with a silver spoon in our mouths. Our childhood years were difficult and my mother had to assume both daddy and mummy roles raising us up. She always wanted only the best for us and gave us only the best, even if it meant sacrificing her own wellbeing, ideals and happiness.
Born Malaysians, my mother had the wisdom and foresight to enroll us in a primary school in Singapore. My siblings and I used to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to get ready to board the orange school bus that would take us to and fro Johor Bahru and Singapore. We travelled across the Johor-Singapore Causeway everyday, and on days where there were massive traffic jams, we even had to walk across the 1.056km bridge to get to the customs so that we could get home. We did all these travelling from 7 years old and for 10 years till the end of secondary school. Subsequently we lived in the school hostels when we were in junior college and university as all those time spent on the road meant less time for homework and sleep. All those years, without fail, my devoted mother would singlehandedly take care of all these logistics and our welfare to ensure a smooth education experience for all my 3 other siblings and myself.
All thanks to the meritocracy system in Singapore, my siblings and I were able to attain certain achievements based on hardwork and I was fortunate to be able to receive a stellar education in Singapore and the United States. My brother, sisters and I had learnt from a young age that ‘you reap what you sow’. Such is an example of all the positive values that my mum inculcated in us from young. 25 years on since I began my education journey in Singapore, such memories still remain vivid in my mind. Although I won’t say I have accomplished great things, at least I now have a stable job and I’m empowered with knowledge and a skill set as a dentist and a periodontist. Today, my siblings and I owe everything we have to our selfless and virtuous mother. Our lives are slightly better and we don’t have to worry as much about making ends meet like our growing up years. We would not be where we are today, if not for all her sacrifices and unconditional love.
My mother and her grandchildren
Now, a mother of 2 myself, I understand and appreciate even more what my mother did, and is still doing for us. I now know that motherhood and parenting is no walk in the park, and that a mother’s love is indeed the greatest love of all. Gone are the carefree days of sleeping in on weekends, catching up with friends and watching the latest movie or having uninterrupted romantic dinners with the spouse. While I admit I’m no perfect daughter, and even less so, a perfect mother to my kids, I would like to think that my mother had brought up all my siblings and I well. My mum is one super woman and I strive to provide the best for my children and impart the right values to them just like how my mum did. I hope that one day, my children too will appreciate what I have done for them. Not one to usually utter mushy words, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to my dearest mother for all that she has sacrificed and endured for us. This Mother’s Day, I would like to wish all mothers, and my mother especially, a very HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! We love you Mummy!
Dr Daylene Leong is Dental Specialist in Periodontics with Specialist Dental Group®, Singapore. She received her training in the specialty area of Periodontology from the University of Michigan, USA. Dr Leong is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore. She has a special interest in periodontal regeneration, gingival aesthetic and plastic surgery and dental implants.
