To Mom and Dad: Reflections from a graduate

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/04/2016 (3424 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As I am coming face to face with what seems to be the final weeks of high school, I can’t help but reflect on my journey so far. In looking back, the biggest influences on my life are my parents. Since Day 1 in 1998, they started impacting my education, my character and my values. I am over thankful for the opportunities they have bestowed upon me, and the sacrifices they’ve made. Therefore, I would like to dedicate this article foremost to my parents, who have impacted my love of learning, and who I am today.

Grade 1, the second year into my journey for higher education, I came to realize not every student had the same privileges as me. Not everyone had a parent who was his or her chauffeur, cook and teacher for life. You, my super mom, had made a choice three years prior to give up your career as a pharmacist to be a domestic engineer, better known as a homemaker, to raise your children. I will never forget how you would spend countless hours after school teaching me math beyond my current grade level, improving my reading skills, working especially hard to improve my writing skills, teaching me how to be an artist, and how to ace science fair projects.

All this bestowed knowledge impressed my elementary school teachers, and let me be an aid to my peers. In the few years I’ve been alive, not a single person I’ve come across has been able to say their mother sat beside them on a piano bench for hours at a time learning how to read music, sat in on all their classes, drove them straight from ballet rehearsal to taekwondo three times a week, swimming lessons once a week, volunteering twice a week, had time to cook, and repeated everything, for all their children. It amazes me to think that if you had not sacrificed your “success” I would not have the same passion for learning as I do today.

Of course, Dad, you have always been a hero. You uprooted the life you had made in South Africa to move to a new, foreign country, and work tirelessly to provide me with every opportunity possible. I will always remember how you would spend your free time playing with me outside: whether it was tennis, soccer, biking, running, or badminton. Because of you, I developed my competitive nature and love for sports, adventure and the outdoors. I know that because you work hard, your appearances at concerts, competitions, and training tests are like that of a celebrity. Our parent/teacher interviews are still a score of zero since kindergarten, and you’re a person of mystery to most of my peers and teachers. However, when you do attend an event while on call, in full or in part, it’s an honour. My appreciation of how valuable time is, and how important family is, no matter how often you see them has stemmed from your caring nature for family and patients.

Twelve years later and both of you continue to teach me values not learned through textbooks. You’ve taught me so much more than reading, writing and math. My strict upbringing, practise in a range of extracurricular activities, family values, sense of giving back, and even my characteristics have stemmed from your love. It is thanks to you that I became involved in dance, sports, martial arts, science fairs and speech competitions. I’ve successfully performed in three outstanding Neelin major productions, won sports events and games for Neelin teams, and represented our school at Concours d’art oratoire and Canada-Wide Science Fair. Without you, I’m certain I would have turned out a completely different person than I am today.

I want you to know that no matter how many times I pick an argument, don’t feel like eating a supper that Mom has slaved away cooking, or pull a typical teen tantrum, I am truly grateful and thankful to say you are my parents. Your youthful personalities and appearances, beautiful souls, and overly caring nature always make my day brighter. I owe all my success to you, and although I am moving away next year, your lectures and teachings will remain with me for life. Together we’ve seen trophies, awards, provincial titles, adventures and vacations which have passed in a blink of an eye, yet I will cherish our love and time always.

» Rashmini Shunmugam is a Grade 12 student at École secondaire Neelin High School.