Aliyawanders

One of my fondest childhood memories with my mom was when we sat together watching cartoons. I once asked her, “Aren’t cartoons only for kids? Are adults even allowed to watch them?” She smiled and said, “Don’t let society decide what you can or can’t do, or what you can or can’t watch. Cartoons make me happy, and sometimes the world is just too serious. Watching them gives me a little escape from it all.”

Back then, my mom was a fun-loving person who was always laughing, especially when she was with her sisters. I wish I could share a photo of us from when I was a child, one that captured her laughter perfectly, but I don’t have any. We didn’t own a camera back then, and smartphones weren’t yet a thing for impromptu moments. All I have now are the memories of those cherished times, etched in my heart.

I remember painting one day, and she told me, “Your tree doesn’t have to be straight. It can have crooked, wavy branches or colorful leaves. It’s your tree; you can make it however you like.” She also told me that if I ever got the chance to travel the world, I’d see that not everything has to be set in stone.

Even though I slowly started losing the mom I knew as she changed over the years, her words have stayed with me, tucked away in my heart.

Fast forward to today, I still love dressing up. Maybe that’s why I enjoy attending events, I get to wear outfits I wouldn’t normally wear. Even at home, I can’t resist a good dress-up moment. Sometimes, I put on pretty dresses, style my hair, and even wear fancy hats, just for fun. The boys in the house are so used to my antics that they don’t even bat an eye anymore. Lately, I’ve been strutting around the house in my Miniso Harry Potter cape, and they don’t even flinch.

But last night, while I was exercising, my son walked up to me and said, “Mommy, you love dressing up like a teenager, don’t you?”

Without missing a beat, I repeated my mom’s words to him: “Don’t let society tell you what you can or can’t do. Do what makes you happy, as long as it doesn’t go against your religion.”

It’s a full-circle moment, her words, passed down to me, now being shared with him. And who knows? Maybe someday, he’ll be saying them to someone else too.