My mother Mary was the strictest person I knew growing up. Curfews, rules, and the cane if we disobeyed. It was hard to imagine she was ever anything else. But she was. Born in 1941, she never went to school like her brothers did. Instead she learned dressmaking and spent her youth on group trips to Changi Beach, riding lorries, eating satay in the sun, and sneaking into midnight screenings to catch famous movie stars in person. Learning this changed how I see her. Before she was my disciplinarian, she was a young woman with a life full of joy.
My mother, Mary, was very strict when I was growing up. She set firm rules, such as strict curfews and the requirement to be home before dinner, and she did not hesitate to use the cane if we disobeyed. Because of this, it was hard to imagine that she was once a free-spirited young woman.
Born in 1941, Mary grew up in the post-war era. While her brothers went to school, she and her sisters did not receive a formal education. Instead, she helped with chores and learned dressmaking as a teenager. Despite these limitations, she had a very active social life. She has fond memories of group trips to Changi Beach, where they would rent a lorry, bring a satay man along, and spend the day playing in the sun.
Mary was also a huge movie fan. Because the theatres’ box offices at that time were often crowded and rowdy, she would ask her brothers to buy tickets for her so she could attend safely. She even remembers seeing famous movie stars in person when they came to Singapore to promote their films, usually at the midnight screenings.
Learning about these stories has given me a new perspective on her life before she became a wife and homemaker. It is fascinating to hear about her interests and dreams from when she was young. Discovering this side of her has helped me better understand the person she was before she took on the role of the strict disciplinarian in our home.