For All The Mothers in Our Lives

It's an indescribable feeling knowing my work is able to touch hearts and actually bring tears to someone else's eyes. I recently woke up to that. To knowing a stranger holding my book of "PhotoPoetry" and feeling every word in it.

 

When I first decided to compile my work into a booklet, it was more of a small personal goal to give instead of receive on my birthday, and to remind myself that Allah is always kind. I imagined just having them purchased by a group of close friends, and to have the proceeds, no matter how little, be fully donated to maybe two families of low-income single mothers.

 

Why this cause? You may or may not have read in some of my posts about wishing for more time with my daughter, and about the struggles of a working mother. I truly enjoy the simple act of playing, storytelling and doing arty projects with my kid in my humble attempts to help her learn. But most of my hours are away from her due to work, traffic, long commute and the usual things you and I encounter working in a big city. And for every minute I miss not spending with my girl doing all of the above, my heart aches.

 

There was this morning I actually spent crying because of that when I realized I really shouldn't. I am blessed enough to have a child of my own, and a husband so supportive in my efforts to chase my dreams and inshaaAllah have more time with my daughter. And then there are those who do not have a choice. Whose hearts ache just the same but whose circumstances not allow them a choice. This is for them. And this is for everyone who has been a mother to us, in any way at all. This is for all the mothers in our lives.

 

First-prints of my books have sold out, alhamdulillah, and with that, inshaaAllah we'll be able to help even more families of low-income single mothers than I first imagined. I am currently taking pre-orders for the next batch of prints. The books (or more like booklets) are basically a compilation of a few of my PhotoPoetry works. They're priced at RM20 each, with all proceeds going to low-income single mothers via the help of Jumble Station of Parents Without Partners Bhd.

Do leave me a comment here or an email at azaliasuhaimi@gmail.com if you're interested. And for every bit of your help and support, I am forever grateful. Thank you.