EVERY year, numerous days are celebrated to remind people of certain extraordinary events, happenings or certain special people in our lives.
Such special days are celebrated with zeal and zest the world over in accordance with the cultural practices of particular places or countries.
And Mother's Day is that one special day that stands out for most people and that takes place tomorrow. Some people get teary-eyed when they talk about their loving and supportive mothers. Especially when their mums are no longer around.
For me, Mother's Day is extra special because a mother is someone who brings you into this world. It's sometimes beyond words to describe the person who fed you, coaxed you to walk and talk, or showed you that things are still all right even when the chips were down.
For some, they go to the extent of saying: "To the world, you are our mother. To our family, you are the world." And we also ought not to forget that a loving mother's arms are always more comforting than anyone else's.
Sacrifice is a word that comes readily when we think of our mothers. And why not?
If we have forgotten, our mothers stayed up with us when we were afraid to sleep during thunderstorms, kept us fed when we were hungry, gave up their quiet time when we pestered them with almost unanswerable questions, kept us company when we were sick, spent time with us when we needed cheering up and even allowed us to be ourselves when we were stubborn with our goals and aspirations.
Therefore, Mother's Day is a day when celebrants also honour motherhood and for them to make an extra-special effort to recognise and appreciate mothers' roles in their lives.
But such a special day is not confined to just mothers but also to other generations of mothers like grandmothers, great-grandmothers, stepmothers and even mother figures!
In conjunction with Mother's Day on Sunday, a Penang-based charity group, Rose Charities International Malaysia, is trying out something unique.
Known as the Amazing Amah Fashion Show, it will feature 26 grandmothers or senior citizens, otherwise known as amah in the Penang Hokkien lingo, strutting on the catwalk.
Baby Goh, an elegant 60-something who is coordinating the show, said she wants to advocate active ageing with a healthy lifestyle, which is in line with Penang's 2030 Vision of increasing the participation of seniors, women and youth in community life.
The idea for the show came from a similar one that was staged in China recently and she adds that she too wanted to show that grandmothers in Penang could do it with a flourish.
Response has been overwhelming, Baby reveals, as there are more aspirants than the show's organisers could accommodate because the women feel that they too have got what it takes to parade and showcase their own stylish collections as well as evening wear from a bridal wear sponsor.
"We want to portray that grandmothers or the elderly are not just confined to their homes to cook or take care of grandchildren," she adds. "There's much more that seniors can do with their time."
Ageing actively or gracefully is best described as "looking old, but still holding on" or "showing signs of ageing, but still moving forward with life". It doesn't have to refer specifically to age or appearance, but rather an attitude that people have as they go through the latter stages of life.
The charity group's president, Datuk Lawrence Cheah Seong Paik, said proceeds from the event will be used to buy solar panels and water filters for the Orang Asli community in Gerik (Perak) near the Malaysian-Thai border.
The fundraising effort, under the group's motto of "People helping people" and the accompanying tagline: "We cannot help everyone, but everyone can help someone", is aimed at reducing the effects of poverty, helping people to lead a better life and assisting the Orang Asli to find sustainable solutions.
That's certainly a fitting tribute to our beloved mothers and to honour that special element known as sacrifice, which is inherent in them most times. Happy Mother's Day!
The writer is a former Bernama chief executive officer and editor-in-chief
