Through play, stories, and the patience of answering a thousand “whys?”, I help my children become free, confident individuals with hearts full of kindness. Through this journey, I have realized that motherhood is not just about raising children, it’s about growing as a person. My children are my great- est teachers, and I am their most devoted student. And if you ask me what makes me a good mother, I will tell you that it is not perfection, but unconditional love, the ability to rise after every fall, and the courage to show them that mothers, too, learn every day. And if someone were to ask me what I would change about this journey, my answer would be simple: nothing. With all of its ups and downs, it is the most beautiful adventure of my life.
Ellaine Yee TP in the Philippines
It is a common sentiment that mothers are their children’s first and best teachers. I’m sure all of us have heard this at some point. I did not realize its significance until I became one. My journey with TP started 16 years ago when I hoped to provide a bet- ter life for my four-month-old baby girl. The challenge was to balance being a good employee and a responsible and dependable mom. I started with the basics: kindness and discipline. From as simple as teaching her the magic words “please” and “thank you” to books, school night routines, and the curfew. Here we are, close to two decades later, with less than a year left before college. I made sure that I was her biggest cheerleader. Always front and center in her activities. Showing up made a lot of difference and has built her trust and confidence. Slowly, I introduced her to the interesting world of reading, fiction to be exact. We would spend hours in the bookstores, discussing why her choice is better than mine or figuring out which books to buy for the month. Lastly, I made sure that we had open communication, something I missed growing up. We talked about the crazy, embarrassing topics to prepare her for adulthood, we agreed on the timing of her owning a mobile phone (she did not get one until she was 15), and strategized on how she would learn to commute on her own. We disagreed at some point but learned to compromise the most. I made sure that she knew that whatever it was that she had to say, I was going to listen. It’s not rocket science, it’s not even new. The joys and pains of mother- hood and how they have shaped my teenage girl are all simple: the bril- liance of the basics. It’s all about being present, even in the midst of the busyness of the corporate world.
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FOSTERING EMPOWERMENT
LETTERS TO MOTHERS
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