Pandemic makes Mother’s Day even more significant

0

Serawa (right) making sushis with other WEPS members during the association’s Mother’s Day celebration last year.

Mastura Ismail

MIRI: The Covid-19 pandemic makes the celebration of Mother’s Day today even more special and meaningful to mothers the world over.

Those met by thesundaypost are happy and thankful for being able to observe this special day, despite this year’s occasion being different from the past celebrations due to the Movement Control Period (MCO) enforced to prevent further spread of Covid-19 infection.

“(This year) it is celebrated on a smaller scale, just among family members.

“Still, there’s a ‘Mother’s Day’ cake for me and my mum, and we would perform prayers together during this special day,” said Miri Port Authority general manager Serawa Budol.

However, she also lamented about not receiving flowers from the church this year

“I also miss celebrating Mother’s Day with my friends and colleagues. In past celebrations, we would hold a few events together like dinner, high-tea, talks and visits.

“Still, I am happy to have more quality time during the MCO period, and I also get to do some activities like cooking, baking, weaving and gardening,” said Serawa, who is also president of Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals Association of Sarawak (WEPS), and Dayak Association Miri (DAM).

Expressing similar sentiments, Miri Petroleum Ladies Association (PWPM) president Srimurniyati Cranfield said she would miss celebrating the special day with her friends and fellow members of the associations.

“Due to Covid-19, we not only have to cancel our annual Mother’s Day celebration, but also many other activities such as our community services, and our weekly cooking demonstrations and beads-making programme.

Cranfield dons her Indonesian dance costume in this photo taken during PWPM’s Mother’s Day 2019 event.

“Thanks to technology, however, our dance instructor Liz Durkin is able to conduct live-virtual dance class every Friday, where 40 members (of the associations) take part in each session,” said Cranfield, who has three daughters.

Liz is wife of former Sarawak Shell Bhd managing director and former Shell Malaysia vice-president (upstream) Simon Durkin – the couple is now in the UK.

For Utusan Borneo reporter Mastura Ismail, the Mother’s Day celebration this year is held on a moderate scale, but it is no less meaningful as she gets to spend more time with her family.

“This day is a very meaningful one for mothers. Some celebrate it by giving their mothers special gifts and take them for a nice dinner.

“For us, it’s just a family day at home, where we enjoy a specially-made cake and a spread of good food together.

“This serves as a wonderful opportunity for us to enhance and reinforce family bonding,” said Mastura, a mother-of-three who is based in Limbang.