SC-S29/W4- Nostalgia Of The Liitle Me : People Who Shaped My Childhood |

Me and my mom, my first love.

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I don't have any memories of my father. He died when I was two years old, and I have no lasting memories of him, other than photos and stories from family and those closest to him.

As an orphan, I was raised by a mother who was also a father. We called her "umi," a different term in my village at the time. "Umi" was a strong woman, working hard to raise her four children.

I have a younger brother. His name is Rizal Yatim. He was named so because he was already an orphan at birth. Unfortunately, Rizal died of an illness during childhood. He probably died when he was three years old.

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Siapa orang (atau orang-orang) yang paling membentuk masa kecilku?

Kami bertiga, kakakku dan abangku, dibesarkan oleh seorang perempuan. Karena ia bekerja menjadi juruk masak di sebuah hotel, ia berangkat pagi-pagi sekali bahkan terkadang aku belum bangun tidur. Pulangnya sering malam hari terkadang ketika aku sudah tidur.
Namun, umi adalah orang yang paling berpengaruh membentuk masa kecilku. Di luar anggota keluarga, lingkungan di sekitarku yang membentuk karakterku.

Siapa orang (atau orang-orang) yang paling membentuk masa kecil?

Umi bekerja tanpa hari libur sehingga pertemuanku dengannya sanga terbatas. Di rumah kami ada nenek dari pihak ibu dan adik ibu yang kami panggil Milet. Jadi, kami bertiga dibesarkan oleh tiga perempuan. Aku dan abangku dirawat empat perempuan, dengan kakak yang umurnya berjarak denganku.

Aku hidup di lingkungan yang keras, tapi ketika dibesarkan di tengah para perempuan yang berhati lembut dan jujur, itu adalah perpaduan yang berimbang.

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What is your earliest or most memorable memory of this person?

My mother was the most patient, persistent, and caring person. She never got angry, even though my brother and I were often naughty.

I often got scolded by Milet (my aunt) and grandmother. Because I never got scolded by my mother, I didn't really care about her and my grandmother's anger.

Well, there's a difference in the way my aunt and my mother raised us. My aunt, who passed away in 2025, raised us very carefully. She always forbade us from doing dangerous things, like swimming in brackish water because we'd get bitten by snakes or leeches.

There was no swimming pool or river where we lived. We learned to swim in the dirty, shallow waters. Because we were scolded and even hit if we swam there, I'm still not a good swimmer.

Similarly, I learned to ride a motorcycle late because I wasn't allowed to learn on someone else's motorcycle, and I didn't have my own at the time.

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Umi with my little son. This is an old photo, now my little son is in 5th grade.

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How did this person guide, support, or discipline you during your childhood?

My mother guided me with boundless love despite limited time. If there was homework, she reminded me to do it as soon as I got home from school. I've also passed this discipline on to my children, even though they don't always hear it, just like I did in the past, LOL.

What values, habits, or lessons did you learn from them?

My mother always taught me honesty. Even though we lived in poverty (our house once had no electricity), my mother taught me to always be honest. She also taught me not to harm others.

My mother also taught me to manage money well. I worked from third grade until college. I worked as a construction worker, worked in a bakery, and then worked at an advertising and screen printing agency.

By college, I was already able to write and make a living from it, and I still do. However, we didn't have a TV at home. My only entertainment was magazines and books.

How is their influence still reflected in your life today?

Even now, as I grow older (but always feel young), the values ​​my mother instilled in me remain deeply rooted. Passion, idealism, honesty, and optimism, even in the midst of hardship.

Materials may come and go, but values ​​are eternal. Let's take on this challenge, @bahrol, @munaa, and @afzalqamar.[]

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I am with my mother and two sons.

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