All mothers in the world would do anything for their children. On the flip side, there are many children who would do anything to have a mother in their lives.
The lucky ones – like me and most probably you – recently celebrated Mother’s Day with the women who have stood by us, regardless of life’s many tribulations.
But for a talented 10-year-old girl in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, her tribute to her mother took a surprising turn onstage.
Ho Ching shared a post about a Taiwanese video based on this touching story, which promptly went viral on Friday (17 May).
If there’s only one video you’ll watch today, we hope it will be this amazing short film.
The film begins with a shot of a girl in wheelchair painting a picture meticulously next to an adult male companion.
10-year-old Yang Yah Ting then finds herself onstage holding a picture of her mother as she receives a prize for her artwork.
“She’s not my mother.” she confesses to a stunned audience who looks on in silence, not really sure how to react.
They had just awarded the first prize in a national art competition to a painting called “Mother”, only to find out that the woman depicted wasn’t actually her mum.
A flashback sequence to 10 years ago reveals that young Yah Ting had been taken by child services as an infant.
Both her parents were heavy drug users and had been sentenced to jail.
Yah Ting was also the victim of domestic abuse at a tender age, resulting in her sustaining brain damage.
She was entrusted to a kind lady who cared meticulously for her. Yah Ting’s adoptive mother even visited the clinic regularly and harboured the hope of caring for Yah Ting till she recovered, despite the slim odds.
Joining an organisation to raise funds for children in similar situations, she juggled her commitments while taking care of Yah Ting who fell sick frequently.
She even went against her husband’s wishes to care for the young child, on a particularly tough night when Yah Ting caught a fever.
As the years pass, Yah Ting grows up into a talented 3-year-old — caught adorably doodling with markers on the floor in this scene.
Her adoptive mother is clearly delighted at her progress, but that’s when tragedy strikes a second time.
An earthquake suddenly hits, and Yah Ting and her mother’s fates are unknown as the scene cuts back to the present day.
Yah Ting looks like a deer caught in the headlights as the auditorium waits for her to speak.
She repeats what she said,
She’s not my mother.
And utters a poignant tribute next,
She’s greater than my mother.
As it turns out, even as Yah Ting’s mother lay under the crushed rubble of the fateful earthquake, she pleaded for young Yah Ting not to be afraid.
We’re not crying, you are.
As Yah Ting clutches the photo of her mother, we finally get to see the award-winning painting that she’s drawn.
A young mother strapping mountains onto her back to shield her baby from harm — a meaningful tribute to the woman who saved her life and was the reason for who she was today.
There’s no greater love than the bond between a mother and a child.
But this poignant story proves that we don’t have to wait till Mother’s Day to celebrate the people who have been there for us throughout the course of our lives.
Don’t forget to tell your loved ones how you feel about them today. Or if the words fail you, let this short film do the talking for you.
Featured image from YouTube.
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