All I wanted was a mother. Not some fancy life or toys (which I didn't have anyway).

It never ceased to amuse (not very amusing when I was younger) when she would complain that her daughter is not as close to her as compared (in typical Singaporean fashion) to her relatives and friends.

I cannot help but feel disturbed when people want to have kids because 'or else nobody will take care of me when I am old'. Very few people understand how psychologically screwed up a kid can get without parental love and support.

Kids do not magically turn into responsible, loving adults by themselves, people. You need to nurture them.

p.s. I have a good relationship with my mom now, but you have no idea how much pain and tears it took the both of us. It could have very well turned the other way. (One of my wishes when I was a teen was to legally disown my mother when I turned 21) But we would never be as close as one of those parent-child whose bonds had been forged during early childhood since birth.