‘I Got It From My Mama’: In Praise of Team Sassy’s Mums on Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is around the corner; to celebrate, the Sassy team shares some traits they inherited from their awesome mamas

Her advice is a tad too honest but she’s always right; she can embarrass you with her awkward dance moves; and seems to know everything about you — she’s your mum, and although you’d hate to admit it, she probably knows you better than anyone. At times, we overlook how similar we are to our leading ladies; from our facial features, to our demeanour, to our personalities. All the good things we got, we got it from our mamas! With Mother’s Day around the corner, the Sassy team dishes out on what traits (good and bad!) that they just might have inherited from mommy dearest…

Read more: Our Guide to all things Mother’s Day 2016, Why I’m Thankful for Being a Mum, Top Dad-friendly places to take the kids in Singapore

My most favourite person in the whole wide world is my Ibu (“mama” in Malay). My Ibu is the most patient, giving, caring and thoughtful person I know. Everything she does, she does it for others first. Her soft heart is her strongest and weakest asset. Strongest because she shows so much empathy that you wonder how can someone’s heart be so full of love, and weakest because she has so much love to give people take advantage of this at times. And how are we similar? I think I picked up being caring and empathetic to people around me from her. Seeing how she treats old people and even strangers has taught me a thing or two about giving back as much as I possibly can. They say, ‘the gift of giving keeps on giving’, and that very thought just makes my heart so full. Thanks Ibu for showing me how big one’s heart can get!
– Liyana

Besides looking alike (which I honestly don’t see!) I think I got my work ethic and sense of responsibility from my mother. Despite being home-based with her growing baking business, she’s always working hard and knows exactly how to pace herself, and currently has many students under her wing and a growing customer base! I’ve learned how to work independently thanks to her. Besides that, everyone around me seems to immediately know where I get my sassiness from the moment they meet my mum! And I can only hope to be half as good at being a kickass homemaker as her…
– Syazana

I hope she doesn’t read this article but I believe I get my bossiness from my mother. Other than that I also have her sense of adventure and discovery and love of cooking. My mum is an excellent cook and from a young age has made my brother and I try all sorts of food. I am now a mum and doing the exact same thing. My kids always sit down at the dinner table with a little apprehension of what they will be getting — the beetroot quinoa salad was NOT a hit! Most importantly my mum has taught me to love life and live it to the fullest, and for that I am forever grateful.

– Emilie

I’ve inherited my entire FACE from my mom, according to my sisters. My knack for making friends and talking to complete strangers also seems to come from her. Both of us are also pretty scatter-brained – always forgetting stuff – everywhere! Here’s a picture of us doing one of our favourite things growing up – going fishing and having a picnic on either Kusu or St. John’s Island with my dad. The little twit on the extreme left is my little sister Eva. The dorky-looking girl in jeans is – unfortunately – me!
– Nadia

I think I’ve inherited many traits from my mother (check out our matching schnozzes), but my favourite would be our shared love of books and reading. One of the earliest lessons I remember my Mom imparting (like, from when I was 4 or 5!) was “Always have a book with you because you never know when you’ll be stranded somewhere unexpectedly.” My Mom didn’t spoil me and she rarely let me go into toy stores, but she always, always, always brought me to story time at the library and let me pick out a new book from the bookstore as a reward for good behaviour or doing well on a test. Afterwards, she’d always be sure to discuss the books with me and ask lots of questions. We still share books today, and have both delighted in all the wonderful books she’s already added to my daughter’s burgeoning bookshelf!
– Kate

My mama taught me so many things! She is the ultimate homemaker. Growing up all over the world due to my father’s work as a diplomat, we moved several times. She taught me how to make a cosy home out of every new house in any foreign country – one that exudes warmth. Her joy for the art of entertaining has rubbed off on me, as I also love organising dinner parties together with my husband. Putting thought and love into the evening: selecting the menu, enjoying the process of preparing and cooking, setting an eye-pleasing table accordingly for the different entrées, along with some fresh flowers, planning who should sit next to who, playing smokey jazz/bossa nova in the background and always making sure that any last-minute guests are able to join and feel welcome! She’s also resourceful and appreciates the beauty that surrounds us.
– Carlijn

Happy Mother’s Day to you AND your mamas, mama!