One freezing night, a young mother who carried a growing child inside her womb for nine months had finally given birth. As she fought for her life from too much blood and energy loss, she gasped the deepest breath, hoping it would give her spare strength to nurse the tiny human being on her chest.
Nobody in the small village learned about the birth and the lonely suffering of the young mother that night. As the baby instinctively latched on, she felt the current of milk into her son's. A part of her fear disappeared knowing he won't starve for the next few months because her body was producing free milk.
Five years passed, the baby turned into a young boy who early in life suffered more than his age can bear. He was thin, and his clothes were unprivileged. Since the young mother gave birth, all she thought of was their daily survival — food, water, and a place to stay that can protect them from the dangers of the world. This is the love she knows — to do everything she can so her son won't die. Seeing her son alive, despite extreme poverty, assures her that the power of a mother's love is enough to give her strength and courage to go on.
One morning, on their way to a small market that sells cheap vegetables, an old woman approached them, stared at the young boy for a few seconds, and shifted her eyes to the mother.
"Poor boy, your body and clothing are awful. Doesn't your mother know how to raise a child?" Called out the old woman.
The young boy gave her a fierce look but didn't say anything as the mother held his hand tight.
"What a rude boy! Is this what you taught to your son? Throw a disgusting face at an old woman like me?" She blurted in anger.
"No, I did not teach my son rudeness. But I taught him that when people disrespect us without knowing what we go through, he must protect himself by not tolerating it. Because if he doesn't, they will continue doing this to others.
"My boy is just protecting us and others you'll come across from mocking them without knowing who they are," the mother said fearlessly.
They walked away and left the infuriated old woman petrified before she could say another word.
"It's okay, my son. It is not being rude. It's teaching her a virtue called respect."