A woman woke up in the dark. She walked quietly to not wake anyone. As she went downstairs, she started her daily routine, cooking breakfast for her family. But today was different; because today was probably the last day she'll be doing this for her family in a very long time. As she washed her hands after cleaning the dishes, she felt something warm brush down her cheeks. Tears continued to pour as the thought of leaving her children became more and more real to her. A part of her wants to stay and be with her children, but another knows that it is best for her children if she works.

And it came, the moment she was dreading for a long time. She looked at the bags in the corner of the living room. She was leaving her children. She kept thinking 'will they be all right without me?' 'What if they become sick?' tears started pouring down again. She felt her knees weaken as sadness ruled over her. She gathered up her strength and decided that it was time to wake up her children.

A few moments just after drying up her face of her tears, she gently kissed, tapped and woke up the three sleeping figures on the bed. The woman's tears fell on her daughter's cheek as she tried to wake her up. She couldn't stop crying. Her daughter opened her eyes to see her mother's face and asked her what's wrong. The woman only gave her a reassuring smile. She lulled her children back to sleep and smiled before leaving their side. She closed the door and it was as if everything stopped. She took a glimpse at her children before darkness consumed her as the door completely closed.

She quickly got dressed and walked downstairs. She took a deep breath and tried to stop the tears from falling again. She called her maid to call her a cab. When the taxi arrived, she went outside. She told the driver to take her to the airport and the driver got out and helped her with her luggage. Before getting inside the cab, the woman took one good look at her house, at what she was leaving. Overwhelming memories of her with her children flooded her mind. She resisted the urge to get back inside the house. She quickly got into the cab and wiped away the tears that began to come out again.

As she was boarding the plane, the woman remembered something. The scene was she was saying something important to her youngest daughter. She said to always smile even when you have a problem, since it makes the problem go away. She remembered on how her daughter had this wondering look and after that gave her a big smile. She just smiled at the thought, and at the last moment, that woman left with a gentle smile on her face.

She finally arrived at Sri Lanka, a country with a much worse situation than her own homeland. She didn't fear the dark alleys or the unfamiliar places. What she feared most is that for her children to be not doing well, but then she remembered what her child told her. Her youngest daughter said, "Give some time for yourself. You shouldn't really think about us all the time. Besides, we're already grown up. We know what's right or wrong, so don't worry." It assured her that her children are doing fine.

She often daydreams of what happens in her homeland at that very moment. She thought of how she could help her country by doing her job in that place. While she was helping a poor child, she remembered the same sight when she was still working at her homeland. There was this poor little boy who had his clothes tattered and dirty. She thought of her homeland's situation. It was somewhat the same with Sri Lanka.

The woman went back to her homeland and her children after six months of working. It was about 2 o'clock in the morning and the moon has already governed the night sky. As she entered her abode, her youngest daughter who was still awake at the middle of the night hugged her. She was shocked and happy and at the same time angry, because her daughter was still awake. But instead of giving her a sermon, she hugged her back and smiled. Her youngest daughter just smiled back.

That woman is a woman of courage. She's someone who does things for the better of others. She loves her own homeland. She's a person with a kind heart. She's someone who can brighten up a day, just by smiling. And she's a loving mother. That woman is my mother and she is my modern hero.