More than a woman...

[Mood] :) (I am truly blessed.)



If i could narrate the story of my life, it would be as colorful as the pages of a child's book -- only not as gleeful.

We've experienced poverty when my dad died of cancer 21 years ago (the illness drained up all our resources, sold the business, and all property). My mom after being asked by my dad when they got married to stay at home, had to go back and find work after more than 10 years of being a housewife. She was already 40 then. How could she start her career again? How would she be able to bring up her family with four children?

Apparently, with her dedication, her love and her self-sacrifice, she was able to do it. Working as a teacher in the morning, and turoring kids in the afternoon 'til evening. She would come home at 10pm and still be able to prepare dinner for her children, teach them their lessons, and wake up at 4am the next day without fail. She never gave up on our education even though it was expensive to put four children to a private catholic school. She believed, as herself being a teacher, that good education was worth the investment. After 21 years, she has made 3 UP diliman graduates, and soon to be four this summer. :) She never failed to remember our birthdays to make it special. A small cake, some pasta and maybe ice cream was always to be expected no matter how hard it was to earn money. She always made Christmas memorable. Gifts were always part of what she saved up for the month, and when our old christmas tree gave in, she tried making a cutout tree from gold paper to put on the wall.

Memories of how we struggled life as a family, and how my mom was there to fight for a better future for us just makes me proud at how I have such a mother in my life. When I was young I would accompany my mom at times to her tutorial sessions. We would walk from our village to the next (to save up on fare) and she would buy me 2 pesos woth of mints or candies to make time pass while she taught. I remembered one time, while walking on that particular sunny afternoon her words... "One day, you'll look back at this time, and you'll be successful. And all of this will just be a memory we shared." Well, I'm not yet successful, but I'd like to think that I'm starting my few steps going there. And yes, it's a memory, not so distant, and it's something I will always carry in my heart as a mark of how you truly loved us.

So in this day that the Lord gave breath of life to you, I thank Him for blessing me with you... to the hero of my life, Happy Birthday Mama! I wish I could give you the world for you have given up your own to make my own.




Though Chain: She just turned 61.