What does it mean to you when you say “Happy Mother’s Day Mom!”? I was thinking a lot of ways to make this day very memorable to my Nanay. I have been thinking of making a slideshow like what I did last year but my connection isn’t cooperating well and I always get disconnected. It’s hard to download photos so I will settle into this. This may not be the best narration of how grateful I am to have a mother that did not spoil me or draped me with unnecessary manners. This is written from experience and the affection I have for the best mom in the world, my Nanay.
Well to start with, my mother was not the one who would give you all the things you would like to have. She might have the same experience before when she was growing-up and she thought that it was best to make us work for what we wanted to have. Nay, yes it worked. Let me bore you with memory lane as I remember when I was processing papers for enrollment back then for RTRMF, I recall that I was one of those fresh high school graduates who didn’t have a mother to drag into all the step by step enrollment process. I thought it was something she would not want to do with me because she is not interested on me getting enrolled on a Physical Therapy course. But wait, it was her first choice (grin) so why would I think about something like that. I have observed that in most steps that I made, she was not there to make any suggestion or kill me with questions born out of doubt. I always find it unfair while others enjoy the company of their parents on enrollment and other document processing. It was not unfair after all because what she did was to make me figure out things for me and not by spoon feeding me. I realized that she wanted me to be more independent and work for the things I wanted to have. Life is not after all getting all the things we wanted because we have parents that we can provide.
When I was starting to look for a job, she just said that I should go and find one or at least make connections with friends who are already employed. They might be able to help me land on a decent job but I made it through the rain – as the song goes. There is no perfect relationship and yes we also have our share of arguments and misunderstandings. She was surprised that I decided to get married and that I did not involved her on the plans of my wedding day. She must have been hurt that much because she did not respond to my call or any form of communication. It was one of my biggest mistakes and I was crying at the office because she never showed any interest on my wedding day. It was my friends, especially JL who would cheer me up and that she told me that no parent can resist their own child. Well, I hope it’s true but my mother could sometimes be stern on her decision and that was the only thing I was afraid of. Then it was on my wedding day everything went well and both of them were there. I don’t know what was going through her mind that time because I was only 23 when I tied the knot. Perhaps she was thinking about all the Noche Buena that I will not be able to prepare food for them because I am now starting my own family.
There was a time when I bought a Labrador dog from a friend (Rowella Sorella) and I brought it home. I gave it to her so we could have another dog. She never told me that the dog died and I felt bad about it. I know it was too cruel of me not to greet her one Christmas and New Year just because of that. That was so unreasonable of me.
Now I see all the pain that a mother sometimes would carry. It is no joke that they are able to make it to the next day with a happy face and continuously caring for their children even if they have their own family. She would forever give the best advice and the never ending sermon about how to value the last centavo. A mother is someone who can say all the things that could make you cry because most of them are true. But at the end of it all, I know that it hurts her to see us in that situation. Our mothers deserve all the love they could have for all the good things they did to us. It is with no doubt that she loves us so very much that she carried us for nine months in her womb, nurtured us with her love when we were so fragile and most of all the love that cannot be compared that until now she cares for us. I love you Nay!
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