Its better late than never and this holds very true to what I’m about to share. Even though Mother’s Day had already passed, I would still like to give a shout out to my mom whose been in heaven for almost 12 years now.
We were the typical middle class family. My mom was a teacher at a private school where we also attended. My dad is an employee at a multinational company and I’m the eldest of three followed by my sister and my brother. We go to mass every Sunday, we spent weekends at the mall or just plain bonding at our house, we go to summer vacations, my siblings and I have our typical disagreements which oftentimes end up in brawls and fist fights and my mom who is the disciplinarian between my parents would get really mad and would ground us God only knows until when.
My mom is a bit of sugar and spice and everything nice. Being the youngest of 10 siblings and being the certified “nanny” for her nieces and nephews, being a mom is second nature to her. She can be very malambing and at the same time be stern about rules. She is a great cook and even though I am pihikan, my Mom would invent dishes so that her pihikan panganay would still be able to eat healthy foods without throwing a tantrum at her. Despite her busy schedule at school, she still finds time to guide is on our everyday homework and we follow a strict schedule in terms of studies which means no TV on schooldays, well, with the exception of Ghost Fighter and Gundam Wing 😛
We’re not that rich but we have more than enough money for basic necessities and a little bit for any luxury on the side. Everything was smooth sailing for us until my mom was diagnosed with Renal Kidney Failure. This was the start of whirlwind problems from emotional turmoil to financial difficulties to disagreements between my mom and dad and at 9 yrs old the need to grow up fast was evident because my parents especially my mom need all the support she can get. I quickly became more than a daughter to my mom, I was her confidante, her constant companion every time she goes to the hospital, her masseuse every time she gets cramps, her substitute when she can’t cook for us and the list goes on. Despite all of these responsibilities thrown at me at such a young age, I became closer to my mom like never before. She would confide with me her deepest secrets and her fears. I would fight hard not to cry in front of her every time she makes her “habilin” because I want her to know that she can lean on me and get strength from me if she felt like giving up.
She had undergone dialysis treatment for more than 5 years and was even a recipient of a kidney donor and we thought after she had undergone the surgery that it would be back to typical normal family but life has a way of throwing a joke at you. My mom passed away only after 5 months after she received her new kidney. For 2 months she was confined in the ICU and I was fully aware that she fought hard for her life. We were too young to loose a mom. I just turned 14, my sister was 11 at that time and our bunso, my brother is only 8 yrs old. Despite how hard she fought, I prayed to God to let my Mom rest not because I don’t want to be with her anymore or because I gave up fighting for her. It was because she had suffered so much and its killing her spirit. She told me that she would keep fighting for her life so that she can still see us grow up but I think it was destiny. It was her destiny to give birth and to nurture three pasaway kids, It was her destiny to love my Dad until her last breath. It was her destiny to be with us as long as she could.
On the night of August 20, 2000, my mom became one of the angels in heaven.
I still look back throughout the years that we were together and I reminisce the time I spent with her. I still miss her cooking. I miss her smell which I can still remember up to this day, I miss our heart to heart conversations about boys and anything under the sun, I miss the days wherein she’ll wait for us by the gate to hug us and asked how school was, I miss my home-cooked baon prepared by her, I miss her loud laughter and her warm smile, heck I even miss her scolding and her pinching especially if we were makulit.
Despite what happened, I would never trade my mom for anyone or anything in the world. I wouldn’t be the person I am today if not for her. I’m proud to say that despite lacking the mother figure, I was able to hold my feet on the ground and never waiver from principles and beliefs. I hope that when I become a mom myself, I would be just like her.
From your best friend and most especially your eldest daughter…
I LOVE YOU SO MUCH MOM.
little miss travel bug 