Mama
Dearest Mama,
It's past five a.m. where you are now. You must be sleeping still but would wake up in an hour or so just like you always do when you were still here in Manila. I know it's cold there. I've checked the Markham website again for the temperature and I hope you're warm enough and comfortable in that unfamiliar weather. Now that you're there, I find myself praying for good weather there at your side of the world. I know how your rayuma acts up when it's too cold.
Two weeks ago, I watched a movie called Inang Yaya, the title role played by Maricel Soriano. I'm sure that you'd like that movie, Ma. It's one of the well-made Filipino films I've watched so far. You were on my mind the whole time I was watching it. I kept wishing that you were there watching it with me because the nanay in the film reminded me so much of you and I wanted to point that out to you: "ganyan ka rin, Ma, o..." It's just like A Pursuit of Happyness--this is the movie I also want you to watch, the one that could've gotten you into trouble with the US Customs because of me. It's almost the same story: a single parent raises his/her kid/s and sacrificing so many things in the process. Both movies end happily, Ma. And that's also another thing I want to tell you: though we're still weaving the story of our lives, somehow I know that this is going to be a "happily ever after" simply because you are our Mama...
When I was a kid, I thought that being a mother was the most terrible thing to be: you were working hard all the time--kayod kabayo as they say. I've seen you move from one job to another in hopes of earning more for me, TJ and Tere. I've seen you work as a schoolteacher, an insurance agent, a jewelry dealer, a Tupperware dealer, tocino and longganisa dealer; you even had a halo-halo stall in front of our house. You did all these, sometimes doing two or more things at the same time! And then there were the three of us to be taken care of everyday; homework to be helped with, projects to be made, field trips to be paid for, tuition fees to settle...Sometimes one of us would get sick and I'd see you worrying silently again because there wasn't enough for our baon let alone for medicines and doctor's fees. But you never gave up, Ma. All those years, you just lived it. Rose above all of it.
And now, you're so far away and it's again because of your love for us. I want to thank you for that. I want to thank you for all you've taught me. Thank you for never judging me, for letting me be free and be myself, for believing in me and helping me fly. Thank you for being you: cool, funny, crazy, wise, strong, loving and forgiving. Thank you for giving us your heart, your soul. We love you, Ma. And we miss you so so much.
Happy Mothers' Day, Ma.
Tintin
It's past five a.m. where you are now. You must be sleeping still but would wake up in an hour or so just like you always do when you were still here in Manila. I know it's cold there. I've checked the Markham website again for the temperature and I hope you're warm enough and comfortable in that unfamiliar weather. Now that you're there, I find myself praying for good weather there at your side of the world. I know how your rayuma acts up when it's too cold.
Two weeks ago, I watched a movie called Inang Yaya, the title role played by Maricel Soriano. I'm sure that you'd like that movie, Ma. It's one of the well-made Filipino films I've watched so far. You were on my mind the whole time I was watching it. I kept wishing that you were there watching it with me because the nanay in the film reminded me so much of you and I wanted to point that out to you: "ganyan ka rin, Ma, o..." It's just like A Pursuit of Happyness--this is the movie I also want you to watch, the one that could've gotten you into trouble with the US Customs because of me. It's almost the same story: a single parent raises his/her kid/s and sacrificing so many things in the process. Both movies end happily, Ma. And that's also another thing I want to tell you: though we're still weaving the story of our lives, somehow I know that this is going to be a "happily ever after" simply because you are our Mama...
When I was a kid, I thought that being a mother was the most terrible thing to be: you were working hard all the time--kayod kabayo as they say. I've seen you move from one job to another in hopes of earning more for me, TJ and Tere. I've seen you work as a schoolteacher, an insurance agent, a jewelry dealer, a Tupperware dealer, tocino and longganisa dealer; you even had a halo-halo stall in front of our house. You did all these, sometimes doing two or more things at the same time! And then there were the three of us to be taken care of everyday; homework to be helped with, projects to be made, field trips to be paid for, tuition fees to settle...Sometimes one of us would get sick and I'd see you worrying silently again because there wasn't enough for our baon let alone for medicines and doctor's fees. But you never gave up, Ma. All those years, you just lived it. Rose above all of it.
And now, you're so far away and it's again because of your love for us. I want to thank you for that. I want to thank you for all you've taught me. Thank you for never judging me, for letting me be free and be myself, for believing in me and helping me fly. Thank you for being you: cool, funny, crazy, wise, strong, loving and forgiving. Thank you for giving us your heart, your soul. We love you, Ma. And we miss you so so much.
Happy Mothers' Day, Ma.
Tintin
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