On Mother's Day ...
M - more than you'll ever know I
A - admire your every single way
M - memories of my childhood's past shall
A - always be close at bay ...
"I read your composition for your school paper about being a second child. I had no idea that you felt that way. I kept it somewhere in a box with some other things above the closet cabinet in the other room." Mama said to me one day.
I was the second born. My sister and I went to the same school. Since we're just about 2 and 8 months apart, Mama would "economize" and let me use my sister's uniform each school year while my sister gets to have a new one. I felt ashamed of my "faded" skirts that sometimes have patches on (retazo) to cover up some holes. I usually got teased or laughed at by the "bottom dwellers" and that made me conscious each time I walk into the classroom. Was I loved less for having to wear hand-me-downs?
During those days, Mama, an English professor at Feati University and Daddy, a journalist & founder of the Consumers Union of the Philippines were just middle class people back in those days when the middle class actually existed. Not poor yet not rich. Before she took up a teaching job, Mama was a stay-at-home mom for ten years. In the beginning of her teaching career, she was offered and was even enticed by one of her co-teachers to apply for a teaching job in the US for they were in big demand in the late 60s. "I'll have to pass, I have three small children and I can't just leave them at that tender age." she proudly said. About a dozen of them took the opportunity and bade Feati adeiu.
She made sure that Evelyn, myself & Boy were taken cared of by herself regardless of the helpers we had at home. She fed us nutritious meals (who could ever forget that sour calamansi juice she made for us tucked in our lunch boxes!) She crocheted a lot of doilies and table covers during her spare time. She baked on occasions when it was time to celebrate our birthdays. She got a sewing machine at some point in time and began making our clothes, curtains and sofa covers. Evelyn and I always looked alike from head to toe. Not to forget the infamous hula skirt outfit that I wore made of Japanese green paper (papel de Hapon) for a nursery program. She was just as happy being a mother of three.
After mass on Sundays, it was a treat for us to eat at our favorite restaurant near Malate church. Aristocrat Restaurant is just as nostalgic as it gets. Sometimes we ate at The Bungalow, just to have a variety. With her motherly ways while Daddy pays for our meal, she would signal our waiter to get a doggie bag to swipe clean our plates of discarded cartilages, skins, innards and hefty bones and gravies for our sweet mutt, Puppy.
Over the years, she discovered something more interesting and creative. Mama was into photography in the early days but since she didn't own any camera, she would hire a professional photographer for our family portraits but with the steep price at Ronnie's Studios, Daddy gifted her a Ricoh camera one day. "There, you can take as much picture as you want, more personalized and candid!" Daddy jokingly said. From then on, every smile, every move, ever new outfit, shoes, haircut, even new teeth were eventually recorded.
She got into painting as well by accident (pardon the pun) while recuperating from a surgery. She painted from the collection of photos that she took of ricefields, trees, flowers, landscapes, seascapes and even had a painting of Smokey, our dog. Soon, she had enough work and began showcasing them to the public. Having done numerous solo exhibits in Manila and one in Los Angeles CA, she's done amazingly well, I should add.
She learned to play the piano as well (we were not spared.) Concierto on a lazy Sunday afternoon was her preference. Having been recruited to join a photography club in the 80s where Mama was one of the original and pioneer members who formed Kameradare, we were like the best of buddies going to on the spot locations and out of town trips ie Baguio, Anilao, Ilocos, Banaue, just to name a few. I learned a lot from the group and our advisers but most of all, I learned so much from her for patiently giving me pointers and guidelines on good composition and "bracketing" my shots.
Her voracious appetite for continually learning new things and keeping herself busy makes her look half her age. If only Peter's patients are as active as her, at 82 years young, Mama is still a part of the faculty at the Philippine Women's University teaching Arts and Photography part time and Basic Photo Workshop on weekends at Fort Santiago. Maybe I can send an inquiry at the Guinness Book of World Records about this.
Going back to what she discovered as my first attempt in writing for a school paper, I would like to take that back. I should have been proud of Mama for all her home economic skills and for taking good care of us. For saving and penny pinching for a rainy day. For nurturing and teaching us how to excel in all our studies and our work. For being compassionate and loving to animals and the less fortunate. For enjoying life and finding sunshine and humor day in and day out.
Her dedication to her teaching and her students were all she looked forward to while she took care of Daddy at the ICU when he had a massive stroke. She literally lived at the hospital with a pack of clothes to wear to school alternating her time at the two universities and caring for Daddy. I will never forget the time I came home to be with my family and stayed at the ICU unit as well. A group of her students came by to visit and handed her an envelope. They all chipped in and contributed something. It was probably less than a P100 but Mama was deeply touched by their kind gesture. The stress and sleepless nights took its toll and it showed but we never heard her complain a bit.
Having said that, no wonder her students from decades ago who are scattered all over the world still come and say hello and keep in touch. They know they have found a true gem in her as a mentor. The three of us are so lucky to have her as our mother who has given us her unconditional love.
A two time cum laude in Education and Painting, a Master of Arts in Administration and Supervision, a Dean, a Head of the English Department, a Coordinator, an Editor for Consumer's Guide Magazine, a Composer, a Dressmaker, a Consultant, an Adviser, a Copywriter, a Poet, a Lecturer, an Author, a Speaker, a Photographer, a Writer, a Professor in English, Painting, Photography, Cinematography, Art History and Advertising, a Trainer for national and inter-school Speech Competitions, a Painter, an Artist, a Broadcaster, a Designer and above all, a Mother. Having received numerous recognition and merits for her writing, arts and crafts, photography and painting, the best was given on Mother's Day 2012 as one of the "Ulirang Ina" awardees. I, together with my sister, Evelyn and my brother, Boy will forever be grateful. We love you and salute you, Mama.
Happy Mother's Day to the most beautiful woman in the world! (Daddy must be in heaven ... pardon the pun again.)
Pls view this short video that I dedicated to her: My Mother's Day Tribute
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