Proud Daughter Alert

Let me tell you about my Mommy Dameng.

When she was young, they don't have a lot in terms of material things but despite that, her oldest brother made sure that they all finish school. Thank you Tito Fabian who is now in heaven for taking care of my mom's education. She finished Business Administration but never got to practice it because after she got married, she devoted her time raising us her 4 children, all girls who ‪#‎prouddaughteralert‬ all finished college without any drama. She taught me how to count and how to read and most of all, she taught me to be honest even if others are not, to be hardworking because it really pays off in the end, to be patient because you don't know the struggles of the persons you meet and to be humble no matter where you are in life. She showed us that generosity comes from giving without expecting anything in return even if you're part of the manito-manita thingy where as expected you should receive a gift.

She always thinks about us/others, never about herself and she never ever asks us anything material. When we ask her what she wants, she always says that she doesn't need anything. Mag-ipon kayo. Huwag kayong bili ng bili. Ipunin nyo ang pera nyo. She always tells us to go to church and be thankful for everything, to count our blessings and to always call on to Him even when we don't have problems. Every Tuesday, she goes to church to offer a prayer for us. Walang paltos. She always understands us even if it's difficult, even if it's unusual, even if it's dangerous (just one time).

I know no amount of money or no elaborate presents will come close to what you have done for us.
The sacrifices you have and the amount of time you have dedicated to us. Now that I am a mom myself, I am closer to how you feel but not yet there. Marami pa akong bigas na iluluto at kakainin to be half the woman you are.

So to my giving and forgiving mom, here's to 63 years of being the lovable you. Thank you and we love you so much!

Bulletproof

"When we were young, we were fearless and bulletproof and always right. We think that tomorrow is just another day and there is always time to do the things we want. When we were young, we don't think about insurance, savings, investments and security knowing that we can start anytime, anywhere. The game changed when he came into our lives. From the moment he first saw light, we were never the same again. That first cry modified everything. Everything seemed in reverse, we were fearful, exposed and everything we thought we knew well, we have to unlearn. Time is always too short or too fast to do the things with him. Now, all we can think about are insurance, savings, investments and security. He just turned 3 and we feel everything is passing by so quickly and we're afraid we might not be able to catch up".

One Proud Mama

"He just started Kumon this year. I thought he wouldn't enjoy it because he was too young then (less than 3 years old but he passed the evaluation so he was admitted) and school is always boring when we're young. But surprisingly, he enjoys every minute of it. He even asks his yaya to let him do the modules even if there is no schedule (I schedule his study time). He finishes 3-4 modules per sitting, sometimes more. Sometimes I watch him do it. It just makes me so so so happy to see him enjoying it and it makes my heart swell knowing that he loves studying. My son is growing up fast."

Very Late Post For My Sister's Birthday

When we were younger, me and my sister Nonet fought like cats and dogs. Petty things that are usually resolved by some candies. We were young and wild and free and never wrong. But as the years went by, the hostility disappeared and we became close. We were less than a year apart and we grew up thinking that we might be the only children my parents will ever have because it took them 8 years to have another one and another 8 years to have our bunso. Talk about family planning huh!

We grew up donning the same hairdo, the same dress and shoes, and the same set of toys. We went to the same school from kinder to college. We almost have the same set of friends outside school. We both have simple dreams, we both believe in hard work and we both have that capacity to love like crazy and cool. But despite the fact that we've had almost the same childhood, we have grown into different people with different career paths. One with more numbers, the other with more words.

She is serious and kind, I am comedy all the way but kind nonetheless. She has a stronger faith than I can muster but faith I will never lack of. She's the genius in the family, I am the next one after genius (If there is such a thing). She is a stickler for perfection, I am not, I admit. She seldom makes mistakes, I seldom do too. (I got you there!) But no matter how we have become different in ways and attitudes, we have always been the best of friends, that no matter how far we've gone figuratively and literally, we will always be there for each other. That no matter where we are, we know that we are not alone.

My sister now lives in Canada, thousand miles apart or 7,410 miles away from Manila to be exact. She travelled halfway across the world to start a new life in a foreign country while I still travel to experience the world. Distant in miles but nearer in thoughts.

As you celebrate your birthday in a foreign country, I just hope that despite being alone on this special day, please always remember how much we love you and how we always pray for your health, safety and success. We may not be there but you are always in our thoughts so much that we always have a special place for you whenever we celebrate special occasions in the family. It takes a lot of courage to be where you are and to pursue that dream of yours and we are always here to support you no matter what. Take care always and continue to bring your own sunshine wherever you go. Stay positive and enjoy this day that the Lord has made for you. Happy happy birthday Nonet! We miss you! We love you so much!

How Marriage Broke And Made Me Real

Three generations of love; My lolo and lola on the father side, my mom and dad and Mister & Misus Santiago

"They say a successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person." Those words coming from a wise person always intrigued me when I was younger. I don't understand why you will marry someone you're not in love with in the first place and I don't get the idea of falling in love again and again when you are already in love with him to begin with. That would be tantamount to being crazy and it would be tiring to do it again and again. For a young mind that was already brimming with so much things to do, falling in love many times over is already exhausting just thinking about it. I felt the old adage is faulty and just plain wrong.

I remember my mom telling me how she met my dad. They've been together for 38 years. The story was funny but almost always she becomes emotional at the end of it all. Being young, I felt confused that she can be both happy and sad while talking about a funny love story with of course a happy ending.

Until I fell in love myself. Oh no, this was not the puppy kind of love or the teenage crush or the you-and-me-against-the-world drama. My love adventure doesn't start with once upon a time or a long time ago, it was a product of a very long waiting and even longer praying time to finally meet the one.

Present day saga. After more than four years of being married and six years of being together, I now know the feeling. Not exactly what my mom feels but I do get her. I am finally closer to feeling what she must have felt. Not yet truly there but getting there. I now know where she was coming from. That’s because in a way, marriage breaks you but then it makes you.
But it goes in waves. First, it makes you giddy. The romance is alive and kicking and everything is rosy and perky. The magic is there, the romance is so strong. Nothing and no one can dampen your spirits. You are both untouchables and on top of world. And then the realization that the world is, well, not always that ideal. That he is not that perfect and that you too are not that perfect. You leave your clothes wherever you change, he never follows your instructions the first time you ask him. You will always have excuses and he will always be late. You are human. You forget things, he likes different things. And you are not always in perfect sync. You each have your own interests. Then it becomes a little complicated as your kid arrives.

That same thing that makes you giddy now makes you snap. That thing that makes you strong now makes you weak. The thing that made you fall in love with him now takes a different direction and meaning. And it takes a new form. It transforms into something that you can't quite explain. The love is bigger and deeper. It does not only depend on the perfume he is wearing or the kind of swagger he is making. It's like a wine that aged well; it's the same wine but with a more exquisite, deeper taste and aroma. And it's better. It's better in time.

Yes, marriage kinda breaks you but it also makes you better. Better at putting the effort of making it work, better at loving someone with all his idiosyncrasies, better at kissing and making up and forgiving, better at remembering why you marry him in the first place. There will be tough times but there will be more amazing moments, awesome feelings and deeper love to assure you that it's worth the journey and worth every effort that you put into.

While marriage breaks you, it also gives you an infinite more reasons to make you into a beautiful thing. And that's not a bad thing.