TO CELEBRATE Mother's Day, there is nothing better than writing this tribute to a model mother who had a long trek of 93 years.
In her life, she was given two prestigious awards. When the youngest of her seven children graduated in high school, she was given an award as Outstanding Mother by the Convent School in Pasig. The most prestigious award she received in her life was the coveted honor of Mother of the Year by the National Federation of Women's Clubs of the Philippines. Such honors were truly deserved.
This is the heroic mother's life story.
She got married at 28, an age considered as just about the right age for a town lass to tie the knot. This was in 1928. She begot seven children -- two boys and five girls. She regaled in stories she would tell her grown up children how she single-handedly raised them without any help from house maids or yayas. She breastfed all of them, nurtured them, washed their clothes, cleaned the house, went to market, cooked, and kept house. They were not poor nor rich just enough to live by. They lived with relatives in a roomy home with a bakery in front. She would help in the bakery business.
This mother was a disciplinarian. A meaningful stare from her is enough to let all the kids behave. During meals, the kids are in their proper places and have proper demeanor when they eat the rice on their plates with viands. They pray before every meal. After this, they dress for school in spic and span starched uniforms. A handkerchief folded in a triangle was pinned to the breast.
This mother is one of the pioneer teachers of the Convent school. She was known for her discipline. This mom also sang with the choir since she had a fine soprano voice.
During the war, she and her husband went to the mountains as far as Pililla in Rizal. When Manila was declared as Open City after the war, they moved back.
They also experienced snipers attacking them. They ran to the cemetery grounds for protection. She was carrying her youngest son and found herself bleeding. A shrapnel got trough her hand while shielding her son. Food was scarce then and they ate fried coconut meat, boiled veggies, and boiled rice to get through.
With all their sacrifices, they sent their children to school. All of them graduated with degrees and earned their own livelihood.
In 1978, she suffered her first serious heart attack. She was in comatose for three days.
This mother was deeply religious. In 1985, she was weakened with heart attacks and was bed-ridden. In 1990, she got her most serious heart attack. Doctors say that she had seven days to live. She survived and lived for three more years.
She went home to her Creator on October 20, 1993 at 8:30 a.m. The priests officiating the mass said, "Here lies a mother whose favorite past time was to come very near death and whose only passion was to pray, pray, pray." This mother is my mother.