The Love of a Mother

Last Saturday I was able to watch an episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya (MMK). MMK features true to life stories of their letter senders and I could say that this was one of their episodes that literally broke my heart. The letter is from an OFW who was strained to borrow money to be able to work in Italy so that she could support her 4 children. The story started with how she was forced into an early marriage by her parents when she was only 15 years old. And because of this grew resenting her married life and her children. Until her husband decided to leave her for another woman. By this time her children especially the eldest had nothing but deep resentment for her. Years passed and she realised how fast her children has grown and she noticed further how much she is affected by them already...she has found renewed love for her children (finally!). She was then given the chance to work in Italy was sent back to the Philippines because of a lawsuit filed against her for estafa. To cut to the chase, she was imprisoned with a lifeterm. Her eldest daughter had no choice but become a gro to feed her younger siblings and because of a spat she had with her mother got married in no time and left her younger siblings. The imprisoned mother made sure her children lived near her prison cell. And during this time her children lived on food she would throw from her prison window outside which would send her kids running to get the food and make sure it does not scatter on the ground. The food came from leftover food by other prisoners including her ration. Up to this time she is still imprisoned but her children have decided to live it through with her. 

My friends, I am a wife to a devoted and loving husband and a mother to 3 beautiful children, and through God's Mercy and Love my husband and I have been able to go through life's hurdles together hard as it may seem. I can never imagine a life as difficult as this mother's.  Our President is also a woman and a mother but thinking back it irks me how she could let loose a criminal (who happens to be a brother of a political ally) who killed 2 teenagers in cold blood and let people like this Filipina OFW suffer a lifetime inside the prison just because of an unpaid debt. Where is justice? Why does justice seem to be elusive to the poor masses and effortless to the rich and friends of...? 

The Long and Winding Road

Last wednesday, my daughter told me that she needed to bring sunflower seeds to school, so even if I was feverish, with the children and their yaya in tow, we went ahead in search of a store that sold such. We went the rounds of Imus and checked some pet shops, the kind where you can buy feeds for birds and other pets but to my dismay, we could not find any. I forgot to buy petrol for the car as we were in a hurry. While driving I noticed that the longer we headed forth, the more we saw cows and lots of grass. I was getting irritable as we were absolutely, definitely and certainly lost! Then I noticed a  lot of factories in the area and only realized that we were already in Rosario, Cavite where the EPZA (Export Processing Zone) is located. Yes, ladies and gentlemen we were like very, very, very far from Imus. Then my daughter suddenly told me "Mom, don't worry, instead of sunflower seeds we can use rice grains" Ok...sorry but upon hearing this I really blew my fuse! I started my litany, we were coasting the road where grasses were as tall as people, we were running out of gasoline, we were all very hungry, I could not see a nearby station and it was getting dark. By the help of a jeepney driver we were able to get out of Rosario but was met by a horrendous traffic along Aguinaldo highway. I could not stop ranting I was like my mother hahaha... My children who were normally rowdy were all quiet. Later that evening when I went inside our bedroom I saw a letter from my daughter apologizing profusely and with it was her hard earned money from the fiesta. She said that the money was for the gasoline we wasted because of her wrong judgment. I felt so touched but did not want to admit it to her. I reprimanded my daughter firmly and asked what lesson she learned from the experience. And her answer was "if we had rice grains we should not look for sunflower seeds?" She said it with a question mark I almost laughed but controlled myself. I did not want her to think that it was a joke though I almost choked with laughter. Hmp! Mama you're right into saying that it is tough being a mother I wonder how you managed us single handedly with Papa only coming home from work during the weekends. I must say though that motherhood difficult as it is, is something that cannot be replaced by gold! This is a job I love better than what I am being paid for in my work place.