The cold, early dawn found me shivering and crouching down the roadside, looking intently at the only sari-sari store in our place, as if by doing so, the store would open at its own accord. I wanted so much to own that big (to a child’s eyes), black , Mongol pencil and a pad of paper which the store had. I was four years old and the night before, Mom taught me how to read and write my name.
Yes, mom, just like most mothers, was my first teacher – a strict one. The first question she would always ask even before I could step inside the house from school was, “ Any assignment?” If none, she would ask why teachers didn’t give assignments. She warned that she could report these teachers to proper authorities . To me, having no assignment was heaven!! And I think this feeling is UNIVERSAL!! Don’t you think so?
And because there was no assignment, I could now play to my heart’s content with my friends, right? WRONG!! As I went downstairs with excitement to meet my friends, a barking order came down like thunder in the middle of a glaring sun,- from my mother, who else? “READ FIRST before you play. “ Reading to her means reading English books not comic books not Liwayway, Bulaklak, Pilipino Komiks, etc. Do you feel me, dear readers? Imagine me, poor me, reading an English book without pictures, while watching from time to time, my friends playing right in my own front yard. Inside me, I was dying a thousand deaths, – well, I was in the elementary grades and what thoughts could you expect from such a young age? Reading before playing became an everyday occurrence. It was an inescapable routine. I felt sore thinking my freedom was being suppressed until it suddenly dawned on me during my college days that I was hooked into books! NOW, I’M ADDICTED! Thanks, Mom. You did what was right!
My Mom was really the undeniable driving force that spurred me into giving my best and to go beyond my quota of dreams. I understand now that being a mother isn’t just about having children. Motherhood is more about bringing out the best in them.
Mothers are created for the long haul. In heartaches, they smile; in hardships, they persevere; in silence, they hope. A simple touch from a mother’s hand can bring untold relief to a hurting child. No wonder a home seems empty without a MOM.
Mothers, what memories of our role as God’s stewards have we etched into the minds and hearts of our children? May we leave behind us endless well-spring of love, concern, understanding, patience, tolerance, thoughtfulness, fair play and such significant things in life as attitude and character.
At the nearing end of life’s journey, when our children shall have reached their dreams and have found their rightful place under the sun; when all strands of our hair have turned gray with age, our hairlines have begun to recede, our sights have become dim, and our steps have lost their balance, may we, as mothers, be able to stand tall beside our children and proudly say, “I AM THEIR MOM!”
Happy Mother’s Day to all women who have heartily embraced the GIFT OF MOTHERHOOD. May our tribe increase.
Thank You, Lord, for creating mothers! Bless each mother with your loving kindness.