Happy Mamu's Day

Words are not enough to describe this wonderful woman who has lived all her life for her family-- My Mama Poding!!! Well, she preferred to be called Dence short for Prudence. An hour ago, I saw my mother teaching my niece the proper way of writing the alphabet and a special memory came to mind. My Mama merely graduated from high school but I attributed my interest towards education from her. I remember an afternoon in the public labahan where my mama taught me how to write my name. She has the patience of a real teacher when I seemed to write the letter z backwards. I like my mama's handwriting although lately she candidly admitted that she doesn't like her penmanship. This time the table has turned, every now and then she lets me write for her. Little did she know that she inspires me to write legibly. My mama was also my tutor during my developmental years. She instilled in me the love for learning and always reminded me to do better in my studies. She and my papa are my inspiration to do good in school and I offer all the academic recognitions that I received to them.

Just like any other homemakers, my mama taught me the basic chores from assembling firewood to build a fire for cooking rice to washing the clothes. All of the mundane household chores I learned from my mama at an early age. No matter how strained her body is, she always has the extra strength whenever our body failed us. When my sisters gave birth, she was there for them on a graveyard shift. When I was suffering from as asthma as a kid, she patiently and religiously brought me to a "manghihilot". My mama dreamed to be a nutritionist but that dream never became a reality but nevertheless she has accomplished a big deal in her career as a dedicated mother. She became our teacher, doctor, career adviser, nutritionist, caregiver, motivator and the list can go on forever.

Growing up in a poor community, my mother never let us feel deprived. Despite the financial difficulty, she made it sure that we, her children, go to school with dignity. We never went to school looking unkempt. She once said that she and papa maybe poor but their kids always have clean clothes to wear. I never forget that from my mother. Hopefully if I have my own family I'll instill the same values that my my mama has inculcated in me.

I am grateful for the gift of family and for blessing us with Mama Dence...

Happy Mother's Day Ma and to all the mamas in the world.