My Mom is a giver.
Material or immaterial, Mama is always ready to share what she has to anyone in need even without expecting anything in return. Seeing her nieces and nephews happy upon receiving their gifts gives her immeasurable joy. My mom’s heart is filled with love that it overflows by loving unconditionally.
My Mom is the strongest woman I know.
She came from a big family with eight siblings and being the eldest. She stood strong for Tatay and for her siblings after Nanay passed away. She has this innate sense of responsibility of looking after them even some already has their own family.
She managed to raise a daughter on her own; she endured being miles away for almost a decade to provide comfort for the family; when her health was compromised, she managed to bounce back to normal condition even only having one family member by her side. Her wonderful friends stands as her second family while she is away from home. My mom is not alone; she is and will never be alone.
My Mom is my hero.
Despite the distance, I never felt growing up alone. Despite being miles away, Mama sees to it that she never misses any special occasions at home. In my teenage years, she would ask Tatay to prepare a simple meal for my birthdays. I remember a family friend saying, “Ang tagal na pala ng Mama mo sa L.A, ano? Buti hindi ka nagloko?” Why would I do such stupid things when Mama is enduring the pain of distance just to provide me with all things necessary with a dash of “wants”… Then I remembered another family friend saying “Ang swerte ng Mama mo kasi kahit nasa malayo siya, hindi ka nagrebelde.” I guess it’s the other way around; I am luckier to have Concepcion as my mother. I am blessed to have her as my mom wherein from the day I was conceived, she didn’t look at the situation as problem. Growing-up in this unconventional set-up never really felt that something is unusually missing. She is a mom and a dad rolled into one. She treat my cousins like her own children that is why we all call her “Mama Lanie”. No distance or unusual situation could lessen my love and respect for my Mom.
