Honoring Mothers

The Month of May truly is a month of love. Flowers are everywhere with scent that can be smell even from afar. The Ylang Ylang and Sampaguita (Philippine national Flower) are in full bloom and the buds are shining because of the Sun. Like the love that we all need and seeking, a mother’s love says it all, unconditional and always pleasing.

May is the month where the yearly Flores De Maria is being held or Flores De Mayo. Flores from the Dictionary is a Spanish term and means flowers. This is the time where each day for the whole month of May, from one Laguna priest is where there’s a flower offering or “alay” to remember and honor the conception of the “Virgin Mary” who is the mother of Jesus Christ.

Around the world and different days in May, we are celebrating and honoring our first teacher, and for me it’s literally my kindergarten teacher, my mother. For 15 years, she shares her knowledge and became a mother for almost 40 kids each term. She grown as the most beautiful person I know inside and out. I remember receiving a birthday card in school when I was still a student in Canossa. The card was from her and while reading it, my friend who was with me that time cried, she said she never received any letter from her mother and I am fortunate to have her.

As I find my motherhood journey this time, with three girls which like the same number of my mother’s daughters, all teachings and ways she did to us as much as possible is what I am doing for my children. Sharing words like “Love your sisters because you are all sharing one heart” or “Always strive hard for your children” where the common phrase from her lips when I am growing up.

A mother to everyone including to my cousins and seminarians I know, never in her lips you will heard any curse of any way. She is quiet but fierce in her all decisions, my brother in law even told me that she is the only one who always have the right decision.

My parents asked us to call them “Nanay and Tatay” instead of the westernized Mommy or Daddy, they loved to be called like that, they said it’s like calling them straight from the heart. The golden rule “Don’t do to others what you don’t want others to do unto you” is the words they want us to follow for they believe in “karma” like when you stolen a peso, you will lose hundreds of that. Wisdom is always they want us to gain.

Respect is what keeps people to have love. Life might not be always means you are up but truly with mother on your side, when you are down, it’s easy to go up again. We are living in uncertainties and only change doesn’t change. But with mother’s love which is infinite forever, honoring them is just one way to say you love her.