Every Little Thing She Does is Magic

“I didn't want to hear it then / but I'm not ashamed to say it now / Every little thing you said and did was right for me / I had a lot of time to think about / about the way I used to be..” (Mama) by Spice Girls

i love to write. besides music, reading and math, writing is my passion. and normally, it would take me an hour at most to come up with an article.

but this week is different. for days i’ve been planning to write a “mother’s day” article.. but for some reason, i have difficulty putting my thoughts together. it’s not that i do not have anything to say about my mom. on the contrary, there are so many things i can say about her that i don’t quite know where to start, hehe :p

my mom’s life is very colorful. the eldest among 8 children, she was like a second mother to her siblings. even while she was still a student, mom would tutor classmates and friends to help support her brothers’ schooling. she started teaching at age 19.. and took on a lot of part-time jobs as well.

it was not easy at all. my mom would tell me how she would walk instead of commute so she could save money for her brothers. and because of the workload, she barely had time for herself. she told me how she would scrimp on clothes, makeup and other stuff young women normally splurge on. she had to help provide for her family. mom could not even buy chocolates (m&m’s and nestle crunch are her favorites) - ‘coz she could not afford to buy for everyone else. her only luxury was to get herself a bottle of perfume during christmas.

a lot of people looked up to mom - not just her siblings. i’m always amazed when her former students (most of whom look so much older than her, hehe) greet her so warmly when they bump into us. they’d always speak fondly of her.. and tell me how great my mom was.. not just as a teacher.. but as a friend/confidante.

a few years ago, mom’s former student even flew in from australia - just so she could attend mom’s retirement party. then last year, another former student donated a sizeable amount of money to our school. it was to be used to finance a scholarship - in my mother’s name.

mom sure has experienced a lot of triumphs and successes. but she’s gone through a lot of trials.. a lot of heartaches in life, as well. it is a testament to her humility and her faith in the Lord that mom always tells me, “anak, hindi ako magaling. ordinaryong tao lang ako.. maraming mas matalino sa akin. pero siguro binless ako ni Lord nang husto kasi malakas akong magdasal sa Kanya..”

though small in stature, my mom is a living “giant” of sorts. it’s quite intimidating, really. and while i wish i could be even half the person she is, it’s hard to fill mom’s shoes.

someday maybe i’ll be a mother, too. and when that day comes, i just hope and pray that the Lord will bless me the way He has blessed my mom. because she truly is a great person - a devoted sister and daughter, a loyal wife, an inspiring teacher, a caring and generous friend. but most of all, she’s a wonderful mom.

and i wouldn’t trade her for any other mom in the world :) thank You, Lord, for the privilege of being the daughter of such a great woman. :)