Saturday, August 15, 2009

A Mother Remembered

As Nelia's beloved mother is interred, memories of my own mother come flooding in, having gone through the same painful experience and loss. I beg our batchmates' indulgence as I reproduce here a tribute I wrote in a family blog 2 years ago when we marked the 8th year of her passing.

To Nelia and family, our hearts beat with yours as you bid her final farewell. Our mother: our first cradle, our first home, our safest refuge, our comfort and strength, our truest friend.

Today is the 8th anniversary of my mother's death. It has been years since she passed away but the pain of having lost her is just as acute as it was then.

She was the truest mother in every sense of the word. Imperfect a person as she was like the rest of mankind, she was perfect in her love and sacrifice for her children.

Today I remember her and the times when we talked about the most mundane things. No, we did not really talk, she listened while I told her about things of any importance to me, however insignificant, however irrelevant. She always gave me the time. No time was ever the wrong time or busy time. She listened while I babbled on, half of the things I said probably figments of the child's fertile imagination. But she made me feel like they were the most brilliant things she had ever heard.

I miss her, even the times when I would upset her with my insensitivity, and the times she would upset me by forgetting that I was already grownup and no longer her little girl. I miss my mother and her loving care. I look forward with deepest longing to the day I shall see her again.

3 comments:

Pilar Villegas Cuevas said...

My mother turned 87 yesterday and as I read your tribute I was touched and I know I will also feel the same as you are for the lost of your mom, same with Nelia and the rest of our batchmates who already lost their beloved mother. I just keep on praying that my mother be contineously be given by our Lord God good health of mind and body and be taken by God on the right time.

JoGJMac(http://titajo.blogspot.com) said...

i could feel how you feel about your NANA, my TIA CONSUELO. i saw how she loved you, adored you. alam mo naman, na palagi akong nasa bahay nyo noong very young teachers pa tayo. kahit ngayon, i still remember her very pretty face, always smiling and happy pag magkasama tayo.

if only we can have our mothers forever...

Pilar Villegas Cuevas said...

Manny Rivera (Manuel Baluyot before) just called me. He said reading your posting really made him sad. Naala-ala daw tuloy niya ang lahat ng nagawa niyang kasalanan sa nanay niya noong siya ay nabubuhay pa. Magkukumpisal daw tuloy siya para mapatawad siya ng nanay niya. I told him to write his comment for every posting he feels he wants to. He said he forgot his password. He also said he is trying to call you but nobody is answering the phone. Wala kasi siyang magawa sa office kaya naghahanap ng kausap. O.K. hope to see you in January 2010.