I was checking my old posts for some camera reviews for our Canon EOS 500D and Samsung ES73 because I was not sure if I already wrote one. Sad to say, after months of owning these babies, I have not written even a single account that discusses them. Boo! I am putting that on my list now so I will not forget it anymore.

The happy part is, I saw my post about our summer getaway last year when we hit Bolinao, Pangasinan. Look at the photos below. I was approximately 7-months pregnant with Maxyn during that trip. No wonder my little girl is such a water baby!

I wonder where we are going this summer. It is already May and we have not plan a single swimming activity. Ayex has been bugging us already. Hopefully we can squeeze it in our schedule to give into Ayex’s request and so Ate, my sister-in-law, would also have some quality R&R before she goes back to US of A.

I have been wanting to write about this topic for weeks now, not only because of the contest but also because I want to pay tribute to the woman who gave us life.

I admit that there are times now that I find her makulit and that there are other things I would rather not discuss with her because it irritates me. But beyond those, there are a lot of things about her that inspires me to my bones, good and bad alike.

She is a working mom. Let us make that a hard-working mom.

I was about to go to college then when she and my father separated. She took all of us, her four kids, with her when we moved out and she did everything to provide us our needs. Imagine how hard it is to send a child to college, two kids to high school and another one in elementary. And we all studied in a private school. She took up BS Psychology and worked as a Guidance Counselor and as a Statistician on the side. After work, she would meet clients who need help with statistics on their thesis. Then later on, she became a thesis ghost writer. She would wake up early in the morning to meet her clients’ deadlines. And thankfully, through her hard work, all of us were able to finish our studies in time.

I guess one factor that made her a strong person despite all the odds is her faith. I remember I used to say this to people when they ask me where she is. Pag wala sa opisina si mama, wala rin sa bahay, nasa simbahan lang yun. She is a very active parishioner and I believe being such gave her an avenue where she can hold on to. This is in fact something that I really want to reach. I want to be as prayerful as her. I am faithful but I know I can be more when it comes to my faith.

A few years ago, she underwent total hysterectomy. Since her whole reproductive system was removed, her hormones changed a lot. Her mood swings became evident specially when she is not taking her medicines. This became a challenge to me and my siblings. At first it was hard adjusting. She is happy now then all of a sudden, she would shout about something she did not find funny. She is easily irritated. Over time, we found how to adjust and we were able to tell her what we feel when she suddenly changes moods.

I know she still have a lot on her plate she wants to accomplish. And I know with God’s grace, she will be able to achieve them. We may not be one of the riches but the fact that my mom raised us well, almost by herself, is enough. She has imparted good values to us that I also want to teach our children and hopefully, they also teach the same to their own kids.

This photo was taken years ago. I guess this was our very first family picture.

Started by Dindin’s Mama.