My Mother, A Woman After God's Own Heart

Where are you going? Who will you be with? What time will you be back ?

Do these lines sound familiar?

These are the questions I have to answer every time I am going out.

My mother, widowed at 38 years old, was very protective of her children. When my father died 13 years into their marriage, she never remarried. She was a believer of fairytales, fearing that her precious little ones would suffer at the hands of an evil stepfather, just like Cinderella and Snow White at the hands of their wicked stepmothers.

As a woman after God’s own heart, only 3 things matter for her. Faith, Hope and Love. And the greatest of these is Love. Her love of God and her children!

And so, full of hope and courage, she assumed the responsibility of raising the family by herself. My two brothers were 12 and 10 years old, my sister was 8 and I was only 4 then. We barely understood what had just happened to us. Slowly, we realized that we had only our mother to depend on.

My mother is a master of delectable and delightful dishes. She toiled untiringly as a chef at my uncle Romy's (her brother) restaurant from dawn till dusk to earn a living for us.

Her faith in God is immense. She prays without ceasing for our safety and protection. We would never go to sleep at night until we had prayed together as a family.

Indeed, God is a Father of orphans and a defender of widows! He is our mighty protector, our wonderful provider!

My mother is very thoughtful and reliable. Once when I was taking an examination for a scholarship at a School of Science and Mathematics, the teacher handed me a paper bag. Inside it were 3 biscuits and a bottle of water from my mom. She was waiting outside the room, frantic with worry that I will faint in the middle of the exam for being anaemic.

Through patience, persistence and perseverance, all four of us finished University degrees. My two brothers are Engineers, my sister a Business graduate and I got a Mathematics degree.

Despite all the hardships that she experienced, my mother never grew tired of loving and caring for us. She stayed by my side when I gave birth to my three children, Nathaniel, Ezekiel and Gabriel. She bathed them, fed them and watched over them while I was working. Her presence made me feel comfortable to leave my children every morning for work. I can rest easy knowing that my little ones were safe and secure under her watchful eyes.

With her around, I can be a baby too, even now that I have my own children. Whenever I’m feeling under the weather I will go to her room where I can be pampered with her massaging my head with Vicks Vapor Rub. While in her room we share our deepest feelings of joy and sadness and reminisce those times when I was young.

Now at 86, my mother is our darling, our baby girl! Whatever mother wants, mother gets! Whenever she wants a new dress or a new pair of shoes, we will go shopping together. I am her shopping buddy! When she misses our family back in the Philippines, I will send her there! I am her travelling buddy too. When she craves for the food from her favorite restaurant, our whole family will eat there after going to church on a Sunday. Her wish is our command!

Each of her grandsons takes turns to gently hold her hand when we are strolling in the mall. My children speak very respectfully and kindly to her even if they have to repeat the words over and over again because she can’t hear or she can’t remember. They got their thoughtfulness and lovingness from her. After all, she was with them in their growing years!

Her memory may fail but we will lovingly remind her. Her hearing may be weakened, but we will patiently repeat the words to her until she understands.

But try to ask her about her childhood years and she will narrate her own story in vibrant colors. She can even clearly remember where they took shelter during the Second World War and the food they ate, like sweet potatoes, while hiding underground from the Japanese soldiers!

We always love to listen to her stories about her persistent suitors and how our father stood out among the 5 of them!

We are what we are today because of this woman after God’s own heart!

It is her immense faith in God, her great hope for our happily ever after, and her selfless love for us, her children that keeps her strong.

We love her so much and we thank God for her!

Happy 86th birthday Mother! Thank you for your love! We love you beyond measure!