In Memory of my Dearly Beloved Mother

IN MEMORY OF MY DEARLY BELOVED MOTHER

Today, March 16, 2017 is the 11^th death anniversary of my mother.

Although she graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education at the University of Santo Tomas, she opted to be a fulltime housewife.

She did her job so very well. She was, first and foremost, a dutiful wife to my beloved father, a mother to us, her five (5) children, an excellent cook, a seamstress, a carpenter, a teacher, and other roles that needs her talent where it is needed.

I think, I took after her in terms of cooking, but not as good as her. She loves to recycle things, which again, I think, I did too. Her recycling is more of an old dress to be remodeled into a new and beautiful frock. I did some paper recycling like paper bead necklace, bracelet and earrings, handbag, a ‘balikbayan’ box turned into mini cabinet, and paper flowers.

Like my mother, I, too, kept a diary of my everyday comings and goings.

On the day that my mother died, I had an entry on my diary about the event of that day. My mother has been in the ICU since March 10, 2006.

At around 5:30 in the morning I woke up from a bad dream. I had dreamed that my Mom’s respirator and oxygenation machine is not functioning well. This gave me the feeling that something was not right.  I was not able to go back sleep again after that.

During the day, she was given a sponge bath. There were lots visitors to lend us a helping hand, morally and spiritually.

At around 4:30 in the afternoon, her heart rate and oxygenation machine went down to zero (I don’t know what the normal level should be, but common sense dictates that it is not zero).

I had a bad feeling that the worst situation is about to happen. There was no more pulse in her wrist.

All the Nurses and medical staff kept on going back and forth to her room to resuscitate her but to no avail.

She was official declared dead at 5:39 in the afternoon. We were all devastated.

Now, remembering her, eleven years after, gave me the strength and the courage to be a loyal and loving wife to my husband, a loving and good mother to my children, ever there and helpful to my siblings, an honest and caring friend, a jolly and smiling acquaintance.

To be all of these, I should be godlike in all my ways. I should always live my life as if it were my last.