I'd like to dedicate this article to my mom and to all mothers out there. This is just an idea of mine wishing God to let my mom live one hundred years.I want her to see more of my accomplishments/surprises for in the coming future. Saving for these activities/plans needs time and preparation. I'm running out of time. She's in her mid-sixties and retirement period. By the time I'm 30 probably she's in her 70's.
She made a lot for me and I want to make a lot for her too. She probably doesn't ask for it but in return to her goodness, I'd like her to live 30 years more. Working in an environment where I witness different fatal diseases makes me worried that my mom will be taken away from me anytime .
My mom is a single parent since 1998 (after my father died of aneurysm at the age of 49 or 50). She raised her 4 children working as a librarian in a government institution. This is one reason why I think mothers should not be a plain housewife. I believe that women should also be prepared and well educated before getting married. Working is a must so she can support her family in case the husband dies.
When my dad died, an amount of money was received. She used it to buy educational plans. I believe she also started buying life insurance for she knows that a it's not a joke to spend thousands for a funeral. Knock knock on the wood. 14 years has passed. Thank God for lending her to us till now and thank you for more years to come.
I was ten when the incident of losing a father happened.
Life was never easy before. I remembered when my mom used to wear those black clothings for a year and still be able to bring us out every sunday after mass just to divert the pain barely looking at our home without a father. There were times she cried a lot but her care for us was never been affected.
She is strong. She is not the crying emo-type. If others get depressed the whole time, she started going back to work as a teacher and librarian. She was already planning about the future, her children's future.
I would always remember the times when my mom would do something for us not to feel such poverty. In rare cases, she would be buying viand in exchange of a bunch of banana grown by her at the back of our house. She would be making charcoal out of crumpled-soaked-and-dried paper for us to use just incase we no longer have gas and I remembered cooking with those for two to three days. I would also remember when I was in college wherein she cried because (I brought some of my groupmates for an overnight to finish our project) we don't have gas and enough food to serve. So she did the same thing giving a bunch of banana to the store owner and promised to her that she'll pay when the salary comes.
This is not always the case. We tasted brand new clothes and shoes. We tasted great foods. During Christmas bonus, she would give us 500 pesos to buy what we want for Christmas. We were never taught to spend much on something we really don't need. Buying a school shoe not until the old one is torn was her way of teaching us the value of money. Not spending much on our birthdays helped her save for our allowances and baon in school.
I would also remember looking at her pay check with only an amount of 3,000 php left with all the deductions of her loans (she built a house for us in case she will be retiring), GSIS, and all other stuff. Salary comes every fifteen days. I would be asking the same question every fifteen days. Well I was wondering how come this happens. My mom is working in a State University, with masterals degree, with PhD (finished at her late fifties?). How come she receives only this? Anyway, I would be excited to accompany her to buy groceries thinking that there will be some extra penny for my wants. We ended up buying the usual needs- sugar, salt, a kilo of pork, a kilo of chicken, two canned-goods (tunna is my favorite), a bag of powdered soap (yes we have a washing machine :)) soy sauce (silver swan brand) , vinegar (datu puti brand), shampoo, toothpaste, if there still enough penny I would ask her to buy hotdogs (with cheese is what I like the most), my favorite banana bread (with cinnamon and nuts) and some others. But if no extra money, I would just enjoy looking at the different goods around, smell the different fragrances on the soap section (ariel was our favorite), look at those breads and just swallow my saliva back.I patiently carried our baggages back home and realizing she's carrying the biggest bag. Maybe I was thin that time and not strong enough to carry it or maybe just because it's her instinct that she doesn't want me to get tired that much. I tried once to carry the biggest bag myself but ending up saying , " Mama, agsukat ta haan ko kaya. Alaek na lng to no malpas ijay crossing".
My mom was 2 inches smaller than me. She's 5 footer and a skinny but not on the abdomen area (excess fat on those area related to four times pregnancy). My mom is whiter-skinned than me even if many times she would be working on our backyard garden under the sun. You can consider her mestiza during her younger days. Probably thanks to chinchanzu (chinese face cream). I tried it myself before but I don't like the smell and sticky feeling in my face. She doesn't wear expensive clothings. Most of the clothes she wear are from the famous Ukay ukay bands. Buying inexpensive make ups is also of her thing. Just simple with her well color coordinated clothes.
So I went asking how come we live well being able to eat three times a day, have decent clothes, go to a private school in college with three thousand pesos for every fifteen days. This is not exaggerating. She explained to me in laymans terms that she had a lot of loans. Loans for our college funds, our two-storey house with an attic (the family loves attics as passed over by dad's love for attics), allowances and the like. Living in a semi- city needs a lot of money. A lot of goods needed and temptations to spend your money. But because we know that we aren't that rich enough, we never asked that much. I started college with 50 pesos allowance (that was already enough for a budget meal lunch and back and forth fare) and so with my big brothers. I already received hundred pesos when I was in 3rd year college. We had curfews at home, whenever it's dark, it's time to go home unless there some activities needed to go home late at night (no need to explain). At home, our viands are not ea- all- you-can buffet style. If we have fried chicken, one medium sliced is enough for you to have something tomorrow. There are some things not needed to be explained. We were taught how to be thrifty the indirect way.
My brothers and sisters were successful saving from their daily allowances except me. they were able to buy their gadgets on their own. My cellphone were only secondly handed to me by my brother. I tried to had my own piggy bank but ended up opened for a buying some thing I like.
But how come? How come my mother was able to bring us up without feeling so poor? I know of some people who are richer than our family but not able to fulfill their children's wishes to go to a private school.
I didn't ask her directly but these are some of the answers she brought up:
1. Be thrifty! Do not buy unnecessary things but rewarding yourself once in a while is not a bad idea. Save as much as you can.
2. She spent thousands of pesos on our college funds which we were able to use once we reach college.
3. Loans, and direct utang. I don't know if there is someone who is utang-free. You just have to learn how to classify good from bad debts.
4. To be able to spend more for important things, you must spend less for less important things.
5. She tried her best to be thick-skinned or in local term kapalan ang mukha to ask for help to other people just like what she did to exchange a bunch of banana to a viand or ulam.
6. Be creative in recycling or upcycling things.
Now that we all graduated and out of her house. I think it's time to plan what I should instore for her.
I pray that God will give her longer and make healthier this coming years. With a longer span of time, I will have a longer time to prepare well for her future (just like parent planning for her child).
Here are some of the plans I made to keep her smiling and in return of her efforts. I can never repay her outmost care and love just like she did but I'll try my best to do them.
How about you, how do you plan to return back the love to your mom. I hope I inspired you in a way. Plan it and make your mom live a-hundred-years or more.
I'd like to dedicate a this song for all mothers out there who made their children proud.
She made a lot for me and I want to make a lot for her too. She probably doesn't ask for it but in return to her goodness, I'd like her to live 30 years more. Working in an environment where I witness different fatal diseases makes me worried that my mom will be taken away from me anytime .
My mom is a single parent since 1998 (after my father died of aneurysm at the age of 49 or 50). She raised her 4 children working as a librarian in a government institution. This is one reason why I think mothers should not be a plain housewife. I believe that women should also be prepared and well educated before getting married. Working is a must so she can support her family in case the husband dies.
When my dad died, an amount of money was received. She used it to buy educational plans. I believe she also started buying life insurance for she knows that a it's not a joke to spend thousands for a funeral. Knock knock on the wood. 14 years has passed. Thank God for lending her to us till now and thank you for more years to come.
I was ten when the incident of losing a father happened.
Life was never easy before. I remembered when my mom used to wear those black clothings for a year and still be able to bring us out every sunday after mass just to divert the pain barely looking at our home without a father. There were times she cried a lot but her care for us was never been affected.
She is strong. She is not the crying emo-type. If others get depressed the whole time, she started going back to work as a teacher and librarian. She was already planning about the future, her children's future.
I would always remember the times when my mom would do something for us not to feel such poverty. In rare cases, she would be buying viand in exchange of a bunch of banana grown by her at the back of our house. She would be making charcoal out of crumpled-soaked-and-dried paper for us to use just incase we no longer have gas and I remembered cooking with those for two to three days. I would also remember when I was in college wherein she cried because (I brought some of my groupmates for an overnight to finish our project) we don't have gas and enough food to serve. So she did the same thing giving a bunch of banana to the store owner and promised to her that she'll pay when the salary comes.
This is not always the case. We tasted brand new clothes and shoes. We tasted great foods. During Christmas bonus, she would give us 500 pesos to buy what we want for Christmas. We were never taught to spend much on something we really don't need. Buying a school shoe not until the old one is torn was her way of teaching us the value of money. Not spending much on our birthdays helped her save for our allowances and baon in school.
I would also remember looking at her pay check with only an amount of 3,000 php left with all the deductions of her loans (she built a house for us in case she will be retiring), GSIS, and all other stuff. Salary comes every fifteen days. I would be asking the same question every fifteen days. Well I was wondering how come this happens. My mom is working in a State University, with masterals degree, with PhD (finished at her late fifties?). How come she receives only this? Anyway, I would be excited to accompany her to buy groceries thinking that there will be some extra penny for my wants. We ended up buying the usual needs- sugar, salt, a kilo of pork, a kilo of chicken, two canned-goods (tunna is my favorite), a bag of powdered soap (yes we have a washing machine :)) soy sauce (silver swan brand) , vinegar (datu puti brand), shampoo, toothpaste, if there still enough penny I would ask her to buy hotdogs (with cheese is what I like the most), my favorite banana bread (with cinnamon and nuts) and some others. But if no extra money, I would just enjoy looking at the different goods around, smell the different fragrances on the soap section (ariel was our favorite), look at those breads and just swallow my saliva back.I patiently carried our baggages back home and realizing she's carrying the biggest bag. Maybe I was thin that time and not strong enough to carry it or maybe just because it's her instinct that she doesn't want me to get tired that much. I tried once to carry the biggest bag myself but ending up saying , " Mama, agsukat ta haan ko kaya. Alaek na lng to no malpas ijay crossing".
My mom was 2 inches smaller than me. She's 5 footer and a skinny but not on the abdomen area (excess fat on those area related to four times pregnancy). My mom is whiter-skinned than me even if many times she would be working on our backyard garden under the sun. You can consider her mestiza during her younger days. Probably thanks to chinchanzu (chinese face cream). I tried it myself before but I don't like the smell and sticky feeling in my face. She doesn't wear expensive clothings. Most of the clothes she wear are from the famous Ukay ukay bands. Buying inexpensive make ups is also of her thing. Just simple with her well color coordinated clothes.
So I went asking how come we live well being able to eat three times a day, have decent clothes, go to a private school in college with three thousand pesos for every fifteen days. This is not exaggerating. She explained to me in laymans terms that she had a lot of loans. Loans for our college funds, our two-storey house with an attic (the family loves attics as passed over by dad's love for attics), allowances and the like. Living in a semi- city needs a lot of money. A lot of goods needed and temptations to spend your money. But because we know that we aren't that rich enough, we never asked that much. I started college with 50 pesos allowance (that was already enough for a budget meal lunch and back and forth fare) and so with my big brothers. I already received hundred pesos when I was in 3rd year college. We had curfews at home, whenever it's dark, it's time to go home unless there some activities needed to go home late at night (no need to explain). At home, our viands are not ea- all- you-can buffet style. If we have fried chicken, one medium sliced is enough for you to have something tomorrow. There are some things not needed to be explained. We were taught how to be thrifty the indirect way.
My brothers and sisters were successful saving from their daily allowances except me. they were able to buy their gadgets on their own. My cellphone were only secondly handed to me by my brother. I tried to had my own piggy bank but ended up opened for a buying some thing I like.
But how come? How come my mother was able to bring us up without feeling so poor? I know of some people who are richer than our family but not able to fulfill their children's wishes to go to a private school.
I didn't ask her directly but these are some of the answers she brought up:
1. Be thrifty! Do not buy unnecessary things but rewarding yourself once in a while is not a bad idea. Save as much as you can.
2. She spent thousands of pesos on our college funds which we were able to use once we reach college.
3. Loans, and direct utang. I don't know if there is someone who is utang-free. You just have to learn how to classify good from bad debts.
4. To be able to spend more for important things, you must spend less for less important things.
5. She tried her best to be thick-skinned or in local term kapalan ang mukha to ask for help to other people just like what she did to exchange a bunch of banana to a viand or ulam.
6. Be creative in recycling or upcycling things.
Now that we all graduated and out of her house. I think it's time to plan what I should instore for her.
I pray that God will give her longer and make healthier this coming years. With a longer span of time, I will have a longer time to prepare well for her future (just like parent planning for her child).
Here are some of the plans I made to keep her smiling and in return of her efforts. I can never repay her outmost care and love just like she did but I'll try my best to do them.
- Bring her to another country for a tour at my own expense (atleast twice) and another touring locally (atleast twice a year or more).
- Celebrate her incoming birthdays a memorable one.
- Build her a house or finish our house that was started by her
- Give her atleast two grandchild or more (of my own) for her to spoil
- Give her the freedom of buying the things she likes
- Give her a garden to tend to whenever she is bored
- We'll have a hundred dates together.
- Let her taste to most delicious food in the world (eating in Singapore or Hong Kong
- Jogging moments or brisk walking together and stopping by a bakery to eat some pandesal
- and a lot more, big surprises ahead!
How about you, how do you plan to return back the love to your mom. I hope I inspired you in a way. Plan it and make your mom live a-hundred-years or more.
I'd like to dedicate a this song for all mothers out there who made their children proud.
I am Yvonne who is a netrepreneur who is willing to help others. Please feel free to check my About ME page.
