It's How You Play It - A Mother's Day Tribute

During childhood, she’d always tells me “character is more important than any winning or success”. 

That in any battle in life, it is all about the performance you’ve shown regardless of winning or losing. It's how you play it!

Any pursuit of victory is a noble goal but the winners in life appreciate the pursuit more than the victory itself. 

These are the very words that my nanay delivers in chorus as she guides us while we grow up. 

Last year, I have had my share of poem for her as my way of telling her how I value her as my mother. 

Today, I'll just go back to the old good memories we have had and single out few of the many wisdoms she had imparted to us as we mold our character then. 

My mom is a dreamer, she'd always explains to us the value of hardwork, patience, and education. I understand how she stressed to us to give our best shot in school because she was deprived to continue her schooling due to the early death of my grand mother and lack of guidance his father had shown them while they're growing up. She had to work to meet ends shying out her ambition to finish school. She was not privileged to come from a very well-off families. Her family had enough but due to mismanagement of household and the vices my grandpa had that time, her family lose the balance of life causing her and my Aunt to force to work to earn a living and put food on the table so early in life.

My Nanay, Inay, Mother with Tatay. Sweet pa rin after all these years!

Haaay! how sad it is to reminisce how my mom had suffered such a fate in her family life before when in fact it could have been a pretty years growing up for her. But life's like that. Most of the times, we are confronted with sudden life changing situation whether we're ready or not. 

Anyhow, she had survived and managed to have a decent life with my tatay. And both, they promised to give us the best that they can afford - focusing on education. 

My mom is a smart one - sa kanya ko namana ang konting dunong na meron ako. But not discounting the fact that my father had his own share of healthy thalamus in me. In my family, ako ang kamukha ng nanay ko. And I'm proud to say that at certain point in my life, you can call me 'mama's boy'. I'd always be in her shadow. Ganun daw ata talaga yun -kapag lalake malapit sa nanay at kapag babae naman sa tatay. 

Well, that's how it was during our childhood. I just find the balance in terms of closeness to both of 'em (nanay and tatay) when I'm grown up already. Most part of being my school achiever I owe it to my nanay. Kahit pa she's too limited with her educational background, she'd always try her best to teach us with our school homeworks. Siyempre lumaki ako sa probinsya. A certified promdi kaya tandang tanda ko talaga how I'd burn my brows studying late at night with only the "gasera" serving as my light. 

Way back, our town is unfortunate to have electricity then. Kaya nagtiyaga talaga kami sa paggamit ng "gasera" para lang makapag aral sa gabi. At habang nag-aaral at lumalalim ang gabi, sari-saring mga huni ng ibon at kung anu-ano pang mga weird animal sounds ang maririnig mo. At times, I stop reviewing and hurry to bed because I don't feel good anymore. Pakiramdam ko may lalabas na kung anu-ano sa paligid - hahaha (the afraid me when I was 10 years old below). But I managed to turn the tide, naging matapang ako sa mga "supernatural elements" sa amin. You only have two choices kasi eh, it's either you'll wag your tail afraid or wave it bravely. I choose the latter. Kaya namanhid na ang katawan at isip ko sa mga kwentong kababalaghan. Teka, the focus is already detouring, nawawala ang essence ng story ko hahaha! May effect ng kababalaghan haha! 

Going further, si nanay would always assert na mag-aral kaming mabuti kasi like any other parents lagi niyang sasabihin ang famous lines na "Anak! yan lang ang tanging maipapamana namin sa inyo na di mananakaw kailanman" 

And she's right - absolutely right. So I did my part, excelling in school. Doing my best was what my game plan then. Late bloomer ako kung mag excel sa klase, I'd start as a slow performer then peak up in the middle right through the end of the year. Kaya ang ranking ko somehow tumataas. I never had the top honors though but I'm included in the elite group of students. Partida pa kasi when I was in my grade school and high school days, di talaga ako palabasa na klase ng estudyante. 

I would remember that time na sa history books lang ako interesado kaya yun lang lagi ang binabasa ko. Loving history rose in me the ambition to travel each part of the world and see for myself in reality those places where I just once read in books. Pero di pa naman natutupad most of them- one day maybe. 

Few of the vivid memories that were cemented in my mind as part of my nanay's words of wisdom were these: "Study hard, Always be a hand to others. Never give up and be patient. Let God rules your life". 

Admittedly, as a young boy growing up, it didn't strike me at once. There were many instances where these words of wisdom has been buried in my mind - di isinapuso agad agad. Until the time that I have to exercise them as I completely learned the value of it. It took me years before I fully realized its importance. I'd admit that during those times, my patience department was so scarce.

Young as I was then, I can easily fume in anger when someone pick on me. Like my father, I'd always want to get even when I know I was upset and irritated. Again, my mom is the balancing act in my life - choosing to display patience in its longest stretch than be involved in a brawl or instigate a fight. Again and again, she'd always tell me that patience is one of the best trait a person can have. 

"So, to you nanay, THANK YOU for the patience that you've taught us. THANK YOU for not giving up on us when there were difficult times we had to endure in our lives. THANK YOU for instilling and inculcating in us the value of having a good education. THANK YOU sa pagtitiyaga sa kakulitan namin. THANK YOU for your tireless efforts sa pag aalaga sa amin - most expecially when we're sick - for me, you have King Midas' touch - not turning into gold something that you've touched but healing the sick in us. THANK YOU for the mentoring you've done to us. And I thank God for choosing you as my nanay." 

"Like any son or daughter, we would always say that your value is untradeable, non-negotiable and will forever be priceless. I seldom say this as I was not used to saying it loudly, but I LOVE YOU from the bottom of my heart." 

And finally, I shout out my greetings as well to my dear sister Jinky who is a mother of three too, my wife who is a mother of our cute boy lil Caleb, to my HS classmates/batchmates who are mothers now and to my relatives and friends na nanay na rin ngayon and to your mothers as well. Life is not as exciting as it is without you putting extra colors in it. God bless you all! 

In reality, all of us face adversities throughout our life, some that can destroy us physically, emotionally and financially. Our challenge is to stay in the game and enjoy the competition, whatever the outcome. Yes, we will experience obstacles, we will experience setbacks, we will experience defeats. They are inevitable. But winning in life is not based on the final score. It is only measured by how we play the game. 

Indeed, life is how we play it and we can't play it completely without our mothers behind us.