When She's 60

Finally I got the time to blog here and I am hoping for a decent writing. This is going to be the first here in this blogspot, though this account has been existing since March. I was thinking of transferring some of my old Facebook Notes here but I have decided to make this post my first on this site. After all, the post is going to be about a wonderful woman who holds our love and respect.

Yesterday, July 9, 2010, Cristina Mendiola Baltazar Agulto, a mother of 4, celebrated her 60th birthday at the house that is finally ours. Mama, as what we call her, is one of those simple and loving mothers I look up to. It was just a bit sad because Gino has already gone for Qatar and he couldn't celebrate with us.

If my recollection is correct, last night was the first time that we had her make a wish before the blowing of candle. Gel and I had to look for some improvised b-day candle that would fit on the small, round cake. Gelo (our cousin) was there to hold the cake for her while she was making her wish. Papa was just outside lying in the divan, "patamaran", as what Gino calls it. And yours truly taking photographs of the celebrator. Why did I not ask what her wish was?

Back then, she would tell us how hard yet simple and laid back it was to live the life "Nung Araw". She would tell me that Nung Araw, Inang Monic - our grandmother, having "pamamlantsa" a sideline, would ask her and Nanang Luming (her sister) to deliver clothes that had been ironed to customers and how much their legs would hurt to have a very long walk before they could even reach their destination and make the delivery possible. She would tell us that she and Nanang Luming used to have only 2 sets of clothes when they were still young, probably during their grade school days, and that they would have to wash them after every bathing so as to make them clean and available for the next day. They would eat on a "Dulang" (similar to a Japanese table), on plates made of coconut shell (bao ng niyog) and use spoons and forks made of bamboo.

My mother was not able to make it to college, not even her siblings, although they are all intellectual (Tatang Igue being the most clever of them all, as per Mama). She said that during their time, only those rich families can send their children off to college. But as I have witnessed, this has never been a hindrance to make her a better person.

She may not have helped me with my questions on the laws of physics or on the derivative of this and the integral of that but nevertheless she has taught us the greatest things that matter in life - To love unconditionally and to pay respect to each and every individual.

She is a woman of character

Never materialistic nor egotistic

She really is something else!

What is so noble is taking full responsibility of my pamangkins, Pia, Bobby and Shane from the time that the father (Bimbo) of these 3 kids passed away. I know how much she cares for her grandchildren, she never expected anything in return, she is very selfless that she had to give up her time for the three. She lacked sleep so much during their school years. She always had to wake up early to cook breakfast for them, prepare baon, wash and iron their uniforms, take them to school, help them with their home works and all these had been done on a daily basis. Isn’t that self-sacrificing? And that’s not all. I just hope that all her sacrifices are being recognized and appreciated.

I am grateful that God has entrusted me and my siblings to our mother (not to mention Papa). From her womb to giving birth to us, to our growing years and until now, I can feel in her simplest ways the love that she always wanted to grant us.

Happy Birthday, Ma! We love you! I hope I could be like you. I hope that I could give you and papa an apo to (1) fill your longing for the 3 kids (2) have that apo be taught of discipline (3) and for thatapo to experience how fortunate he/she would be to have a grandmother like you!