A Tribute to my Mama

I am going to write about my mother as a tribute to her for Mother's Day. She passed away in the year 2004. Although she and my father broke up when I was still a kid, she did her best to provide for me. Being an only child, it was her and me against the world, per say. She was so loving and at the same time a disciplinarian. I remember when I had an accident, while laying on my hospital bed, I woke up to find her crying and praying beside me. At the course of time, she needed a companion in life in which at first I couldn't seem to understand. My attitude towards my stepfather was not bad but was not that good either. But still, since my mother loved him, I respected that. I practically grew up with him and with my step siblings. As I was a bit bitter with my mother, hence I often stayed with our relatives. I knew then that she was hurting because for her whatever happens, she wanted for me to be with her as much as possible At the same time, I witnessed how my stepfather saved my mom several times when she had to be taken to the hospital. And for that I am and always will be grateful to him.

In my senior year in high school, I was sponsored to join a club in our school and my sponsor which was my friend, secretly asked my mom to write a letter for me as a part of the retreat. While reading her letter, I just could not stop from crying. In fact, I have it with me until now that whenever I read it, it always does have the same effect as reading it for the first time.

My mother's happiness was getting together with our families and relatives. She was always the first one to organize and see to it that everybody could attend. I remember my cousin telling me during my mother's wake that the very thing that he won't forget about my mom is that because of her, he knew more cousins and relatives. For us, that is my mother's legacy.

During her last few hours, she had an attack that she couldn't talk clearly anymore and all she mumbled about was my name. At the hospital, she was in a coma state and hearing the doctor saying that her life is only up to days or maybe even hours, was so devastating. It literally felt like my heart was being pounded and broken to pieces. I cried until it hurt my head. It was probably my worst cry ever. To make matters worst, she was burning hot with fever while her oxygen was crank up to the highest level of its calibration. It hurt so much seeing her in that condition that I wished I was in that position instead. Few hours passed, my Aunts talked me into talking to my mom not to worry about me because we all thought that's just what was holding her up. At first I would refuse because she can't leave me because she promised she would never do that. In the last moments, I was starting to accept that she'll be gone and I would rather have her rest than seeing her in such condition. So I talked to her telling her not to worry about me, that I'll be fine. I even joked that I will marry a foreigner, just to break the ice of the moment(which turned out odd as I look at it right now because I really am married to one!lol). Lastly, I told her to just rest then I saw a tear rolled down her cheek and after a minute, she let go.