TOP 5 reasons….

…i can’t live without my mom.

1. She’s the family intermediator (she tells my dad everything everyone in the family wants to confess or ask permission for) and mediator (she pacifies him when we push our luck with the confession or permission).

2. She really does know everything! Converations with her are full of insights and understandings.

3. With some persuading, she’s willing to give a little more money for a spur-of-the-moment gimmikc.

4. The mere thought of her is comforting. Been on one too many scary rides or situations yelling "MMMOOOOMMMMYYYY" in panic to think otherwise.

5. Her silvery strappy Enzo Angiolini shoes are always ready for borrowing.

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from nowhere

i’d like to share this article with you. This is from Jennie Sales featured in Inquirer last May 9, 2006. This was forwarded to me by my aunt in Australia. It so happened that Jennie and I feel the same way of losing one special person in our lives; our MOM, and 90% of the story is the same as what we encounter.

yeah. yeah. another MOM story. maybe you’re saying "here she goes again and her mom". Maybe. I guess. I’m sorry. But this is my way of saying "i love her that much".

Healing

First posted

11:17pm

(Mla time)

May 09, 2006

By Jennie Sales
Inquirer

Editor’s Note: Published on Page C4 of the

May 10, 2006

issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

JUNE 17, 2005

. It’s been almost three weeks since mom passed away and I still can’t fully express what I feel. Let me rephrase that. I know what I want to say, but it’s all jumbled up in my head. I can’t find the right words. There’s just too much going on inside.

Mom’s passing was bittersweet. We’re grieving her loss but at the same time we are happy because she feels no more pain, her suffering has ended and she’s now in a better place.

No matter how many times I tell myself that she’s in a better place, it doesn’t completely fill the void she left in my heart. I do know that one day the pain will go away and I won’t have to cry myself to sleep. It has to end, because I know she wouldn’t want me to be like that. I have lots of wonderful memories of mom that will last me a lifetime, but there’s nothing better than having her right here with us.

I admit it’s hard not having mom around. We’ve been so used to having her here in every aspect of our lives, that we greatly

feel her loss. Even during the times her body was weak, her mind and spirit were at their finest.

My responsibilities have naturally broadened since I’m the eldest, which sometimes make me feel like I’m the mom now. But no matter how hard the task seems to be, I will try my best to live up to mom’s expectations. After all, she taught us well. She prepared us for the eventuality of her loss, although even if we seemed like the best prepared persons around, when that time comes, no one really is.

Cathartic

I remember her telling us to let her go, when her vitals started getting tachy. I was the one who asked if I could talk to the doctor because I had a feeling that mom’s condition was deteriorating and I wanted to know what our options were.

The first doctor I talked to was the kidney doctor, who told me mom’s blood gases were very high and we should think about getting her dialyzed within the next few days. I was surprised because mom was admitted for having fluid in her lungs (which had already been drained) and here was this doctor telling me she needed a dialysis.

I immediately said no to the dialysis, even if I hadn’t asked my dad and my siblings. I don’t want to put her through any more pain and I knew that mom wouldn’t want it, too. The doctor said they were going to give her medicines to try to lessen the blood gases in mom’s body, but the effects would only be temporary.

When I got inside the room, my sister and mom’s sisters Nanay Lita and Tita Belle surrounded mom, and she was calling out our deceased grandparents’ names. She had a very beautiful smile on her face, her aura was different and I couldn’t see a hint of the pain and discomfort I knew she felt before I left the room. She waved her hands, smiled and called out the name of our uncle, Nanay’s husband, who passed away last year.

Around

6 p.m.

, mom’s heartbeat became erratic and her oxygen levels dropped further. At the same time, the nurses had difficulty getting her blood pressure. It was then that we felt mom’s time was almost up. My dad, my siblings and I surrounded her bed and told her everything we ever wanted to tell her. She couldn’t speak because of her oxygen mask, but we communicated with gestures, loving looks and kisses.

My sister and I alternated sitting in bed with mom, her head nestled on our shoulders, while dad and my brother held her hands. We told her it was okay to leave, because we know how much she has suffered from this sickness. We would miss her but we’d be fine because we knew she’d be our angel.

The moment we told her that, I felt calmness from her. We told her it was okay if she wanted to sleep and rest and we’d just be there by her side. She fell asleep less than five minutes after we told her that which was amazing because she hadn’t been able to sleep well the past weeks. It was like she was just waiting for us to tell her it was all right to go.

Mom passed away peacefully in my arms at

9:02 p.m.

,

Sunday, May 29, 2005

, surrounded by her family. For that I am very thankful. She didn’t suffer in the end. She just slept and never woke up. It was the way she wanted to go.

Strongest person

May 5, 2006

. My mother was the strongest person I’ve known in my lifetime. From the moment we learned that she had breast cancer in 1997, she was a pillar of strength.

After her mastectomy, she was on remission for four years. Had she gone five years without recurrence, it meant her chances of being cancer-free were in the upper 90 percent.

But two months before the fifth year, mom had a recurrence. She underwent three cycles of chemotherapy and 38 days of radiation therapy. It was three months of excruciating pain, with bouts of nausea, extreme exhaustion and appetite loss. She lost at least 20 pounds during that period, which she regained after the sessions.

Mom was in remission again for two years, but the cancer was stubborn and she underwent another six cycles of chemotherapy and 30 days of radiation therapy.

Mom was cancer-free for a year, but needed another round of chemotherapy because the cancer metastasized to her other breast. There were also indications that it had spread to other parts of her body, like the back of her skull and the lower right part of her lung. That meant she needed another cycle of high-dose chemotherapy.

Anyone who could endure three cycles of chemotherapy and do it again for another 12 cycles is not only strong physically, but mentally.

She was also going to work on the periods between chemo sessions, even if she didn’t need to. She wanted to go to work to take her mind off the cancer, because she said that when her mind was idle, it just gave her time to think about it.

Beautiful person

I wanted to pay tribute to my mother, Divine Sales, not only because she was a pillar of strength, but also because she was the most supportive, loving best friend, wife, mother, shopping partner, cook, therapist and all-around beautiful person I have ever known.

I miss everything about her, her laughter, her smile, her voice, her cooking, the hugs and kisses, the way she smelled, the girl talk we had before going to bed every night, how she got excited planning our Christmas reunions and summer outings. I miss our shopping sprees, our food tripping, and the talks we used to have in the car, on the way home from work. I miss everything. Yes, even the sermons I used to get when I screwed up, and how she would hug me right after.

My mom and I may not have had the perfect mother-daughter relationship, but I wouldn’t trade her for anyone in the world. We used to have our fights because I was stubborn and we were so alike that we tended to clash, but we had the greatest time together.

I came to know her better when I accompanied her to all her doctor’s appointments, chemotherapy and radiation sessions and lab tests. I came to see mom as a woman and not just as a mother. I knew her fears and I admired her more when she confronted those fears head on.

It’s been almost a year since she passed away and not a day goes by when I don’t think about her. A lot has changed, my siblings and I grew up a lot and I know my dad misses her every day. We’ve had challenges and I know there’s more to come, but now that we have our own guardian angel guiding us, everything will be all right.

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The Philippine is…

I got this topic in a forum. Is that how the author hated Philippines? Hey! look at the bright side of what’s happening now:

-we got multi-talented filipinos from the field of education, culture and sports who brought fame to PHILIPPINES. uhhh…that helps, i guess!

The Philippines is…

50 - Where the most happening places are not where the party is. Instead, it’s where the gang wars happen, where women strip and the people overthrow a president.

49 - Where even doctors, lawyers and engineers are unemployed.

48 - Where everyone has his personal ghost story.

47 - Where mountains like Makiling and Banahaw are considered holy places.

46 - Where everything can be forged.

45 - Where school is considered second home and the mall considered the third home.

44 - Where Starbucks ® coffee is more expensive than gas.

43 - Where every street has a basketball court and every town has only one public school.

42 - Where all kinds of animals are edible.

41 - Where people speak all kinds of languages and still call it Tagalog.

40 - Where students pay more money than they will earn afterwards.

39 - Where call center employees earn more money than teachers and nurses.

38 - Where driving 4 km can take you as much as 4 hours.

37 - Where flyovers bring you from the freeway to the side streets.

36 - Where the tourist spots are where Filipinos do not (or cannot) go.

35 - Where the personal computer is mainly used for games and Friendster ®.

34 - Where all 13-year-olds are alcoholic.

33 - Where colonial mentality is dishonestly denied!

32 - Where 4 AM is not even considered bedtime yet.

31 - Where people can pay to defy law.

30 - Where everything is spoofed.

29 - Where even the povertysticken get to wear Ralph Lauren ® and Tommy Hilfiger ®.

28 - Where the honking of horns is a way of life.

27 - Where being called a bum is never offensive.

26 - Where floodwaters take up more than 90% of the streets during the rainy season.

25 - Where everyone has a relative abroad who keeps them alive.

24 - Where crossing the street involves running for your dear life.

23 - Where wearing your national color makes you "baduy".

22 - Where billiards is a sport and dart is a bar game.

21 - Where even the povertystricken have the latest cellphones. (GSM - Galing Sa Magnanakaw)

20 - Where insurance does not work.

19 - Where water can only be classified as tap and dirty. Clean water is for sale (35 pesos per gallon).

18 - Where the church governs the people and where the government makes the people pray for miracles.

17 - Where University of the Philippines is where all weird people go. Ateneo is where all the nerds go. La Salle is where all the Chinese go. College of Saint Benilde is where all stupid Chinese go and the University of Asia and the Pacific is where all the irrelevantly rich people go.

16 - Where fast food is a diet meal.

15 - Where traffic signs are merely suggestions not regulations.

14 - Where all the trees in the city are below six feet.

13 - Where being held-up is normal (it happens to everyone).

12 - Where kids dream of becoming pilots, doctors, and basketball players.

11 - Where rodents are normal house pets.

10 - Where the definition of traffic is "non-movement" of vehicles.

09 - Where the fighter planes of the 1940s are used for military engagements and the new fighter planes are displayed in museums.

08 - Where Nora Aunor is acclaimed actress and Boy Abunda is the best talk show host.

07 - Where cigarettes and alcohol are necessity and where loterry is a commodity.

06 - Where soap operas tell the realities of life and where the news provides the drama.

05 - Where actors make the rules and where politicians provide the entertainment.

04 - Where finding a deer on the road will be a phenomenon.

03 - Where people can get away stealing trillions of pesos but not for a thousand.

02 - Where being an hour late is still considered punctual.

01 - Where everyone wants to leave the country.

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kis-a

wala ka man gakatingala?

kung kis-a daw indi amo ang gusto mo?

kung kis-a daw kasala sang tanan mo nga ginahangop?

kung kis-a gusto mo magkadlaw pero indi ka kakadlawun?

kung kis-a daw in-love ka pero ginapunggan mo?

kung kis-a abi mo xiya na pero indi gali?

kung kis-a daw mangakig ka nga daw indi man?

kung kis-a daw mahibi ka nga wala man gatulo mga luha mo?

kung kis-a daw kasinggitun ka nga daw mahipos ka na lang?

kung kis-a daw mauntat ka na pero ginasige mo pa?

amo ko na kung kis-a.

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missing mommy

I miss mommy so much;

Especially on Sundays, going to church and hear mass;

Helping us build our relationship with God.

Especially on Sundays, going to the mall;

Have a seat and sipping our mocha frappe while she takes a bite with her tuna sandwich;

I miss mommy so much;

Especially when our grandma starts to vocalize her voice;

The non-stop this and that annoys and gets us irritated.

I miss mommy everytime I came home from work.

Especially when I’m stress with pressures that work gives.

Especially when the day doesn’t give its shine on me.

Mom always be the stress-free med that easily cures.

I miss mommy so much.

Especially when I saw other girls with their mommies too.

I can never have that special bonding anymore.

I miss mommy so much.

Especially during the times of dilemma.

I just thank God for loving mommy; for not letting mommy sacrifice the pain.

For not letting her suffer the disturbances of bed sores.

I just miss mommy so much.

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