Mother’s Day celebrations never fail to bring vivid memories of my mother. She was 70 when she died which is exactly my age today as I write this piece. It was a ripe age in the Philippines but luckily, that same age is regarded as young in Australia as the incumbent Prime Minister has plans of extending retirement age to 70.
My mother served as public school teacher in Cavite City for more than 40 years. She was a brilliant teacher who earned the respect of both parents and children whom she taught. She did not earn much and I learned later that her entire salary went to paying my matriculation fees at Ateneo de Manila. Obviously, my father’s salary as an executive of Pan American World Airways was enough to sustain the family’s needs. I am truly grateful for this.
Later in life, I bought a property in BF Homes Parañaque where I raised my own children. I had time to visit my mother only on weekends.
In one of those trips, I learned that my mother had become very irritable. At first, I thought it was part of the aging process but we discovered later that she had Alzheimer’s disease. Not only did she become very forgetful of recent events but she also had fits of anger for no apparent reason. Then I knew the difference between simple dementia and Alzheimer’s.
I thought it best to bring her to my house in BF Homes where my wife looked after her. She died in hospital some six months later.
As we celebrate Mother’s Day this month of May, we look back to those years when our own mother looked after us like we were a piece of precious gem. We would never be what we are today if it were not for the tender loving care so generously provided by mothers.
Those among us who are lucky to have their mothers gifted with longevity are urged to honour them with utmost love and respect. They deserve it. It is our turn to pay them back for all the years they spent caring for us.