My Mother's Day Reflections

I have always looked  forward in celebrating Mother's Day with my mom and kids especially when I started working and have spent less times with my mom which sadly became fewer in between. Thus I always file my vacation leave in advance if Mother's Day will be a work day. Unfortunately due to the fact that whole month of April had been full of illness and blessings in disguise I got preoccupied that I failed to file my leave early. Thus when I found out that a team mate got the slot ahead of me I cannot help but feel sad. So I  decided to give my gift early and told my mom about it who was then in the city visiting and staying with my brother's family. As always she understood, even telling me that she has to leave on that day with my other kids as she was going to vote for the elections the next day.

Despite the many promotions and events intended for Mother's Day I have spent it resting and getting in touch with my mom over the phone. As always the well wishers  both at work and on social media could be seen, heard and read. There were lots of  messages addressed to all moms, either biologically or by choice and some of them really touched a sensitive chord in my heart. 

One of them came from a family friend's son, now in CA and has a family of his own. I could not help but  like and comment on what he wrote on facebook.com.

By Rodolfo Pring Jr

Mothers are not perfect. Mother’s Day can be painful for those whose mothers were absent, mean or abusive. I like to think it is never too late to have a happy childhood. Life has its challenges and is exceedingly unfair for many. So we cherish the love, comfort and safety our mothers provided, and we forgive the words and actions that hurt us.We do not have to forget, but we do have to forgive so we can move on with our lives. Living in the folds of old wounds does not allow us to fully see and experience the gifts of today.

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms in the world!

*from facebook.com *


Junior was just a young boy when his parents left for the US. It was their aunt and uncle who guided and took the role as parents while he and his siblings were growing up. He and his brother Mario were some of the smart kids that always made us laugh in our neighborhood and that included my dad. They were also musically gifted and excelled in academics just like their elder siblings. Though the whole family is now based in CA they have remained humble through the years, always willing to lend a helping hand when needed. I found his post very inspiring, touching on forgiveness and acceptance that despite our flawed characters it is never too late to relive and capture what was once lost.


Another message came from a mother figure at work who already resigned and who I have not seen for months now. I have gotten used on visiting her post before I head for home and since our schedules had changed it came to a point that those visits became rare. When I told her how sorry I was that I have not been there to spend some time on her last day of work, tears started to fall. I realized how much I miss her especially when she wrote that my mom raised me well enough to be a good mother. I feel so blessed choosing her to be my mom at the workplace because she taught me the real meaning of forgiveness and was one of the reasons why I chose to get up and push myself to work because I know just hearing her voice would melt all my hurt and worries away. 

I thought I have had enough of those Mother's day messages until I visited facebook the next day. While I was scrolling on my updates a picture with a short note caught my attention. This time it came from my nephew Abe with a simple note for his mom. Perhaps it was the message or of my sister's face through the years that created a lump in my throat and an ache in my heart, creating sound like hiccups as tears uncontrollably fell down on my cheeks.

My sister and her son Abe (Baham) through the years 

It has been almost a decade that I have not seen my one and only sister. My eldest daughter  had not even finished grade school when she left for NY together with her family. Seeing her picture made me miss not just the years spent without her but the sacrifices every mother will make for the sake of her family including moving on with their lives spent away from love ones yet still get to smile even for a short while hiding all the need and the pain inside. I know Mother's day will be over once she read my message but it does not really matter. I told her to continue believing that all her sacrifices will pay off very soon and that includes seeing her home with my mom and the rest of our family.

I may have spent Mother's Day at work or have not gone to pamper myself, eat out, watch a movie and spend it with my whole family nevertheless I am thankful for the many greetings, messages and reflections I have learned not only on that day. They maybe simple or profound, at any rate I will never get tired of receiving, hearing or reading every one of them. Motherhood may have not been an easy choice nor a painless journey but in this world it is the ONE thing that I am most proud of. The respect, admiration and appreciation I had earned simply because I chose to be a mom will stay with me forever, a feeling I will never get enough of not just on Mother's Day but on each and every day that I am called a MOM.