Mother's Day and Self-Love: Things I'd Like to Tell My Daughter

As a mother, I hope to lead my kid to a happy and good life.

May 13 was Mother's Day. I got a note from the love of my life days before that. As usual, her message made me cry. She knows I'm under so much pressure at this time (for the past several years, actually). She also knows that I'm having a hard time figuring out what I want to do with my life - aside from trying to fulfill my role as her mom. She is my saving grace, my human oxygen. I would've gone long ago if she weren't around. 

There are many things I'd like to tell her. Not sure if she'd take time to read this piece, but I hope when she does, she'd learn some lessons and use these reminders to protect and improve herself as a person.

Baby Jacob - My Quasi-Orphaned Nephew

Caring for a baby isn't easy, but earning a baby's love makes it all worthwhile.

He used to be just Yemuel, an angel's name, when I first saw him some time October or November of last year. He has cute round eyes and a smile that won me over. He did the same with the rest of my family, especially my father who is doubly happy for having a male grandchild. 

Yemuel's dad happens to be my cousin John who has no intention of marrying Rose, the woman who gave him his firstborn. He's one of the men who likes to plant their seeds anywhere just for the heck of it; many think women are merely sex objects and don't care about the consequences of their insensitivity. On the other hand, Rose is one of the young girls who isn't ready to be a mom yet, but then the unexpected happened. John's role, at this time, is to provide Yemuel's material needs, primarily his diapers, vitamins, and milk.

Mama's Dream and Remembering My Trip to the United States (US)

A few weeks ago, I accompanied my mom to the US Embassy. For several weeks she's been citing the approval of her visa as one of her intentions for praying the rosary. The reason? To attend my brother's graduation as a licensed nursing assistant and to take a much needed vacation away from home.

Mom would have gone to California if she only had a US visa.

Not that I hate the US for I've been there for a short time, but I didn't want her to go because of reasons I will discuss later.

From having a medical degree and a licensed general practitioner in the Philippines and serving as a community doctor in the Fiji Islands, my brother has opted to study para-nursing to survive in the US and be able to continue sending my parents some money. He went there when Fiji Islands had several political conflicts and foreigners were advised to leave. Apparently, unlike in the Philippines, applying for a US visa in other countries was quite a breeze.