We would always "argue" at the slightest provocation kahit on hindsight, we'd realize na pareho naman kami ng point. (Ang labo di ba? Hehehe).
I would always feel na "threatened" siya sa akin especially when I joined the family business and was able to expand it only after a year or two of being its' (the business) Administrator.
We also sort of competed sa love at approval ng Dad ko kaya imagine the tension and the stress considering we live in a compound where the business is.
When my Dad died in 2012, I promised him that I would take care of Mom and never ever make "patol" anymore with her.
At this point, she has Chronic Kidney Disease and had to be on dialysis 3x a week.
I made true my promise to Dad.
By God's grace, marami kaming "awayan" episodes na bigla ko na lang siya yayakapin at sasabihing "Tama na Mom, I love you. And itigil na natin ito ikaw na masusunod".
She would also soften and hug me back at doon na natapos yung diskusyon. Love love love na ika nga ni Kris Aquino. Haha.
Believe me, HINDI AKO YUN!
It was the Lord working in me kaya I could not take credit for it at all.
Ma-pride akong tao at kahit magkamatayan na I will hold my ground.
Pero yun nga, the Lord took over.
Surprisingly, she has also changed.
Domino effect talaga! Tipong love begets love ang drama namin.
We would argue less, agree more on things and the tension at home just evaporated in thin air.
I am so blessed din with a very understanding husband.
I would bring Mom to all our lakads even out of the country. I contacted Dialysis Centers in Japan, Dubai and Korea just so Mom would be accommodated while we were there.
Ayun, happy siya at na addict kaka-out of the country and would boast to her co-dialysis patients about her experience in each of the clinics we visited.
In all of these, wala akong narinig sa asawa ko.
He never complained as in.
There are several times pa nga na ready na kami to go out on a date and all of a sudden Mom would feel na di maganda pakiramdam niya and I had to cancel the date.
A few of those times I know it was just my Mom being clingy to me hehehe. Inarte lang ba...
Kaya what we would do, we wait for her to sleep and instructed her Caregiver na wag na sabihin na umalis kami para di na kabahan na wala ako sa house.
Last year, she suffered 3 cardiac arrests and we were in ICU for almost a month.
The prognosis wasn't that good so my brother from Canada and my Uncles from the US went home na.
I prayed to God na sana ma extend pa ang life nya kahit kaunti pa kasi 69 lang siya nun and pangarap niya na maka grand 70 celebration siya.
You know what?
God granted my request. She miraculously recovered na sobrang kinagulat ng family.
As in we were all resigned na to the fact that her time was up and we were arranging na for her interment and all.
To cut the long story short, bumalik siya sa dati although of course, mas naging limited ang pwede nyang gawin.
From Sept 2014, I know na bonus na ang buhay ng Mom ko so every single day, I was conscious of it.
Because she cannot ride an airplane anymore, di na rin kami muna umalis and instead puro local trips na lang na long drive o kaya staycation.
She enjoyed adding a province to her list of Dialysis Center she had gone into from Bicol to Ilocos to Pangasinan and Baguio. Hehehe.
Hindi madali ito because I literally converted a vehicle as her mobile clinic. May oxygen etc at may team ako ng nurse, masahista at yaya just for her.
She had a bonggang 70th Bday Celebration last May too.
Sobrang saya nya!
Sept. 18-20, we were in Antipolo.
She was very makulit, and happy and madaldal. Sobrang mabiro at malambing.
Sabi ko pa nga "Ma, kung magpapatuloy kang malakas na ganyan, we can ask your Cardio kung pwede ka mag HK this Nov."
Kayang kaya daw niya.
Sept 21, she went for Dialysis treatment as usual. She left the house early in the morning, bagong ligo at full make up pa.
As fate would have it, it was the School's Field Trip too that day so I had to leave the house at 4AM (much earlier than her).
Nagdadalawang isip ako if I should go to her room and kiss her goodbye or would slip quietly para hindi na siya magising given the fact na hirap siya minsan kumuha matulog.
I chose the latter.
Around 10am, I got a text message from her Caregiver na baka iderecho sa ER after the dialysis kasi parang naging unresponsive at mahina.
I had to rush home.
Sept. 22, she breathed her last in the ICU.
When I saw her Death Certificate, kinilabutan ako.
Sept 22, 2014 noon when I asked the Lord if He could extend my Mom's life some more. I remembered mouthing "kahit isang taon pa po".
True enough, the Lord was never a day early nor a day late. he granted my request ng eksaktong isang taon!
(Sana pala 30 years ang nasabi ko hehe).
I am thankful for Mom's 70 years of life well lived.
Wala na akong karapatan pa na magtanong kay Lord why kinuha na Niya.
He had been generous and faithful to us.
If your Mothers are still alive, I know that you know how everyday is an opprtunity to right the wrongs and how a change in attitude could cause the breakdown of walls na matagal ng pinatigas ng pride.
My prayer is for all of us to be given second chances and enough time to show our love to our parents.
The Lord gives, the Lord takes away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord!
