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On March 22, 2025, NUSTAR Resort Cebu participated in Earth Hour, a global movement promoting environmental sustainability. From 8:30 to 9:30 PM, the resort turned off its facade lights and dimmed... read more
Why don’t we ruminate a little, say, for about five minutes? I’d like to share about the kind of mothers I have encountered, so far, in my life.
A Mother by Blood: This would be your biological mom. I learned from one of our classes that the Filipino society values family ties and a certain norm on the role of our parents. Mothers who gave birth to her child or children are responsible for taking care of their needs starting from infancy up to the time that the child can be personally responsible for his or her own actions.
A woman who gives birth to you, loves you because you are her own, takes care of you until you learn independence and even goes to great lengths just for you. That is the ideal mother.
Then these questions pop up: How about Ninangs or godmothers? They didn’t carry us in their tummies for nine months and yet the M-word is there. And sometimes, we hear about women renting wombs and babies getting adopted by childless females. Who then are these women, though not a kin, yet willing to take on the role, even up to the point of self-sacrifice?
And that, my friends, is what a Mother by Deed is.
Godmothers, upon the child’s baptism, gave a promise to stand in as his/her second mother. They are bound by this oath and have an obligation to partly provide for the needs of her inaanak (godson/goddaughter). I remember my Ninang (Godmother) Nancy whom I last saw about three years ago. She was my mom’s colleague in DTI and they had a Christmas party at their office, since it was December. At that time, I was still dating my boyfriend (now an ex) during college. She knew about it because my mom told her and when we saw each other, she hugged me fiercely and told me, “Jay, ingon imo mommy naa na daw kay uyab?” (Jay, you’re mom told me you have a boyfriend now?)
Imagine my embarrassment.
Then I told her yes, all the while blushing furiously. She went on to say, “Dalaga na gyud ka. Pag-amping ha?” (You’ve really grown up. Take care, okay?) . And thank God, as well, that she didn’t recount the days when I was still in diapers. Yes, I was embarrassed that she knew about it but at the same time, I felt happy. The same way I felt when I told my mom I had a boyfriend and she was okay. It was there I realized that this woman who gave me gifts every birthday, never forgets to send her regards and even gives me advice, matters to me. She was my mommy, too.
And I guess those women who are incapable of giving birth, who hire surrogate mothers, or those who adopt children at adoption centers are like godmothers, as well. It’s not their own blood that flows through the child’s veins, yet they take on the full responsibility in raising the kid and providing for his/her needs financially and emotionally. They are mothers only by deed, but mothers all the same.
What about the third kind of mother? Well, this is something I can very well relate to.
I am a self-imposed mother. I haven’t given birth yet because I’m not married (although this ceremony tends to be bypassed nowadays). And I didn’t adopt a child in the strictest sense. I have, however, two furry pink stuffed toys named Peekou and Poukee (aged two and one, respectively). They may not be living and breathing, but I love them like they were real kids. I take care of them, make sure that their cottony entrails are still fluffy and provide their needs, which basically mean putting them in the laundry for washing.
Aside from that, I used to handle on-the-job trainees. Whenever I post updates on the bulletin board or during our weekly meetings, I always referred to them as my “children”. And even if they were only there temporarily, I made sure that they learned something from the place they were assigned to and had fun, at the same time. To this day, some of them still call me mommy whenever we get to chat in Facebook.
And now that you know the kind of mothers, I only have a few words left to say.
Today, as we celebrate a day solely dedicated to mothers, let us think about who the mothers in our lives are, how they touched us, the sacrifices they made and the advices they have given. But most especially, what did we give back to them as payment for their valuable efforts?
Whether she’s a mother by blood, by deed or by declaration, she deserves your praise.
Kudos to all our mommies! Happy Mothers' Day to each and everyone of you from all of here at iSTORYA.NET!
By:
Anna Noelle Mohammad
iSTORYAn League of Writers
Noelley to her friends, Anna Noelle started by writing poetry, joining contests and getting recognized for her literary achievements at school. Since then, writing became and continued to be her passion. She has three companions whenever she doesn't feel like socializing with other human beings. They are Mr. Book, Mr. Pen, and his lovely wife, Mrs. Paper. She loves the color green, she listens to pop and rock music and is loved by her family. She is also a fan of David Eddings and Neil Gaiman.
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