Thank you, Kathleen
Originally uploaded by: KnOizKi
When I came into this world, my Dear Ma held me in her arms. I was too small, wailing like a banshee. I thanked her for keeping me safe in her arms until I reached the age of 1. It was when she fed and bathed me, cuddled and giggled at me while she put me to bed.
I turned 7, too scared to carry my ugly school bag wearing a pair of an old and too ugly slipper (from the province, I really didn’t wear one shoes) - she walked me to school. I thanked her for saying out loud that “I’M NOT GOING!”. I was so shy that I couldn’t even sit there alone with other children. She stayed in for hours just to make sure that I was okay. I saw her feeling so excited that I can make it.
Then I grew up so fast, I reached adolescent. School was getting harder, burning the midnight candles. We were so poor we couldn’t even afford a flourescent light. We grew up near the market and helped her in our tiny store. I thanked her for teaching us to be brave, taught us to work hard in order to survive and learned to be contented with what we owned by living simple and ordinary.
I still remember those teenage years, when I turned 13, she suggested a haircut that was totally an out-thing. Who would want a stupid army cut anyways? But then, I thanked her for saying that she had no taste.
I was 16 when she cried at my High School graduation, well she cried over the phone. She was so far away to work for our future. It was my Aunt who proxied on her behalf. I could see her watching in a distance as I sing the “Climb Every Mountain” our Farewell Graduation song. And I thanked her for staying up late while I was partying outside until dawn with classmates.
And then comes adulthood…
I was 19 when she paid for my college tuition. And again, I thanked her for saying good-bye outside the dorm so I wouldn’t feel embarrassed in front of my friends. As I turned 24, she asked me about my plans for the future, if i’m marrying who and when. And then, I thanked her for glaring and growling, “Kathleen, please!” I call her by name, I thought it was cute.
Now that I’m older, while she’s feeling ill, she needed me to take care of her, my heart is crying. I can’t thanked her enough and say that a mother has no substitute, though at times she may not agree to my thoughts, she’s my mother. She will always be with us, to listen to my woes, braggings, frustrations, etceteras.
I will never be able to express enough how Mom has meant to me. Her path and her examples are the ones I continually follow. I do so with utmost pride, knowing that it is the greatest examples of how to live life with grace and strength I will ever be given.
Mother’s Day will be celebrated like birthdays, this Sunday. She deserves to not only celebrate but also be celebrated. I know I can’t be with her but I thanked her for giving me all the guidance, love and sacrifices.
I love you Ma, Happy Mother’s Day!
Be Here To Love Me
by: Norah Jones
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[...] I may not be celebrating this holiday with my Mother Kathleen because she’s not here in Hong Kong, I have opted to play these beautiful songs that I [...]
[...] You see, I would have been annoyed by the phone alarm but infact it was my life-saver, I realized that it was my Dad’s birthday (he passed away 7 years ago). So I had to call home to greet my family specially my mother, Kathleen. “You remembered“, uttering in a breathless manner. Of course I did - I got extra phonecards and my cellphone was recharged overnight. [...]
[...] I will probably focus entirely on what’s happening in this beautiful city, what’s new, what’s noisy about the new shops around Pacific Place and why the McDonalds was replaced by the Marathon sports shop. My nephews and I loves going in there for a bite, I feel like a Daddy to them. It made me smile for the entire day. I see myself in them when I was at their age. My mother used to say, learn the simple life, live and enjoy the day because tomorrow will be a different day. I thanked her for that, a little wisdom to carry on with your dear life. Mothers are truly the greatest gift in this world. [...]
Funny when I called my Mom yesterday afternoon, I said:
aKo To: “Hello, Ma, Happy Mother’s Day, miss ko na kayo”
si Ma To: “Hello, Sino ‘to”?
She was completely clueless! Now tell me, who’s gonna laugh so hard? Maybe I haven’t called for the longest time she can’t even remember my voice.
Thanks Tita G, Happy Mom’s Day! Bianca is so lucky having a Mom like you.
tito k … as they say “mothers know best” and we both agree with that … and besides they are the reason kung bakit ka ganyan, at kung bakit ako ganito
we could only wish and hope that we make they proud
*throws an empty box of tissuepaper to yuri*.. do you want me to start singing your favourite song again?
me sings: “Don’t cry little one…always keep a little prayer in your pocket and you’re sure to see the light. Soon there’ll be joy and happiness and your little world will be bright.”
Now raise your glass - let’s cheers to all the MOM’s out there *cling*!
OMG k.. tear-jerking ang entry mo. hahaha sobra i almost cried. i love ur mom, she reminds me of mine. kiss her for me ok? miss u k!
I think Dad left us when I was 4yrs old. He, along with his younger brother left the Philippines to work in Japan as Entertainers (musician) for more than a year I think. My Uncle married a young japanese but separated later (they didn’t have a baby) and soon after that, my Dad moved to HK until I was in my 6th grade, Mom went to HK to be with my Dad. All of us were left behind in the Philippines and our dear Lola looked after at us, those where the times when we really have to live independently, it was not easy without a parent while we go to school. But that’s life I guess, I’ve learnt so much in my childhood and so proud of that.
I’ve called her today and told her she’s the “hero” on this day, she’s happy to hear I am alright.
Happy Mother’s Day to you too.
oh..your dad used to work here?
What a very nice,touching post for your mom k..did she get to read this post of yours na?
Thanks Charles, same to your mom and the other moms.
.. and twas nice chatting with you at BE, too late for me to be there. I lost it at the battle maybe because you didn’t vote for me hehehe, but that was fun.
your mom is a wonderful mom K. Happy Mothers Day to her!
Exactly. Well just about 30mins ago, I called her up and said that Mother’s Day is being celebrated today, she replied saying “Oh wow so Mother’s are real heroes”… *beep* the connections blurred out or something then I called again, and she said, “SAVE your money from calling, I’m OK and just go to church and ask thanksgiving”. I nearly cried.
K, it’s a very touching entry. Kathleen has a wonderful son in you.
I had a blow out with my mom a couple of days ago over something silly but it’s alright now. Love can do interesting things like make one overlook one’s pride, but am glad that I made the first move to apologise.
Yup meeya, as we normally say, “Family that prays together, stick together”. I think the best part of her being a Mommy was she had more fun with us than scolding us, the passion of doing her role. I believe that being MOM is not an easy job. You may agree with me that they do the most important & most difficult job in the planet. Imagine a house without a mother?
Happy Mum’s Day Meeya.
happy mother’s day to kathleen. a son who can write this lovingly about his mom, says a lot of things about how great a mother she is. youre a very lucky boy
Adorable & we all love her - and so was Dad. I think she’s also a father to us. We are 8th in the family and I’m the 5th, they thought I would become the youngest until 5 years later - another 3 siblings came. Eversince then, she was the one who took care for us while my father left us to work in Japan - but we grew up so close together.
She sounds like a great lady, K. Happy Mother’s Day to all Mums out there!
You know action speaks louder than words. We were also brought up like that, we never really say to each other the I Love You’s. It’s like when you’re in pain, mothers can feel you’re sick. If you’re worried or something, mother would comfort you. I’m sure you’re like that to your kids, it’s an instinct, I think.
But hey, do you lie when someone asked that you spanked your kid? I know most parents won’t tell. Hahahaha. But ok maybe that’s also part of raising children - I had a big spanking when I was a kid, my Dad would do that because I escaped whenever he teached us music lesson. I didn’t get scared because I would hide a thick cardboard inside my pant so I won’t feel a thing, I’d laugh hard than cry because kids behave differently at those times between 5-7 yrs of age.
Oh no her name is actually a very ugly Spanish, I made it up for her and the rest of the family call her that when we talk about those funny childhood years.
Heyyyy celebrate, Happy Mummy’s Day to you Asha.
I find it hard to be apologise to my mum for whatever nonsense I did during my teenage years. They taunt me till today. Now, my mum is proud of me so I haven’t been bothered about past issues. My family is brought up in such a way that we don’t say that we love a person direct, straight in the face. No. Only my kids do that now. So, I’ve never told my mum that I love her… but somehow she knows that I do. How? She knows. All moms do. Likewise I do too.
Beautiful entry K. And your mum looks great.
Happy mother’s day to Kathleen. Send the love over.
Ps: Hmm.. so does everyone’s name in your family starts from the letter ‘K’?
She’s a fighter but you know she gets really scared to be in a hospital. She avoid getting in sick, but somehow I believe that when we get older, we can’t tell that things just complicate each other because it’s part of getting old.
However, there were funny moments when I was still in my grade school, she dance like a crazy woman in some party then she’ll grab me into the big crowd to dance & felt proud of that because her son can dance too.
We must rather put in our minds that a mother will always be our bestfriend. In life I never really thought that my Mother had done million things for us. It’s not too late to say sorry really, or maybe don’t say it but rather show it.
BTW, thanks Kerryn for dropping by. I’ve always enjoy reading your blog eventhough I don’t leave comments.
K, the best gift you can give your mom is to keep living with strength and grace. I can’t be with my mum on Mother’s Day either but I’ll be calling her to tell her I love her. Oh, and I’ll also be apologising again for all of those times I was an irritating little so-and-so while I was growing up. I think she gets more of a kick out of the apologies than anything else
And she has a ‘big mouth’ too. Hahaha she nags all the time in the house and we kinda misses her for that and still is, even if we were already BIG, she still blah about laundry & who suppose to clean the kitchen, you know those typical house rules. Yeah, it’s a weekly obligation to call her even just for 5mins that you’re OK. She’s a worrier like me.
your mom has a big heart!
I wish you were with her on mother’s day.
I think the picture was taken in Dec 2004. I just got off from the plane and we went to a big mall in the Philippines. It was in a coffee shop where, if I can remember it correctly telling me to quit my smoking and stop drinking coffee. She jus had her minor surgery and wanted her to enjoy the shopping. She hated that picture because she had no make up on. She’s turning 62.
Happy Mother’s Day to K’s mom!
so pretty your mom…when was the pic taken?