11/05/2026
As a child, I thought love was the things we received. The new trolley bags, the cool lunch boxes, the cute pencil cases, the little things that made us feel accepted and “in” at school. I thought those things just naturally came because that’s what parents do.
But growing up made me realize something painful and beautiful at the same time — those things came from sacrifice.
While my papa was working far away from us, my mama carried the weight of raising four children mostly on her own. She became both softness and strength in one person. She hid her exhaustion behind smiles, carried problems silently, and made sure we never felt the heaviness of life even when she was already carrying too much.
And now that I’m older, I finally understand something even deeper…
She was giving us the childhood she never had.
The things she worked hard to give us were the same things she once wished for as a child. The little things we sometimes took for granted were things she probably once dreamed of having for herself. She made sure we experienced the joy, comfort, and feeling of belonging that she may have missed growing up.
That realization hurts my heart in the softest way possible.
Because while we were busy enjoying those things, she was quietly healing parts of her own childhood through loving us. She gave what she lacked. She filled our lives with the things she once had to live without.
Maybe there were days she sacrificed her own wants, stretched every peso, and carried burdens silently just so we would never feel less than anyone else. Maybe she denied herself so many things because seeing us happy was enough for her.
And honestly, the older I get, the more I realize how selfless a mother’s love truly is.
A love that continues to give even when tired.
A love that sacrifices quietly.
A love that tries to heal its own wounds by making sure her children never experience the same pain.
Mama, thank you for every sacrifice we failed to notice when we were younger. Thank you for giving us the kind of childhood you never got to fully have. Thank you for loving us beyond your limits.
You are the strongest woman I know, and I will spend the rest of my life appreciating everything you did for us.
I love you so much, Mama. Happy Mother’s Day! ❤️
