Inked Solo Mama

13/06/2025

The Smile She Wore

Every morning at 6:00 a.m., the alarm buzzed like a stubborn reminder that life didn’t come with a pause button. Elena, a single mom of two, blinked the sleep from her eyes and reached for her cracked phone, silencing the alarm before it woke the kids. The silence in those early moments was golden, but heavy.

She stood in front of the mirror, brushing out her hair, practicing the smile she would wear like armor. The same smile she used to calm teachers, impress her boss, and reassure her children. The same one that masked the anxiety chewing away at her soul like moths in a closet.

Bills stacked on the kitchen counter like a game of Jenga, she couldn’t afford to lose. Rent was late again. Groceries were carefully calculated down to the last coupon. Gas tank? A mystery she left to faith, more than math.

But every day, Elena showed up.

She got the kids ready—pancakes shaped like dinosaurs on good days, toast with a smiley face made of jelly on others. She’d drop them off at school, kiss their cheeks, and whisper, “Be brave, okay? I’ll be brave too.”

At work, she answered phones with the grace of a queen and the speed of a caffeinated squirrel. No one saw the tiredness in her eyes, just the brightness of her “Can I help you?” voice. Her co-workers thought she had it all together. If only they knew the mental gymnastics it took just to stay afloat.

But at night, when her babies were asleep and the world quieted down, the mask cracked. That’s when the tears came. Quiet sobs into a pillow so no one would hear. Thoughts spiraling: Am I enough? How long can I do this? What if I break and no one notices?

And yet.

The next morning, the alarm buzzed again. And she rose.

Because that’s what moms do.

But don’t get her wrong—she wasn’t just a walking inspiration wrapped in exhaustion. Elena had her fun side, too. She knew every line of the kids’ favorite cartoons. She had secret dance parties in the kitchen with a wooden spoon mic. And she once made a haunted house out of cardboard boxes and scared herself more than the kids.

She was a storm and a shelter. A cracked vase still holding wildflowers.

21/03/2023

Memories of 2022

I organized this trip way back March 19-20, 2022. When a friend from Baguio told me na pwede na gumala.😅 Kaya lang grabe yung reservation process that time, kailangan magregister sa Vista Baguio with complete vaccination details. Pero prior to registration dapat may accommodation na dn.🏠🏘

Gladly, Jodin gave us links para makapili ng suitable transient house to accommodate us since 6 kami. So we decided to stay in Lower QM, nagrequest lang aq ng may veranda kz nga gus2 q talaga ang night view ng Baguio.😇😇😊😊. P600 per head is fare enough, kz solo namin ung place. With 2 rooms, sala, veranda and maluwang na kitchen😅😅😅. Napakabait ni Ma'am Thelma, kht super busy, sinigurado nya na safe and sound kming nakarating sa place. Salamat!

Usapan was 6am ang alis para maaga kmi makarating, bilang pong pagong, nakaalis kmi ng after 7am. Buti nalang nakapagpareserve na dn aq ng seats sa Van going to Baguio. Rate is 380++ yta then me discount pag student.

Buti nalang matyaga tlaga maghintay si Madam Aika at game palagi si Kuya Aran😅🤣😂.

So ang siste, nagkatamaran na mamasyal on our first day, we ended up going to SM Baguio, to eat late lunch and then buy some foods for our Atok trip.

Sa sobrang haba ng pila sa Taxi bay, lalo ng nagkatamaran sak2 naulan pa.😅🤣😂 kaya ayun nag inom nlanf🍺🍻🍺🍻🍸🍹🥂🥃

I also got my 4th tattoo, mother and daughter. A daily reminder to me na anak muna bago ang lahat.🙂🙂🙂 salamat sa fave artist q😇😇😇

Bakit nga ba madalas kmi sa Baguio? Kasi yung weather nakakacalm ng mind. Safe yung place kahit late at night gala. And, you can be yourself ng walang magjajudge sau.🙂🙂🙂

27/02/2023

Always choose to be kind🙂🙂🙂

Sinaktan ka nila kahit pa alam mong ginawa mo na ang lahat? Siniraan ka matapos mo silang tulungan? Iniwan ka nung umangat na ang buhay nila? Pinabayaan ka when you needed them most?

Natural lang na masaktan ka at manghinayang... minsan pa nga tatanungin mo sarili mo kung san ka ba nagkulang🙂. Pero may mga bagay na uncontrollable talaga.. at hindi lahat ng gus2 natin, palagi ang ang masusunod...

Wala ka namang mapapala kung gaganti ka.. sayang din yung oras mo kung iiyakan mo yung bagay or tao na sinayang ka... at lalong sayang ka kung magmumukmok ka lang🙂...

Always choose to be kind, kahit gaano pa kasama ang pinaranas sayo ng mundo... Live your life to the fullest ika nga nila.. suklian mo ng kabutihan ang kasamaan. And c Papa G na ang bahala, believe me, in return, you'll have an overflowing blessings... magtiwala ka lng..🙂🙂😇😇😇

23/02/2023

I'm proud of you!!!!

You've come this far...😊😊😊
Wins a lot of silent battles...👏💪👏
Survive a lot of emotional pains...😊😇👏💪

Alam ko pagod ka na... pagod na magpanggap na strong ka... pagod na kayanin ang lahat ng responsibilities... pagod na din yung katawang lupa mo sa araw araw na gawain...

Pero lam mo nakakabilib ka... kasi kahit patong patong na yung problema... kahit puyat at halos wala ka ng tulog... kahit di mo na halos alam kung ano uunahin mo...nakakangiti ka pa rin... nagiging inspirasyon ka pa rin sa iba...

Kaya lang minsan... bigyan mo naman ng oras yung sarili mo... kahit sandali lang... bili ka ng fave food mo... magpaganda ka...gumala ka... or matulog ka ng kumpletong walong oras...

Hindi naman luho yun.... ang tawag dun pagpapahalaga sa sarili... kung hindi mo aalagaan sarili mo... tandaan mo mawawalan dn ng saysay ang lahat ng pinaghirapan mo...

19/02/2023

The easiest way for you to forget someone is to free yourself from the assumption that one day everything will work just fine... if you know in the first place that everything is not worth fighting for...

26/08/2022