Two Awards from Ria

I know I'm a delinquent 'tagee' and have a long list of pending tags from my blogger friends, but the problem is I lost it! I always try to jot it down as soon as I receive one, but now I can't remember where I placed the list. :( I should have made a soft copy instead, huh?

I'll try to trace your tags and memes through Technorati, but it would be nice if you could leave your links to this post. *wink*

Anyways, Ria gave me 2 beautiful awards that I would like to share with you:

BEAUTIFUL MOM AWARD

MOTHER

This is a truly BEAUTIFUL piece.
Please read this at a slow pace,
digesting every word and in leisure...
Do not hurry....this is a treasure...

For those lucky to still be blessed with your Mom,
this is beautiful.
For those of us who aren't,
this is even more beautiful.
For those who are moms,
you'll love this.

The young mother set her foot
on the path of life.
'Is this the long way?' she asked.
And the guide said: 'Yes,
and the way is hard
And you will be old before
you reach the end of it..
But the end will be better
than the beginning.'

But the young mother was happy,
and she would not believe
that anything could be better
than these years.
So she played with her children,
and gathered flowers for them along the way,
and bathed them in the clear streams;
and the sun shone on them,
and the young Mother cried,
'Nothing will ever be lovelier than this.'

Then the night came,
and the storm, and the path was dark,

and the children shook with fear and cold,
and the mother drew them close
and covered them with her mantle,
and the children said,
'Mother, we are not afraid,
for you are near, and no harm can come.'

And the morning came,
and there was a hill ahead,
and the children climbed and grew weary,
and the mother was weary.
But at all times she said to the children,
'A little patience and we are there.'
So the children climbed,
and when they reached the top they said,
'Mother, we would not have done it without you.'

And the mother, when she lay down at night
looked up at the stars and said,
'This is a better day than the last,
for my children have learned fortitude
in the face of hardness.
Yesterday I gave them courage.
Today, I've given them strength.'

And the next day came strange clouds
which darkened the earth,
clouds of war and hate and evil,
and the children groped and stumbled,
and the mother said: '
Look up. Lift your eyes to the light.'
And the children looked and saw
above the clouds an everlasting glory,
and it guided them beyond the darkness.
And that night the Mother said,
'This is the best day of all,
for I have shown my children God.'

And the days went on,
and the weeks and the months and the years,
and the mother grew old
and she was little and bent.
But her children were tall and strong,
and walked with courage.
And when the way was rough,
they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather;
and at last they came to a hill,
and beyond they could see a shining road
and golden gates flung wide.
And mother said,
'I have reached the end of my journey.
And now I know the end
is better than the beginning,
for my children can walk alone,
and their children after them.'

And the children said,
'You will always walk with us, Mother,
even when you have gone through the gates.'
And they stood and watched her
as she went on alone,
and the gates closed after her.
And they said:
'We cannot see her but she is with us still.
A Mother like ours is more than a memory.
She is a living presence.......'

Your Mother is always with you....
She's the whisper of the leaves
as you walk down the street;
she's the smell of bleach
in your freshly laundered socks;
she's the cool hand on your brow
when you're not well.
Your Mother lives inside your laughter.
And she's crystallized in every tear drop.
She's the place you came from,
your first home;
and she's the map you follow
with every step you take.
She's your first love and your first heartbreak,
and nothing on earth can separate you.

Not time, not space... not even death!

Beautiful Mom Award started by Posh Post.

MARIE ANTOINETTE AWARD

This second award came from Ria's Fashop. Thanks a lot for the awards, girl! :)

Here are the rules for the award:

1. Please put the logo on your blog.
2. Place a link to the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate at least 7 or more blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on your blog.
5. Leave a message on their blogs to tell them.

I would like to pass both awards to my beautiful mommy friends: Girlie, Wena, Cielo, Manilenya, Gizelle, Ruby and Yums.

The Best Mom in the World

It was too tempting to write my own Mothers Day post last Sunday, but I thought I’d save it for now. After all, everyday is Mothers' Day! Don’t you agree?

Let me start off by saying that when I was young, I was more of a daddy’s girl.

My Dad was a military officer in the Philippine Army. Contrary to the general notion of soldiers being stiff and very strict in every way, I am lucky my dad is a pleasant exception. He might be such to his subordinates, while in uniform, but to his family, he is the kindest dad in the world.

My mom on the other hand, was the family disciplinarian. I remember studying my lessons with her and crying when I don’t get the answers right. I kept making mistakes not because I don’t know my lessons, but due to the fact that 1. I was afraid of her, and 2. I am more focused on praying that my dad comes home that very moment. Why? Dad always saves the day and when he comes home, I’ll be free and everything is great!

I never understood why she had to be strict when I was younger. Whenever she raises her voice and gets angry, I would ask myself if she loved me less.

Only now that I became a mother that I realized that the love and uncertainties of a mother for her children are bigger than life itself; that she will do everything she thinks is best for their welfare by all means, no matter what the cost.

Mom did what she had to do to raise me and my sister well. She wanted to mold us into good and responsible individuals, that even if it meant some sacrifice on her part, she inadvertently had to hurt our feelings along the way to achieve that. She disciplined and instilled values in us the best way she knew how, to shield us from the greater pains of the world.

If only a mother can protect her child from every kind of pain and cruelty in this world, she would. But since that is only possible to a certain extent, the best thing that she could do is to prepare her child to face the world head-on, equip him/her with faith, independence, good values and principles, wisdom and courage to stand up for what he/she believes in. I understand now that mom did all that for us.

Early in life, my parents taught us the importance of integrity and having an untainted name. My dad left the service because he was being pushed to take part and join the rotten system in the military - something that he could not stomach; hence he tendered his early retirement.

Another valuable virtue that we learned from our mom is to be generous; to give until it hurts. She is in fact, the most charitable person I’ve known. For years she has dedicated a big part of her life doing charity work and being active in church.

She just turned 60 years old last January, and yet I still see her as the most beautiful woman in the world. No amount of aging will change how beautiful I perceive her to be.

For me, she will always be the life of the party, the best dancer, the greatest cook, the budget queen of all times, the super party organizer, the most creative in-house designer... But above all that, she is the kindest, most loving mother one could ever have. She is all good things rolled into one!

Dearest Mom, I may not be a perfect daughter, but please know that the love I have for you is immeasurable and perfect beyond words, in the only way I know how, completely and forever.

Thank you for bringing me into this world and bringing out the best in me. I love you very much and I am so proud of you!

Happy Mother's Day!