Litratong Pinoy – Maalala Mo Kaya

Gaano ba kabilis lumipas ang panahon? Ah, parang kahapon lang ganito lang sha kaliit noon, labing-anim na buwan pa lamang. Sa loob ng mga buwan na iyon ay natutong lumakad, magsalita, ngumiti, pumalakpak at kumanta.

Malinaw pa sa aking alaala ang pagsisimula ko sa pagiging ina, na kahit hindi ko naman pinag-aralan sa eskwela, alam ko na ang gagawin ko…kapag siya ay umiyak, pagkatapos niyang uminom ng gatas, kung paano siya paliguan, kung paano siya patawanin, kung paano siya mahihimbing sa pagtulog.

Lumipas ang mga taon, lumaki na siya, tumangkad, humaba ang buhok, natuto ng maraming salita, natutong mangatwiran, natutong sumagot. Maraming nangyari, maganda, malungkot, nakakatawa, nakakatakot, minsang nakakapagpagalit din. Natural yata sa isang ina ang maging mahigpit sa mga anak na babae nila. Ngayon ko nga naiintindihan ang madalas na sinasabi ng nanay ko ‘Maiintindihan mo din ako pag nagkaanak ka na…’ Hindi nga madali magpalaki ng anak, lalo na sa panahong ito na talaga namang iba sa kinalakihan ko (or natin).

Gayunpaman, sa kabila ng mga di magagandang pangyayari, patuloy kong maalala kung paano sa aking anak, ako ay isang ina.

(ang kanyang ngiti na hindi nababago – her signature smile)

How fast does time fly? Ah, it seems just like yesterday she was 16-months-old. In those months, she learned how to walk, talk, smile, clap and sing.

It is still very clear in my mind, the beginnings of me being a mom. Though I didn’t learn it from school, I know what to do…when she cries, after she drinks milk, how to bathe her, how to make her laugh, how to put her deep into sleep.

Years passed, she grew, hair got long, learned lots of words, learned how to reason, to answer back. A lot of things happened. Good, sad, funny, horrible, some that could make me angry. Maybe its natural for moms to be a little strict with their dughters. It is only now that I understand what mom used to tell me ‘you will understand me as soon as you have daughters of your own…’ It really isn’t easy to raise a child these days, one very different and difficult from what I had (or yours).

However, despite the not so fond things that happened, I will always remember how, to my child, I am a mother.

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Happy LP to all. For more, please visit LitratongPinoy.