MY MAMA, THE BAD-ASS ..

I have always admired my mom and her physical strength. Apart from my fondest memories of her as a mom, I also remember her climbing to the roof of our house to clean the gutters, going up the ladder to install the Christmas lights on our fence, carrying and hauling her heavy pots during her gardening or going out during Signal No. 4 to make sure that our area is typhoon-proof. I grew up with the notion of how a D-I-Y mom she is, checking below the sink for leaking pipes or doing minor carpentry work in our house. As far as I know, she has always been this kind of strong. 

So, it did not surprise me that she wanted to climb Mt. Pulag. 

But she is 61 now and had already been complaining of aches and pains all over. She now calls for someone to check on the gutters, she now asks my cousins to help her put up the Christmas lights and lift things that are twice her body weight. When we finalised the hiking plans, few days before, she was a bit hesitant to push through. She was already starting to doubt her trekking skills. She was now seriously assessing if her legs and heart can handle the pressure. She was deliberating whether it was worth it to give up this dream of hers. 

Nonetheless, as always, her will was stronger than any physical weakness that she feels or she thinks she feels for that matter. The 3-hour ascend to the camping site was not treacherous but it was not a joke either. In the afternoon of our first day, we did some more hiking around the area. By 3 am the next day, off we marched to the peak. I was with her during that steep climb to the summit and at this particular time and throughout the whole period we were hiking, she had no qualms, no whines, no grumbles, no major complains. Clearly, for her, there was no point of giving up. 

Whenever my sister and I would ask "Kaya pa?", she'd respond with an encouraging, "Oo, kaya pa" then she'd lead the way. Actually, kami pala talaga ang pagod na! hahaha. But then, it would be such a shame to say you can't when your mom says she can, she will and she did! 

Just like how she made climbing up to the roof our house to check the gutters seem so easy 10 years ago, she made it to the summit like a pro. At one point, I thought, she just couldn't bear the thought of 4 of her kids traversing the long and winding trail, camping out in the wilderness and beating the heat and cold by themselves, so being the protective mother that she is, she had to gather up her full strength one more time just to watch over us. Well, that one is a true story too. But, seeing how happy and proud she was of herself the minute she set foot at the peak, makes me happier and prouder a million times over! 

I've always known that our strength and adventurous spirit came from both her and my papa, however, her strength as a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend, a doctor and all the roles that she plays, is beyond amazing, truly admirable and absolutely inspiring.  And I am now only talking about the Pulag hike and 1/4 of her stunts in the past. She was and did so much more than all those! I am a witness to this display of strenght, indeed, my siblings and I blessed! 

Now, my prayer is that when I will have a family of my own, my heart will be blessed with my mama's strenght so I can watch my kids go bungy jumping or cliff diving without me fainting. That the Lord will keep my adventurous spirit so I can bring my family on trips that would make them discover, learn and enjoy the world. That I will work harder to be physically fit and healthy so I can join and watch over them whenever, wherever, whatever physical activity they are up to. That through my strength, I too, will inspire and make them proud. 

My mama is a rockstar! a superwoman! a fighter! a toughie! .. badass! kick-ass! hardcore! And, when I grow up I wanna be as strong as her! :)