I have been tagged by Greymom for 10 random facts about my mom. Unfortunately though, my mother joined the creator about a year ago, a few months after I visited her in the province. She was 88 years old.

It wouldn’t be easy for me to talk about my mom without long sigh, furrowed brow, or occasional tears. Nevertheless, I will be fine. Thanks to Greymom for the tag.

  • She only reached second grade as it was during the Japanese occupation in the Philippines when the natives spent most of their time hiding. Japanese were all over the province, cutting heads off if you didn’t give in to their demands. My uncles lost his head when he refused to give his pig.  So, instead of going to school, my mom and her family chose to live in the jungle for as long as the Japanese were around.
  • She was a fashionista. Boy, she loved wearing nice dresses. I had never seen her wear pants except when she was doing dirty jobs like fishing in the swamp or tending to our kamote plantation.
  • She loved strong perfume. Three years ago, I bought a bottle of Opium perfume as a present and boy, did she love the scent. Every after bath, she would dispense a couple of spray and the whole house would be saturated with fragrance. Whew, too strong!
  • She had a beautiful soft voice. I can still vividly remember some of the songs that she often sang to us when we were little. Now I know where my kids inherited their singing voices, and of course, given by God,
  • She was an excellent cook. She also made excellent desserts that I regret not taking lessons when I had the chance. Her signature dessert was cassava roll with sweetened coconut flakes inside. It was so good!
  • She was a hardworking mother and a survivor. At a young age, she taught me how to survive in this tough and cruel world in her own way. She was at her best when faced with adversities and hardships.
  • She loved all her children, grandchildren, and extended family. Truly, she epitomized a woman whose love extended far beyond her own family.
  • She was very thoughtful. When I recently went home, she gave me php100 to buy caramelized pili nut to be split between my two daughters. Of course, my daughters were thrilled to receive the pasalubong from their lola even how small or little it was.
  • She has an incredible memory. Here I am at 40 something, manifesting some signs of Alzheimer’s yet my mother had maintained her memory until her last breath. Why am I doing wrong? Not fair!

I am tagging K, Elyani, and Zherwin.

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Me, my mom, and my daughters playing domino.