NANAY MILING

It is amazing how my mother's memory and love could move us, her children, in a very powerful way. After I wrote the "My Mother" article, two of my brothers penned their respective beautiful tributes to our Nanay. Another sister is still doing hers in the middle of her demanding teaching job and preparation for her doctorate dissertation. Nanay's youngest granddaughter has already done hers and is next in line for posting.

This time, here's a poem written by our eldest sister, our Ate, Nita Villanueva-Reyes. Ate patiently took care of our bedridden mother for 4 years and 8 months. She fed her, bathed her, groomed her, cleaned her up when she made a mess, talked to her, ran errands, cleaned her house, called her doctors -everything that our mother couldn't do, she did for her. Our family will always be grateful to our Ate who dutifully and generously took the responsibilities, otherwise shared with the rest of the family. In the process, she sacrificed a lot, including her own family to attend to our mother's needs until she died. I guess history repeats itself. My mother (who is the Ate in her family) did that, and many years later, it's my Ate's turn. If anyone knows my mother most, it is Ate. She's been a responsible Ate ever since I could remember, almost like a mother to me and my siblings. She could be feisty at times, like most Ates tend to be, but certainly an Ate with a BIG heart. Behind that stern facade (which she got from our father) is a loving, kind, patient and generous sister and daughter. I couldn't ask for a better Ate.


NANAY MILING

Kay gandang pagmasdan
larawan sa kawalan...

Tulad ng mga bituin
na laging nagniningning
Magsisilbing gabay
Sa mga buhay na nawalay

Siyam na anak
Dinala sa sinapupunan
Pagmamahal at pag-aaruga
Ginampanan nang sukdulan

Sa hirap at ginhawa
Sa mga luha at saya
Lagi kang nandiyan
sa tuwi-tuwina.

Tulad ng iyong "bibingka"
Na gawa sa maselan mong panlasa
Di ipinagdamot at ipinatikim sa masa.
Ganyan ko maihahambing
Pag-ibig mo samin.

Sa iyong pagkakasakit
Ikaw ang siyang umukit
Sa mga puso't isipan
na dapat pagsikapan.

Walang sino man ang maaring humadlang
Pagmamahal mo at pagkalinga
na di kayang pantayan
Ngunit buong pusong ginampanan
Hanggang sa kadulu-duluhan.

Sa iyong pagpanaw aming natatanaw
Kaligayahan at kapayapaan
Dahil kapiling mo ang Diyos
na siyang lumikha sa sangkatauhan.

Magsisilbing lakas ka sa aming mga naiwan
Maraming salamat aming "INA"
sa iyong kadakilaan
at pagiging tunay na huwaran.