MADER [email protected]

July 5, 2025 Opinion

On July 8, my mother Consuelo or Mely to family and friends will celebrate her natal day in heaven with a quiet dinner with the mortals left on earth at her favorite Rose Bowl Restaurant. I remember plagiarizing Khalil Gibran, the Immortal prophet of Lebanon when on Mader’s birthday, I gifted her a book with the handwritten quote “The most beautiful word on the lips of mankind is the word “Mother,” and the most beautiful call is the call of “My mother.” It is a word full of hope and love, a sweet and kind word coming from the depths of the heart. The mother is everything – she is our consolation in sorrow, our hope in misery, and our strength in weakness. She is the source of love, mercy, sympathy, and forgiveness.”
Her father Celestino was a jeepney operator in Trancoville where we were neighbors with the Dizons and Delenela on the right and Josie Sansanon on the left. Lolo donated the land to
where Don Bosco Church and St. Louis Lucban now stands while her mother, Sergia Rivera, was an Ibaloi lass from Asin.

The seat of power in our home by the river was occupied by her, contrary to the notion of my father that he was the King of the house. She was a public school product of Baguio City
High but finished her Education degree at the then Baguio Tech. This was where he probably met and crossed paths with a dashing, handsome man “na itago natin sa pangalan na
Arturo”, my father who I guess fell heads over heels in love with her. Together they established their family at Trancoville with kids Eric, myself and Tessa. She was a public school
teacher at Lucban Elementary School where I and my brother Eric studied Kindergarden and graduated Valedictorian for obvious reasons, hehe. Every time there was a school program, we would appear as the eternal intermission- number and we would duet to the tune of the Beatles “Let it be.

“ Now I realize, it is indeed a tribute song to mothers- “When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me! Unlike today’s teachers who enjoy a high pay with an entry level salary of P30K daw, the maestras of my mother’s time were poor as a church mice. She, like all other public school teachers had a reputation for being a hard worker, professional and devoted educator. She bought her own chalk, eraser, manila paper and whatever supplies at Panghoi with her own money. which she shared with her pupils. Mama was well loved by her students and fellow teachers who flocked to her wake when she succumbed after dialysis and spending all her retirement benefits for medical-care. Through her efforts, she
and papa were able to buy a lot and built a house through GSIS way back in ‘64. She had problems though with her health and optionally retired with a small-small pension
which almost always were spent on medicines, doctors and hospitals.

Mama was a simple woman with simple wants and needs but she took good care of her children and her husband. The halfway house, 19th tea and the Main Club at the John Hay
when it was run by the Americans were places of interest where we would spend happy times together. Of course, movies were there for the taking and I am sure she loved Dr. Zhivago, the Sound of Music, the King and I and the love stories of her time. She was a music lover and taught her students and children well on the virtues of life. With not much to do after
retirement, she volunteered herself at the Baguio General Hospital sewing bedding materials as well as the Church thru the CWL and other church based organizations. Of course she was the dotting and devoted Lola to her grandchildren-Carlo, Keena, Dominic, Manong Eric’s kids and ours JP, Maine, Ton, Ysa.

She has lived a good life and we are eternally grateful to her for being a blessing to our world. From the bottom of our hearts, agyaman, for all the sacrifices, sufferings, pain and joy of course in rearing all of us children and giving them the directions on the roads they should take to achieve their life goals… Like my mother-in-law Norma and the mothers of countless friends and family, , the memory of a mother gone so soon remains forever in our hearts, minds and soul until we exhale our last breathe. The mortals left on earth can never claim readiness to let go! There comes a time though that one has to let go from the earth, not because we want to but because we have to. Ours was in dialysis and ill for almost ten years of
her life that forced her to retire from public school teaching. In and out of hospitals until the last time where the feeling that the end is near.

Taking a poignant look at her, freed from physical hurt, stress and pain, all we could do was to lift her up to God and let His will be done. The fact was, she was ready to go even if were
not. There really is no saying goodbye here! The natural reaction when the dreaded time came was sorrow and sadness. As a family, we had fought a long, hard struggle only to find her giving up so quickly and easily. We said that their was hope that this, was just a bump in the lonely road, and end-result was a miracle recovery. We were clearly not prepared, willing, or
ready to say goodbye but knew deep in our hearts that saying goodbye was the only medicallogical choice. The time had come and it was important to do so with respect, care and dignity in following her wishes. The spirit remains hovering over all of us. “Butterflies” are free and continues doing what she best does, guarding, protecting, guiding her children and grand children in-the-afterearth this time Happy birthday and the stars in heaven are shining on you! We are grateful forever and love you eternally…sigh!

By: Edgar M. Avila