We tend to treasure the things given by our loved ones. These things might be worthless to some but valuable and priceless to us. These things could make a certain twist, turn, or change in our life that we cannot possibly imagine.
This is the story of my most treasured thing given to me by my mom, a 10-bead Rosary (as reflected in the picture below), she gave this to me when I was 12 years old. I can still remember vividly when she went with me to my high school alma mater where I studied for four years away from my family. Before we depart, she gave me this rosary and said, "take good care of this as you care for me and our family, and always ask Mama Mary to pray for you to achieve your dreams in life". She told me often times that no matter how hard life is, she will try her best to send me to college and finish a course since my siblings weren't devoted enough to study. Actually, I have four older siblings but they chose not to go to school because of financial problems and of dying interest to do so.
Fast Forward....
I was doing good in the first two years in school without seeing my loved ones. No cellphones (dahil hindi pa uso), no news from them since I was miles away from them. Until one day, I learned that my mother became very ill. I felt down and began questioning Him, why was this happening to me? That unexplainable feeling that you are away from your family, and then something bad is happening. I visited my mother for 3 days, she was really in great pain and her days were numbered. Even if she experienced too much pain but she still managed to console me that all will be well. I prayed to God earnestly without stopping but He did not hear my prayers. My mother was gone 2 weeks after I visited her. I was not even informed about her death. My mother told my siblings not to bother me if she is gone. She was worried and afraid that I will be affected emotionally and can't do well in class.
Fast Forward...
25 days after my mother's death without my knowledge, our school guardian received an emergency letter from home. The letter was written in English but the guardian cannot understand it since she is Korean and still learning English. She summoned me to her office. I was really nervous to hear the news knowing that it could be some bad news about my mom. She asked me to read the letter myself (I am literally crying typing reminiscing at this moment). I read it silently and I learned that my mom died 2 weeks after my home visitation, my tears were falling involuntarily without stopping, my heart was too heavy. I felt so helpless and I was extremely sad. The pain was flowing in my entire body and I cannot breathe.
But the letter did not end there, it was still very lengthy, as I continued reading it with an enormously heavy heart, I felt an indefinite and unbearable pain as if I died instantly, learning the worst news ever in my life, that my father died due to vehicular accident 25 days after my mother passed away. My world went black and I became unconscious. I can't accept it. I was in complete desperate desolation. I ask God why? For I believed I didn't deserve all of this. For I was trying so hard to become His filial child. At that moment, I felt that I am the most unfortunate being in this entire universe. I became a totally different person. I distanced myself entirely from my classmates and my smiles were seen no more.
Fast Forward...
I can't focus on my studies my grades were eventually affected because of what happened in my life. I often asked myself these questions: What is the use of doing good in school without my parents? What is the use of continuing living without my parents? There was this even one time that I wanted to end my life. But one day, I saw this 10-bead rosary given by my mom, and what she said flashed all the memories back. These memories became my strength and my inspiration to move forward despite all the pain and loneliness. I graduated high school but I was not positive to finish college although I have a strong will to do so. My siblings are financially unstable nobody could help me. No government scholarship at the time, minors can't do part-time jobs. There was no other way left for me. I always talked to my mother at night before sleeping. I often told her that I was sorry that I can't achieve what she was dreaming for me. I accepted and gave up our dream together wholeheartedly but I never skipped asking Mama Mary to pray for me using the rosary my mom gave.
I married at a very young age. I got two kids and became a full-time housewife.
Fast Forward....
One day, after 11 years, my husband suddenly told me that I should go to school. I was shocked and said that I was too old to study but he insisted that I need to. He also knew about my mother's dream for me that could be the reason for his persistence. Suddenly, I remembered my mother telling me when she gave me the rosary, that no matter how hard life is, she will try her best to help me achieve my goals. I personally love going to school even in my younger days. I often got sick but even if I was, I never skipped school. That was why my mother will always tell me that I really have a great passion to study. I felt that my husband is the person sent by God to fulfill my mother's dream for me. I got it now, my mother is constantly praying for me in heaven to achieve the dream we are planning to achieve together.
I studied and got my diploma when I was in my 30s. Now, I know God's real purpose why He allowed me to experience the greatest pain in the world, and that is to sustain the faith I have in Him that made me even stronger to fight all the problems in the world great and small. I believed that my parents are the happiest now in heaven.
I also devote this post to greet my mother in heaven.
Belated Happy Mother's Day Mama!
The love of my mom is without limit, her love is so great that even physical presence and the distance out of this world are never a hindrance.
How about you, what is that thing you've treasured the most that becomes a part of a sudden twist, turn or change in your life?
We tend to treasure the things given by our loved ones. These things might be worthless to some but valuable and priceless to us. These things could make a certain twist, turn, or change in our life that we cannot possibly imagine.
This is the story of my most treasured thing given to me by my mom, a 10-bead Rosary (as reflected in the picture below), she gave this to me when I was 12 years old. I can still remember vividly when she went with me to my high school alma mater where I studied for four years away from my family. Before we depart, she gave me this rosary and said, "take good care of this as you care for me and our family, and always ask Mama Mary to pray for you to achieve your dreams in life". She told me often times that no matter how hard life is, she will try her best to send me to college and finish a course since my siblings weren't devoted enough to study. Actually, I have four older siblings but they chose not to go to school because of financial problems and of dying interest to do so.
Fast Forward....
I was doing good in the first two years in school without seeing my loved ones. No cellphones (dahil hindi pa uso), no news from them since I was miles away from them. Until one day, I learned that my mother became very ill. I felt down and began questioning Him, why was this happening to me? That unexplainable feeling that you are away from your family, and then something bad is happening. I visited my mother for 3 days, she was really in great pain and her days were numbered. Even if she experienced too much pain but she still managed to console me that all will be well. I prayed to God earnestly without stopping but He did not hear my prayers. My mother was gone 2 weeks after I visited her. I was not even informed about her death. My mother told my siblings not to bother me if she is gone. She was worried and afraid that I will be affected emotionally and can't do well in class.
Fast Forward...
25 days after my mother's death without my knowledge, our school guardian received an emergency letter from home. The letter was written in English but the guardian cannot understand it since she is Korean and still learning English. She summoned me to her office. I was really nervous to hear the news knowing that it could be some bad news about my mom. She asked me to read the letter myself (I am literally crying typing reminiscing at this moment). I read it silently and I learned that my mom died 2 weeks after my home visitation, my tears were falling involuntarily without stopping, my heart was too heavy. I felt so helpless and I was extremely sad. The pain was flowing in my entire body and I cannot breathe. But the letter did not end there, it was still very lengthy, as I continued reading it with an enormously heavy heart, I felt an indefinite and unbearable pain as if I died instantly, learning the worst news ever in my life, that my father died due to vehicular accident 25 days after my mother passed away. My world went black and I became unconscious. I can't accept it. I was in complete desperate desolation. I ask God why? For I believed I didn't deserve all of this. For I was trying so hard to become His filial child. At that moment, I felt that I am the most unfortunate being in this entire universe. I became a totally different person. I distanced myself entirely from my classmates and my smiles were seen no more.
Fast Forward...
I can't focus on my studies my grades were eventually affected because of what happened in my life. I often asked myself these questions: What is the use of doing good in school without my parents? What is the use of continuing living without my parents? There was this even one time that I wanted to end my life. But one day, I saw this 10-bead rosary given by my mom, and what she said flashed all the memories back. These memories became my strength and my inspiration to move forward despite all the pain and loneliness. I graduated high school but I was not positive to finish college although I have a strong will to do so. My siblings are financially unstable nobody could help me. No government scholarship at the time, minors can't do part-time jobs. There was no other way left for me. I always talked to my mother at night before sleeping. I often told her that I was sorry that I can't achieve what she was dreaming for me. I accepted and gave up our dream together wholeheartedly but I never skipped asking Mama Mary to pray for me using the rosary my mom gave. I married at a very young age. I got two kids and became a full-time housewife.
Fast Forward....
One day, after 11 years, my husband suddenly told me that I should go to school. I was shocked and said that I was too old to study but he insisted that I need to. He also knew about my mother's dream for me that could be the reason for his persistence. Suddenly, I remembered my mother telling me when she gave me the rosary, that no matter how hard life is, she will try her best to help me achieve my goals. I personally love going to school even in my younger days. I often got sick but even if I was, I never skipped school. That was why my mother will always tell me that I really have a great passion to study. I felt that my husband is the person sent by God to fulfill my mother's dream for me. I got it now, my mother is constantly praying for me in heaven to achieve the dream we are planning to achieve together. I studied and got my diploma when I was in my 30s. Now, I know God's real purpose why He allowed me to experience the greatest pain in the world, and that is to sustain the faith I have in Him that made me even stronger to fight all the problems in the world great and small. I believed that my parents are the happiest now in heaven.
I also devote this post to greet my mother in heaven. Belated Happy Mother's Day Mama! The love of my mom is without limit, her love is so great that even physical presence and the distance out of this world are never a hindrance.
How about you, what is that thing you've treasured the most that becomes a part of a sudden twist, turn or change in your life?