By Reyna Tabbada
When my mother left for the U.S., all she had was a gray carry-on, betraying the fact that she will be staying there for good. It took a lot of negotiations and compromise to fill up the void of her absence. However, the pieces start to fall in its rightful places, together with valuable lessons of a mother separated by 7,000 miles from her daughter.
Hers is a humbling story of courage, choosing to leave her medical practice to explore better opportunities for her family. And though I did not hear a word of complaint, I knew things would have been better if she had someone to watch over her.
Rude Awakening: Our mothers are indefatigable as they are also vulnerable.
The myth of motherhood portrays women as the female archetype of Superman: faster than the alarm clock, more powerful than bullies, and able to multitask using only one hand. Growing up, it was exactly the image I had of Mama, until the years of cooking breakfast and attending to your every need start taking its toll.
Pretty soon, the roles will be reversed. And like a beautiful karmic twist, we find ourselves in the position to be our mother’s keeper. Rightfully so, because the act of looking after our parents provides closure and a fitting farewell to them who molded and nurtured us into this world.
Not-so-Rude Awakening: Our mothers can have the care and protection they deserve.
As my mother and I start to meet in the middle of our lifetime, I realize a fitting tribute that every child should give to a mother: insurance protection from debilitating female-specific illnesses. Given that we are responsible for at least half of their headache and heartache, it is time we pay our respective dues.
All is well and good with my mother, save for a few quirks and misunderstandings in between. Surprisingly, we have grown closer through the years, even if most communication consists of phone calls and e-mail messages.
Indeed, the distance did us good. And I still hold the opinion that mothers should be able to get away from their children once in a while, if only to make them whole again – properly insured, of course.
