Each year, we celebrate mothers in many ways. We honor them by thanking them for their kindness, sacrifice, and wisdom. We express how grateful we are that they raised us with love and care. Once you become mother yourself, Mother’s Day deepens in meaning; it becomes both a time to pay tribute to your own mom as well as a time to celebrate and reflect on your own journey.
Any mom will agree that motherhood isn’t easy. It’s rife with challenges and frustration often as much as it is filled with joy and fulfillment. It’s natural to wonder if anyone goes through this journey with ease.
Is there such a thing as an ideal mom? What is she like? Is she someone who never loses her temper? Is she someone who never gets overwhelmed?
Karla Roxas, a mom of 3 and a coordinator for special programs, would like to believe she is an ideal mom.
“I would want to believe I am (but) at the end of the day, hindi mo puwede buhatin yung bangko mo (you can’t sing your own praises).”
It turns out, she didn’t need to, as she found out just how much daughter Andi, who was interviewed early on, appreciated her: “I love mommy because she takes care of me a lot and she cares for me. I love her and she loves me back.”
screenshot from Fern-C Kidz: Karla Roxas and daughter Andi
Through this short expression of love, Karla was reassured that “despite her shortcomings, Karla still looks at (her) like she’s the perfect mom for her.”
“My mom is a hero because she’s strong. You’re the best,” said Iggy, whose mom Kay Molit is a cancer survivor. In the interview, the devoted mom expressed her fears of not being able to see her child achieve his dreams. She shares that, despite all that she’s endured, she could only hope she is an ideal mom.
In hearing how much her son admires her, she was comforted. “I know now he understands me. Somehow, we’re doing something right.”
screenshot from Fern-C Kidz: Kay Molit and son Iggy
The reality of mom guilt
Though being a mother is her world, full-time mom Iggy Padilla admits feeling so overwhelmed that, at times, it leads to outbursts. So it was a source of reassurance hearing from her son how much she is loved and appreciated.
“It’s very relieving to know (that) to his eyes I’m enough,” said an emotional Iggy.
Government employee Jenifer Espiritu shares that she feels mom guilt the most when her daughter Thea gets sick.
“Siyempre yung anak mo, gusto niya ng time mo. Hindi mo maibigay. Feeling ko pag nagkakasakit si Thea nagiging pabaya ako,” she laments. “Kaya yun ang frustration ko, yung hindi ko maibigay yung full time ko sa kanya.”
screenshot from Fern-C Kidz: Jenifer Espiritu
Not having enough time with her kids is something businesswoman Kate Mendoza can relate to.
“Nakaka-guilty na araw-araw makikita mo mga anak mo hahanapin si yaya. Imbis na ikaw,” she confides.
But her daughter Khloe reassured her, saying, “I love mommy a thousand times, even if she works a lot. I think my mom is the best mom ever.”
After watching a brief clip of her little girl’s interview, a tearful Kate resolved to work even harder for the love of her daughter: “Talagang ibigay ang best ko para sa future nila.”
How can they be sure they’re giving their best?
It turns out the ideal mom doesn’t exist, save for one place, and that is in the eyes of their child.
As a mom, you can often feel overwhelmed and even unappreciated, but this mother’s day, believe that all your efforts and sacrifices do not go unnoticed. In the eyes of your child, you are an ideal mom and your best will always be more than enough, because it is always done in love.
Be touched and inspired by their heartwarming stories in the video, below.
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READ: Dear Mom, here’s what your kids might not tell you about Mother’s Day
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