Hi, welcome back to Moms Inspiring Moms! 

Today, in celebration of Mother’s Day, I have decided to pay tribute to my moms who have been present in my life and have made a positive impact on the person that I am today. 

Lesson 1: Health is Wealth – Mom Mila

My mom is a proud nurse… and for sure she will correct me by saying Registered Nurse, so let me repeat my introductory sentence. LOL

My mom is a proud Registered Nurse. And ever since time immemorial, she has been advocating for health and fitness in our family. 

She would always remind us to eat fruits and vegetables, to exercise, and to take our vitamins religiously. I remember when we were still living under their roof, she would prepare Vitamin C and Vitamin B Complex for all of us on the table – just so that we won’t forget to take it before leaving for school. 

She would also prepare dishes with vegetables daily – nilaga, sinigang, chop suey, and tortang talong, to name a few. Also, you would always see our dining table with fresh fruits – bananas, oranges, apples, or green mango. She is simply the epitome of healthy eating! 

When it comes to staying physically fit, she is the fittest grandma that I know personally. She does not need the gym to work out — she simply walks back and forth from our living room to our kitchen– until she reaches 10,000 steps or so.

And up to this day, at the age of 73, she remains healthy and fit. When we were in Hong Kong just months ago, she never had a problem with going up and down the stairs going to the trains. Walking for miles is not a challenge since she keeps her body active all the time. 

My mom is such an inspiration when it comes to health and fitness, that I try to work out every day, as well. I try to get 10,000 steps every day because of her! I hope that when I reach my 70s, I will be active and fit like her, too! 

Lesson 2: Invest and Share  – Mama Geny

My mama Geny is the wisest person I know when it comes to money. Growing up, I would always hear her talking about investing her earnings in stocks. When I was little, I knew that she bought stocks (like Benpres) and sold them when their prices got higher. 

It was a mystery to me before why my Mama always had money to share with the family. When it comes to family trips, she would be the one with the biggest financial contribution – if not the only one. When it comes to family gatherings, such as fiestas or death anniversaries, she would be counted on to chip in the biggest amount. Little did I know that her financial wealth came not only from her salary, but also because of her financial literacy abilities. 

When I started working, she would always encourage me to invest in stocks. She would call me and invite me to invest in a company scheduled to have its Initial Public Offering (IPO) in the stock market. I always declined her invitation. Tsk tsk tsk, Karen! 

Thanks to Mama, I have become more confident in trying out investing in stocks and in other passive income streams. I also try to imitate her by sharing our blessings with our family and friends when we can. 

Lesson 3: Make Everyone Feel Special – Mama Glo

Mama Glo is hands down the most people-person that I have ever known in my life! She is a natural when it comes to interacting with people. The saying that “your circle gets smaller as you grow older” simply does not speak to her. She is always talking to someone – whether in person or virtually. 

She is the kind of person who can easily see if you need something, and she will do her very best to help you to the best of her capacity. When I had chickenpox in my 20s and had to stay home alone, Mama Glo, unafraid of getting the virus, knocked on our front door and delivered soup that she personally cooked for me. That’s just one of the ways that she helped me without me asking for it.

Mama Glo makes people feel special in any way she can. She certainly does not forget about important dates and celebrations. You can count on her to be the first one to call you and greet you with a happy birthday, or a happy anniversary. And now that she has learned the magic of social media, you can count on her to connect with you in Messenger just to say hello, and leave positive comments on FB posts.

Making people feel special is the reason that many people love her! I hope that when I get old, I will also feel it in my heart to make every person around me feel special the way that she does. 

Lesson 4: Choose Love  – Nanay Betty

Nanay Betty is one of my aunts who took care of me when Mommy Mila was working abroad. I fondly called her Nanay Betty when I was young. I have so many happy and loving memories of her, such as sleeping in their house and bowling with her in Ivory. She has such a loving heart that I believe that all her actions are rooted in love. 

For me, she is the epitome of unconditional love. She continues to love her family without expecting anything in return. Her daughter and grandchildren may be away from her, but she is always thinking of them and is always speaking of how proud she is of their accomplishments. 

Now at 80 years old, she has difficulty seeing and reading, but she continues to give handwritten notes to us – even to me who is thousands of miles away from her. She asks her nanny to buy headbands and hairclips for Tala, and asks my sister to give it (and her handwritten notes) to us when there’s a chance. She is so thoughtful, sweet, and loving, that my heart also has so much love for her. 

Nanay Betty continues to influence me to look beyond human imperfections and choose to love. Indeed, love is a decision and a choice. And Nanay Betty continues to choose to love, and love, and love… 

To my moms…

To Mommy Mila, Mama Geny, Mama Glo, and Nanay Betty, I wish you a very happy mother’s day! I thank the Lord for giving you all to me! I love you all!