Family Dispersed

My family is all dispersed: My husband and I live in Cotabato, my eldest son Roy is in Seattle, Washington, USA, Tom works and lives with his wife Angel and children in Cebu City; Emil and his fiance Sui Ling are in Mandaue City, Cebu, Martha is a six sigma black belter consultant working in Manila and Marion is currently doing her ph.d research in Wellington City, New Zealand.  However, this is not as though it is the first time for them to leave home and to live independently away from the comfort of the family. In fact, 3 of them: Roy, Martha and Marion left home to study high school in Manila at the young age of 13, while Tom and Emil left home to pursue their college education at a later age of 16.

Roy was my first born and hence the first child to leave home. He was a severe asthmatic and a sickly child but I encouraged him to apply for a national scholarship at the Philippine Science High School in Diliman, Quezon City. I was an ambitious mother. I saw his great potential as a fast learner, I was afraid he was getting tremendously bored studying in Cotabato City. In spite of his frail health, I had no second thoughts enrolling and boarding him in Pisay when he surpassed the quota grades required of the entrance examination of that prestigious high school in Diliman. I didn't care even if  people tagged me as a hard hearted mother. However before his Pisay intership, I told him. "Roy, let us agree on this...we will try this out, from day to day basis, progressing to weekly and monthly bases. If in any case your physical health will not allow you to proceed, we can easily go home to Cotabato. I am pretty sure there are many other schools who will take you in."  So Roy got enrolled, studied and boarded at Pisay. Thank God, he survived four year of academic struggles. He even seemed to become healthier living a spartan life at the dormitory. (There was one major asthma episode though that sent him to the hospital because I fed him hotcakes with pure maple syrup while I was in Manila. He was highly allergic to the substance, we soon found out. My too much mothering was making him sick I guessed.) While Roy was studying away from home, nobody and nobody here on earth knew that I was a total wreck, putting up a brave front. My husband Lucas was 101 percent supportive of our efforts though. Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing.

The other siblings looking up to their eldest brother, soon followed suit in their own time and pursuits. I began to raise up all my prayers to God to take care of all my children where ever they are and where ever they go. For we can never do it rightly without the goodness, graciousness and blessings of our Lord.  I pray...Keep them always safe and healthy, O Lord! To my Blessed Mother, the Queen of our Homes, give us the mantel of your maternal protection always. Amen.