Getting to know my Mom

Last year, I wrote this for my mother. I will post soon a picture of her and my dad.
*****

Happy Mother's Day

Cornelia Brendez.  Who is she? She was the mother to Katheryn and Lawrence.  She was a wonderful sister to her siblings and a loving daughter to her parents.

Mother's day was an insignificant day to me when I was a child but now that I am woman in 30's it has become a day of reflection for me.  In our church, we always celebrate this event to appreciate our beginnings.  It made me long for a mom to give a flower to and greet.  I was never given a chance to see and get to know my mother.  She died when I was 3 months old.  It was God's plan and I can't question it but there are times I find myself wishing she were alive today.  My mother's siblings say she was generous and kind hearted.  She was smart woman.  She was very meticulous and had keen eyes for details. She was full of pride and she loved surprises. She surprised her father by graduating cum laude in college. She was very fashionable- what with her matching bags and shoes and belt.

That's all I know about my mom.

Happy mother's day Mommy!  I may have not seen you but I acknowledge the fact you were very much a part of me.  They say I look very much like you but prettier I guess because your eyes are not protruding and you have better nose.  :)  When I step into the other dimension, I will surely see you.
*****

This year I had the opportunity to bond with Aunt Emy who is I guess the best person who can describe my mother as a person, mother, sister and as a wife.  She grew up with my mother and lived with her during the last year of my mom.  My Aunt Emy was with my mother up to the time she was in critical period and dying.

This is a precious moment to get to know more about Cornelia Brendez.  If I was working at this time I won't have this great opportunity to bond with my aunt and listen to her anecdotes about my mother. My aunt was on a month-long vacation for her youngest sibling wedding in April 18.

I never have to ask my aunt to talk about my mom since she indulges me right away.  She said my father will never have an opportunity to flirt with other girls because my mom guards him closely like a basketball point guard player. :) Aunt Emy recalls that there was a girl who seemed to like my father and my mom told the girl bluntly to back off! She said my mom was good at handling their finances and they were able to buy a jeepney and established a business early on their marriage.

My mother was very frank and opinionated.  She didn't like one of her sister-in-laws and never hesitated to show it to her.  She didn't attend her brother's wedding because she dislikes the bride.  On another occasion, her brother (not the brother mentioned earlier) and his wife came to visit her in Dagupan.  The wife was angry with my uncle for staying out late and the couple were arguing loudly late night.  My mom slapped her sister in-law for arguing with her brother.

Aunt Emy said my mom dresses so fashionably and takes care of her skin by using a stone to exfoliate and coconut oil as moisturizer. :)

From what my aunt told me about mom, only the physical aspect and her being religious are the characteristics I inherited from her.  Have never slapped anyone in my life neither I got slapped.  :)

Maybe next time I will hear new stories from my aunt if she can still recall them. It was a good summer vacation indeed.