THE MOTHER

[February 28, 2013 at 5:10pm]

This is all about women, again. And their great love and pain.

While I was in one of my dull flying moments one time, I remembered my Nanay. I asked myself what kind of real comfort I should give her in return for her long years of emotional and physical hard work and sacrifice.

As I gazed at the clouds hovering down under from where I was while my window stayed ajar, and since the destination of an iron eagle carrying my full weight was still exceedingly far, I couldn’t help it but get curious about the coming Rapture which the believers are hoping for before the Last and Final War, while at the same time fearfully anxious knowing that He Who’s to come is far greater than any Hollywood star.

Maybe a lot of people are still taking this coming mother of all phenomena as another parable which any interpretation thereof by any self-proclaimed prophet would be fairly acceptable. Well, as Ma’am Chung loves to say, “Sige, pagbigyan.” But one thing’s for sure, anytime it will come!

And that grieving mother of five “only,” who lost all her sons who fought the 'war' fairly, would be then given comfort long due her, along with those who suffered and died for the Kingdom since its foundation, finally.

I’m not referring to the Ryan Family which heart-rending story about it during the Second World War was magnificently presented by my favorite Steven Spielberg in his best war movie, for me, so far. Although like ‘Lincoln’ this year, in that year too, “Saving Private Ryan” closely lost the war, as it failed to take home that most coveted Best Picture Oscar.

In that story, the reaction of the Ryans’ mom was not shown quite up close but captured only from afar and through her silhouette, yet, the grief was more than just depicted seeing her fainting immediately upon each receipt of news of each son’s death.

In real life, it happened likewise then to a certain Mrs. Bixby, mother of that five to whom Lincoln sent a compassionate letter, wherein any reader could feel her anguish through the President’s words which also show that Abe was also a great comforter.

But the most moving story I ever heard about a mother which never fails to shake my spirit everytime I remember it is that of the mother who loved to send her sons as missionaries to spread the Gospel somewhere in one of the world’s most dangerous continent, more deadly than a snake pit.

She was a very faithful and strong Christian that despite the death of her first two sons in the mission field she never shed a tear, knowing what would be her children’s ultimate end in the life hereafter.

When the news came out about her third son’s demise in the same field, for many days, she was inconsolable as she wailed no end. Her reply when asked by someone why it was only now that she cried when she didn’t do the same for the third son’s late brethren: “Because I have no more children left to send.”