The "ULIRANG MAMAMAYAN" Award 2013

I was there in that podium at the AVR 1 of Xavier University on March 9, 2013 to culminate the Filipino Society class project through the task of an emcee for an activity program called “ULIRANG MAMAMAYAN” Award with a very talented partner -  emcee named Rico Ocangas ( a Filipino teacher of the University).  As I traversed through the entire activity with mixture of emotions watching and listening from the chosen awardees from the four groups formed at the beginning of the semester,  a question was running in my mind “What would entail raising a ‘hero’ in my family?”.

I got married on October 1, 2011 at the Bishop’s Palace chapel beside St. Augustine Cathedral.  It was a very intimate encounter with God with very few witnesses -   family members, very close relatives and friends.  Before plunging into our lifetime commitment with God and each other,  I and my  then fiance were clear of the motives why we would finally take our vows before God.  I knew that time that it was not just a simple “yes and I do’s” before God.  It was a product of a long discernment for us out of love for each other.

After two months in our married life, I got pregnant and we were blessed with a premature little girl aging 7 and a half months after that.  It was one of the greatest challenges we had since the wedding being confronted by such.  From then I simply took care of her harnessing my skills in baby sitting every day as I decided to do part time work only so that I would be able to focus on this new love-tasks (this is how I call it) for my “little lady”  (this is how I fondly call my daughter Maria Mikaela). 

What is the connection of my family to  the event on March 9, 2013?  So closely tied.  Again, I would post in here the question that ran in my mind during the activity “What would entail raising a ‘hero’ in my family?”.  Raising someone that would be able to do a heroic work someday is quite an ambitious pursuit.  But how many of the parents that we have thought of this for their own children form the very beginning.  I did not at first.  The activity led and inspired me so much.

One of the awardees, a 21 year old young pastor’s video really made me goose-skinned and moved me to tears.  He started so young serving the Lord.  I saw how he was deeply involved with the formation of the young people also making himself as a good example to them.  Looking and hearing at how his own parents described him, I was able to sense their pride at how their own son has become at present.

Will I say the same thing to my “little lady” Maria Mikaela someday?  I am not really certain of the future but one thing that was born from my heart at that time.  I will commit myself to being a good wife to my husband and mom to my Mikaela so that she may be able to see a model in me which she could emulate one day for herself.  But “NO” I don’t want to make a forced mould for her to fit in.  I will try to make a different “mould” of formation that is truly founded in God. I want her to see good values in us as parents so that she could fly through her own beautiful wings and create a hard core mould of love.

with my dear daughter Maria Mikaela...:-)

Moreover, I will lead my daughter into the kind of heart that does not see competition in everything that she does.  I was trained since I was a kid to follow my heart. I would do the same to my own daughter.  I want her to find her way and find joy in what she does than thinking of competing, comparing, winning and many other values of the world that would lead to self glorification and selfishness. 

As a parent also, I will not make my daughter think that she will be always rewarded with great efforts.  Doing good for others is a reward in itself.  We may not get the acknowledgement that we deserve or that she may deserve yet, this should not make her stop and be bitter.  Doing good for others and ultimately true service is a product of love.  It cannot amount to anything as the world sees it.  Its reward is not for this world but for afterlife.  I want my daughter to always have and keep that truth in her heart.

Other than the question that I had in mind during the ceremony, there are few other things though that the experience brought me.  The same experience tested my values as a person as I was bombarded by some negative emotions.   Many times my patience was tested in the preparation process.  I tried so hard to listen so that I would understand  better and myself why I felt such challenging emotions.

It was never easy at first.  How I wished that I could just simply decide and act immediately on my anger.  Yet, I extended myself further and moved the extra mile of offering kindness rather than proving another person wrong.

I do believe that despite our human weaknesses, when given such chances we can overcome that part of us that struggles to do good and we would be able to find that link for a comeback to the truth of us that says “ I am good and I am capable at accomplishing something”.  I made myself feel also that I have that gift and grace to forgive and give others the second chance at something.  I believe I gave the same to myself, too that time.

Lastly, I highly thank our professor Dr. Saturnina B. Absin for such a wonderful initiative.  It was such “heroic” of her to lead all of us into such kind of experience.  The theme “Unsung Heroes : Our Models “  greatly fit her as I joyfully acknowledge such work of a teacher / professor in the university.  As the saying goes “we can never give what we don’t have”.  So she was.  She was one of those Unsung Heroes that I am now singing in this writing and reflection.   I am making her my hero. 

She simply started our class this semester (2^nd sem – SY 2012 – 2013 ) with the question “What do you want to be if you have the chance to change your life?” (I hope I got the question rightJ ).   It was such a simple start of the class that brought forth into something that challenged us to “simply listen to our hearts” as the sole criteria to the selection process.  Our hearts that simply “saw” the true beauty of the selected awardees to be able to come out like that in the awarding ceremony.

Beautiful…oh sooo…beautiful…and I believe is perfect in the eyes of God.

PS…I was excited to go home and embraced my husband and little lady.  From that beautiful ceremony that awakened that “beauty” in me, I simply declared when I got home  “let me share such beautiful encounter to my husband and little lady”…I gave them both such beauuuutiffuuul hug and just showed them how I looked with the gown during the ceremony…hmmmm more than anything I just missed them both hehehe…