Mother's Day Blessings

Bad news from the television, the internet, and radio sometimes makes me feel sad and afraid on what kind of world is this that we live in, not to mention personal experiences and encounter with mean and narrow-minded people that what they know was just to judge other's people lives. What kind of life my children will be when I am gone. But this mother's day allow me to share you this experience I had with a taxi driver. Maybe out of happiness that he saw little children again with a smile in their face, he freely shares his stories to us. As we travel from our destination every word that came into his mount was a big learning experience from me and my husband and I consider it a mother's day blessing that I even felt some tears in my eyes.

He told us that he has 4 children all grown up two boys and two girls. His eldest was 30 and his youngest was 23. All working and trying to make a mark in the society, according to the proud father he told his children to do the right thing, work hard, buy a home a good one, create a family, and then try to have a car if possible, but don't depend on him now that they are all grown up for he said that he already gave them the best a father can give. Good education and a great family only those two things and he said the rest is all up to God. He said that whoever want to own the ancestral home he/she should be the one who will take care of the mother.

I cried secretly on this part because it reminds me of this quote that I know I'm one of the luckiest. (“The greatest gift a father can give to his children is to love and respect their mother” ). Then suddenly he pulls something from somewhere, an old whistle that he was very proud of.  He told us that the whistle was 30-year-old same age of his eldest son, he use that whistle way back, every time he goes back from the office, yes he was an executive way back and now that he was retired he own the taxi that he's driving because he doesn't want to depend on his children. That way back he never did some honky funky that might ruin his reputation and his name because he believes it is the only gift he can give to his children, not the material things. And about the whistle he told us that it's his way of calling all of his children after a long day of working.

Some neighbors condemn him for using such a thing, his neighbors laugh at him and ask him why he is using a whistle, that whistle can use only for dogs or some kind of animal. In the beginning, I start to think he was a cruel father, someone whose tough, mean and bad father. But along the way everything he said was all worthy. His point was these, he doesn't want to shout at his children because according to him their names was precious to his ear, that he love them so dearly, that at the end of day during sunset he wants all of his children to be in his side so he can share all of his stories he had all day long and that is his way of conditioning them just like in school, the morning bell when it rings it means the lessons starts. And then my husband ask him what if on the first whistle they didn't follow.

He told us that there are certain punishment along the way if they were not able to explain themselves or if the reason of not coming was unjustifiable (freedom of expression). He told us that children should know the rules, and as they grow old they will learn to discipline themselves so that when it's time to go to college life they are already adjusted to follow rules and know their limitations. He said that college life has a lot of temptation and if a child has a weak principle everything that a parents hope for will be gone like the wind. He still wants to share a lot and we still want to listen more, but maybe everything in life has a limit, maybe its already times up like a teacher in every subject he was only limited to one topic per session but believed me that one topic was more than half of my life's learning.

That in my whole life I will never forget that one day God send us an angel in disguise for me to understand that my children are not permanently my property, that one day they will leave me and make their own life to live, that what is important is just to love them and show that you care, the rest is all up to "HIM". As we leave his taxi he told my children to love their parents and just believe in God simple message but with heavy meaning, unforgettable. I believe that my husband and I learned so much from him. That on this day I consider it's the best mother's day ever (thank you hubby). And my blessing doesn't end there because our new neighbors unexpectedly gave us something, thanks also to them for now I truly believed that this world was still a better place to live in. And as I close my eyes and talk to him sure did that I will sleep with a grateful heart and silent mind. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY EVERYONE.