A Tribute to My Mama Aging

I made this tribute for my grandma and delivered it during the mass. I was really hoping that she could appreciate this. I miss you Mama Aging.

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I wonder why my Mama Aging have had a 3-day stay at our home after a long decade. I wonder why she had to sleep in every home of her daughters there at Iligan. I wonder why she was present in every special occasions of December 2008. And we wonder why the day before she was stricken with chest pain, she have had done all the household chores. And today, I do not wonder why. She left us already. It's clear to me, I know it's a fact and I have to face it.

It was a gloomy Saturday morning when our Mama Aging was feeling a chest pain. She was admitted at Kolambugan District Hospital, then was referred at MSH-ICU and was diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction. We have requested the best cardiologist there in Iligan to attend her needs. Yes, she was under a critical care for she was really in pain. How poor our Mama Aging was. But sad to say, after 11 hours of struggling, death stole her from us.

She was a child of God, a wife to Rufino, and a mother who raised 10 children.

The eldest daughter of Pedro and Lucia Carino was born at their home at Baybay, Kolambugan on January 4, 1934. Growing up was fun for her. She spent most of her childhood years at Baybay. I still cannot get over on thinking about their childish endearment. She was dubbed as “the Baterol” since she was more of a user type of person or the other term is “balimbing.” Unfortunately, she was not able to finish her high school level because at the young age of 18, she married Rufino, her one and only boyfriend and love of her life on July 15, 1952.

Married life has never been easy for them. They were forced to live and go on by themselves and do whatever to surpass the challenges they were destined to meet. But indeed, life isn’t unfair after all. They were still blessed with 10 children and have exemplified her character when she chose to face up to her responsibilities as a mother. Despite the endeavours they have undergone, efforts have paid off. I asked Papa Dodo about these three corny but sensible questions days ago:

Their Greatest Challenge:

educating their 10 children

Their Happiest Moment:

that was living his life with her everyday

Best traits of Mama Aging:

loving, caring, responsible and being frank

And oh?! Did I tell you that my Mama Aging is not a jealous type of woman? To prove my statement, all of the girls in the family are named after Papa Dodo’s ex-girlfriends. Eden from Eden Tabones, Susan from Susan Lavides, Luz from Luz Abugado, Asela from Asela Dili-dili, Belen from Belen Abellana and Dimna from Dimna Avila. Isn’t that funny? Like naming your daughters with the names of Papa Dodo’s exes?

And for everybody’s information, Mama Aging, was an industrious farmer/ administrator of the family’s heir loom. She worked hard on it though money was little. She knew what hard work was and her luxuries were none. She gardened & canned, sewed, painted and even do the man’s work. She has the character of a real mother. She had showed genuine love and mercy to her 10 children. Her clothing was modest & her hair not of current fashion. Living closer to nature, Mama Aging learned a great deal about the trees, flowers, birds, and herbs used for medicine. She loved her husband and stood lovingly by him during his years of rheumatism, though it reached to the point that my Papa Dodo could not even walk. But look at him today, Papa Dodo is very well and good.

How I’ll miss the “Abri Kamatis Sibuyas” and "Talina" story. I swear to you, she could tell the best stories about superstitions and ghosts but then again, that was before. And oh?! Her very famous terms: “sitting-pretty,” engineer-not-yet,” “te-cha-ker,” and “bahug lobot, makalagot.”

Mama Aging was also fond of playing mahjong and betting on Suertres. She inherited this interest from Tatay Kulapo who was once a well-known gambler too. And I guess I shouldn’t wonder why gambling is common to us since this is our family’s legacy.

She never wanted to grow up and certainly did not want to grow old. She had short black hair that did not start to gray until she was about 70 years old. Diabetes Mellitus and cataract formation became a terrible plague to her and drained her of the energy that had kept her spirit young. Her increase of blood pressure, combined with decreasing visual acuity, considerably hampered her hobbies and interests which she had enjoyed so much of her life.

The Carino and Laplap clan that remains is witness to her success. Her 10 children became hard workers though there are some lapses, successfully serving others. They have had loving spouses and good homes of their own. Her list of descendants includes 10 children, 26 grandchildren and only 1 great-grandchild.

She was not perfect, as neither I shall ever be, but she was a daughter of the King, a sister to her sibs, a wife to Rufino and a mother that was loved, and a grandmother I wish I'd known better.