From childhood to adulthood, we grow up watching old and new superheroes in the television. There is no year in the movie industry, rather show business, without starring superheroes – whether it is Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Fantastic Four, X-Men and many more. Even in kids’ magazines, comics and books have superheroes in it blasting in full color. What is life without a superhero we all adore? Maybe, for me, life would be dull if my Spiderwoman is not in it because in my classroom, which I call the ‘world’, my Spiderwoman is my superhero.
I call my mum my Spiderwoman not because she loves Spiderman but because she helps people in need and she never gets tired of doing so. Just like the spider continuing to weave its web, my mom continues to weave her own tapestry called life. And, if her tapestry gets destroyed, she weaves it again, each time showing resilience in her every weave. When I was a child, my mum would always read me stories with moral lessons and she would share real life experiences to me. At that time, I don’t have any idea why she told me stories of glory, adversity, perseverance and success among others. She would often stress that in life there is a balance – where there is joy, there is sadness; where there is glory, there is pain. In the eyes of the child, those are just stories to pass up the time. Little did I know that the time will come when I’d be able to relate to her stories.
Even before the so-called financial crisis struck the Philippines, our country is undoubtedly in such a big crisis. From the AC Nielsen and SWS research, many Filipinos have gotten poor and they are still counting. It also happened to us, to the point that our salaries are so meager that we have to find other ways to earn to continue eating at least three times a day. We were still lucky that we still have something to eat, all because of my mum’s relentless effort for us to live comfortably.
Even before my graduation, we were struggling financially. We don’t have much money to support our daily needs and we rely on our salaries alone. My mum is a teacher and there came a time when she was laid off because the company where she worked became bankrupt. Teachers in the Philippines are not paid well compared to its counterparts in other countries. In order to make ends meet, she applied as a proxy teacher in nearby schools. As a fresh graduate, I have no choice but to choose to do my only choice – to work. My sister wasn’t able to finish her studies and she chose to work so that we can still pay our bills and mountain of debts. Just imagining the pressure my mom’s into makes me admire her more.
Spiderwoman’s husband, who is my dad, left us for another family. He had done it many times but my mum kept on forgiving him until she cannot take it anymore. For 21 years, she became a martyr and proved how strong she was by holding on to a futile relationship. I wonder how she was able to endure these trying times because I know I wouldn’t be able to handle it for so long. Is it because she has a heart of steel? One thing’s for sure is that she did what she can in order to save our family even though she knows at the back of her mind our family will never be complete. But at least, she fought with all her might just like our mighty superheroes.
And just like Spiderman, my mum is a fighter. She exudes the aura of a Katipunera*, still fighting even if she is badly wounded. My mum thinks that she lost many battles but to us, she won every battle and every challenge thrown upon her. It was her constant reminder to me that I should never give up because she believes that when a person gives up especially without even trying, a person loses the battle by default. That advice she gave me stuck in my head which is the core reason why I never lose hope and I never give up, believing that for every problem we face there is always a solution. So why give up?
No matter how busy mum is, she always prepares our food and sees to it that we are okay. She constantly texts or calls us every time she gets the chance. What’s so fascinating about her is that she is no techie. She didn’t even know how to operate her cell phone, let alone charge its battery. It came to me as a big surprise when she was able to call me up and text me the time we met after office. I thought it was her friend who used her cell phone to call me up, but it was her. She tried to learn how to use the cell phone just to get in touch with us. She didn’t even bother to asks any of us to teach her because she knows how busy her daughters are. It was funny that a baby boomer like her tried to learn how to use the cell phone even without our assistance. How many mums like her are that techie and willing to learn? My mum just rocks!
One of the most valuable lessons my mum taught me is to become a blessing to other people. Mum would always stress the fact that I should share what I have no matter how meager it is. She continuously shares herself by always being available to help even to those who are in need and that made me join various advocacies of the NGOs I chose to join. It is also through her that I learned what a Bible is and that the words in this magnificent book are words of life and love that I should share to others. My benevolent side could not have been opened if not for her incessant prodding that I should share myself to others and to the world. She is indeed a role model to us and to her students and colleagues in school. She still continues to teach because it is her passion. But what drives her to do so is her motivation to instill good values to make these young ones become responsible citizens of the world.
Because of all the things she taught us, we became strong souls ready to conquer anything. Every time she sees me at my worst, she would remind me that no matter what happens, there is still a choice and that I should choose the right choice there is. What is best may not be right but what is right may become possibly the best choice. She practically knows the loopholes of a problem and she lets me see the solutions so that I will not fall to a trap that I do not want to get myself into. What I have and where I am right now will not be as good, if not for Spiderwoman’s guidance.
Whenever I ask her if I can achieve what I wanted in life and if I have what it takes to get to wherever I want, she would always say, “You can do it.” It’s that simple but her words are enough to fill up my tank of courage to let me do what I supposed to be doing. When all else has fallen, I am at my luckiest that she was able to catch me through her mighty-built cobwebs.
She may not have superpowers like the superheroes we adore, but I am bloody proud that she is my mum and superhero. I know many mums out there who are all superheroes in their own ways. And the right time will come when I’ll be one hell of a superhero just like her someday.
* Katipunera is a Filipino woman fighter who fought the Spaniards who invaded the Philippines.
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