Dear Mommy,
I would just like to say thank you.
Thank you for the countless sacrifices you have made for me – to give me the life that you didn’t necessarily have. Thank you for working hard and never giving up. Thank you for loving me and caring for me. Thank you for being my role model.
Thank you for leaving your family, your home and your country, to find new opportunities in the United States. You had to find your way around this foreign country all on your own, in hopes of creating a better life for your future kids. Well, just one kid. Me.
When you first arrived, McDonald’s asked you if you wanted your food “to go.” You responded, “To go where?” Thank you.
You worked through college, graduate school and a PhD, so you could get a job that could sustain you and your future kid. You packed 32 boxes and moved to Athens, Georgia, all by yourself. You bought a home, all by yourself. You created a life for yourself without any help. Thank you.
You were a strong, independent, beautiful woman who decided to share her time, possessions and love, with a baby, Me. You walked around your office as a huge blueberry when I was in your stomach, and even fell down a few flights of stairs. Thank you.
When I was born, you dealt with my crying, my poopy diapers and my Crayola writings on the walls. Because Daddy was working in Atlanta, and could only be home late at night, you took care of me essentially all by yourself for the first 11 years of my life. Thank you.
You drove me to dance, trapeze, Tae-Kwon-Do, gymnastics and reading classes. You exposed me to lots of activities, some that I loved, and some that I definitely did not.
You shared your Filipino culture with me. You made me tinola (Filipino gingersoup) when I was sick. You cooked leche flan for guests, and always made an extra pan just for me. You yelled at me in Tagalog. You taught me all the Filipino traditional dances, and made me perform the itik-itik, tinikling, and sakuting at all of your culture shows. You helped make your Filipino organization feel like a larger extended family to me. You helped form my Filipino identity. Thank you.
You took a position at Morgan State University that was more stress and more demand, just so our family could be together again – so Daddy didn’t have to commute for five hours a day. In high school, you woke me up at five in the morning, so I could finish the homework that was due for the day. If I couldn’t find something in the house, you always knew exactly where it was, as if it was some kind of super power. You never spent money on yourself. You let me buy new clothes, shoes, technology and more, while never spending a dime on yourself. Thank you.
You and Daddy drove me all the way to Ice World on cold, and early, Saturday mornings, so I could attend my figure skating lesson. Not to mention that you paid a lot of money for said lesson, as well as the ice time, my skates, my skating clothes and more. Thank you.
You kept me sane throughout the college process, being a pillar of support that I knew I could always lean on. You pushed me throughout grade school, expecting nothing less than excellence, and it paid off. You and Daddy taught me the importance of education, and you told me that I could go to any college I wanted to, and you would find a way to pay for it. Thank you.
When I’m at Cornell, you still Snapchat me pictures of our dog so I can see how cute she is, even though I am about 300 miles away. You take care of any bursar business that needs to be dealt with, and you still schedule my doctor’s appointments. You support all of the activities I do, especially my involvement with the Cornell Filipino Association. You still push me for excellence, but also understand when I fall short (shout out to Calc 2). Thank you.
I see you do selfless acts for me on a daily basis. You give me so much love and support, and you always push me to try my best in every aspect of my life. You nag and yell at me in Tagalog, but you only do it because you care about me and want me to be the best version of myself. You taught me that a 4'10 woman can be stronger and more fierce than any man. You’ve been such a role model for me for my entire life because of your selflessness, strength, and independence. Thank you, and mahal kita.
Love,
Your Grateful Daughter
