Life with Meaning

Experiences gives colour to life. It may be painful, challenging or joyful. Whatever life may bring it gives colour and challenges. I had experienced hard and tough times that made me a better person now. Its not just easy but it gives me more hopeful to the future that lies ahead.

Let me share you a story. I grew up without a real mother. My mother died when I was 2 years old. My older brother was only 3 and my younger brother was 8 months old. I wasn't able to see clearly the face of my mother when she passed away. Less than a year, my father looked for someone to take care of us. One lady after another came and treated us as her own but it didn't last for a year. Another came, but can't stay longer. We were mistreated, so my father left them. There were times that our Madrasta (the one taking care of us-who became our mother for a while) left us, locked the door with food on the floor for us to eat when we're hungry. When she came back, it was a big mess because all the food and dirts were there on the floor while we're playing around the corner. Our Madrasta felt angry for the mess. She will just shout at us and we're all staying on the corner crying because we didn't know what to do.

When our father came and saw us crying he would ask my elder brother and our father would not listen at first. But when he discovered later, he would tell her to go back home. That happened a lot of times in our childhood days. We didn't understand why life is like that at a very yound age. Most of the time, we were crying and can't do anything. For us as brothers life is crucial without a real mother.

When we grew older, maybe around 5-6 years old someone came to our rescue, our Nanay Benyang. She took care of us and became our Tatay's (father) wife. She was so kind and loving to us, she was one of a kind. Even when my father was murdered, she wa still there up to this time. She fed us, trained us to be better persons, she helped and taught me how to cook and fixed things the proper way. She would also worked hard to earn a living to augment our needs. Although she has that ups and downs but as a whole, she's one of a kind Madrasta. She is still living with my brother. She has one child who is our step brother.