⏳Journal Entry, 2016
Yeye: Ma, sorry po...
Me: 😱😱😱 Anong nangyari?
After seeing this came my usual blah-blahs!
Did Yeye ever wish for that to happen to her iPhone? Of course not. I knew it was an accident. I knew the same thing could have happened to me. Still, the default, usual mother in me had to let out my standard lecture first.
After that, I had to calm myself.
Inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale...
Then Yeye quietly said:
"Ma, damayan n'yo naman po ako…”
That one sentence stopped me. She was already at her lowest that night. She was blaming herself enough, and on top of that, she had an exam the next day. So I asked myself: What does a mother do when her child is already carrying the weight of her own mistake?
Me: Yeye, hayaan mo na muna 'yan. Huwag mo nang isipin. Papaayos natin 'yan. (In a softer voice.) Mag-aral ka na lang muna.
Yeye: Opo... Tulog lang po ako ng konting oras.
She slept for a brief thirty minutes, woke up, and went right back to studying. I quietly prayed and hoped she would be able to focus despite everything that had happened. The next morning, she decided she wouldn't bring the broken phone to school anymore, even though it was technically still turning on.
So what did this mother do? I handed her my own cellphone to use. Until when? Hmm... I honestly don't remember anymore. 😉
The Wisdom of Presence
But I do remember this: Sometimes our children don't need another lecture after a mistake. Sometimes, they simply need to know that even when they've messed up, they're not alone.
A few days later, another unexpected conversation reminded me that perhaps the broken phone wasn't even the biggest thing weighing on Yeye's mind after all.
On the road together, the 1970’s song "How Can I Tell Her" by Lobo began playing on the car radio. A new topic naturally popped up between us: boy-girl relationships—how to maintain them, and thoughts about the future. By the way, Yeye was 19 years old at the time.
Unspoken Worries in the Passenger Seat
When we were at the mall, I noticed a sudden change in Yeye's mood. The usual me would not just shrug it off.
“Yeye? Is there something wrong?”
Looking sad, she looked up and asked,
“Ma, kung pwede palang mabago ang makakatuluyan mo in the future, dahil bahala si Lord, paano?”
“Anak, don't worry about the future,” I comforted her. “Just live fully in the present. Enjoy what you have right now. But above all, be in God's grace, always.”
Looking back now, I realize that the broken phone was only a small part of that season. What stayed with me was the raw conversation we had because of it.
Lessons Along the Way
Sometimes, all our children need is an opportunity to speak. And sometimes, those opportunities come unexpectedly—during a drive, while listening to an old song on the radio, or while walking around a mall.
That day reminded me not to worry too much about tomorrow. Be happy. Enjoy the moments you have today because they will never come the same way again.
Through it all, keep God at the center of your heart. Pray that your plans for the future will always be aligned with His.
Oh, and in case you're wondering... Yeye eventually had her iPhone fixed. She paid for it with her own money.
Ligtas ako! 😊😉
