You catch yourself repeating her lines. It does not matter how old you get; Mom’s admonitions play on in your mind. This is why, on Mother’s Day, I will not buy flowers. I will buy ginger instead, because the woman I am honoring taught me that salabat says “I love you.”
I cannot call her, so I am writing this letter instead. Beyond any inheritance, she left me her priceless wisdom. Her words were wellness advice long before the term was coined.
“Don’t give up so easily... Don’t catch a chill... Drink fresh ginger tea... Sleep early each night... Eat on time... Do not sunbathe.”
***
Dearest Mom,
I am recalling with much nostalgia and admiration the strength of your courage and your relentless will to live during your battle with the Big C. The cigarettes were your undoing. But you were determined not to go down without a fight.
You were encouraged by your doctor’s words, “Mrs. Quirino, despite your vices, you have been given bonus years.” And so, you did a 180 degree turn. It was then when you were placed under my care.
Guided by some of the best integrative medicine doctors in the country, you surpassed the prognosis of four months and stretched that into a remarkable four and a half years. You beat the odds bravely and defied every conventional medical expectation. You lived 18 time longer than predicted in the absence of any kind of medical intervention. In short, you were a phenomenon.
What were you doing all those years to stay strong enough to battle the Big C? First, you never gave up. You loved life so much that Mahjong Sundays with your BFFs were never compromised. You were in your happy place executing the pongs and the kangs and escaleras. Bonding with your amigas provided you with the joy of sisterhood. This was not socializing, it was healing in a circle of friends.
Your throat was never bare. You always had a scarf around it for protection like armor. This way, you would never catch a chill. You were allergic to cold air. Science calls it avoiding vasoconstriction. You called it “protection against a draft.”
Ginger was one of your best friends. You were fond of taking a daily cup after a full meal. There are numerous studies about its anti-inflammatory properties. Sipping a warm cup of tea was your favorite drink for relaxation. Apart from coffee, it was your soothing balm. It eased your throat and calmed your vocal chords.
It is a struggle to sleep by 10 p.m. But you made it look so easy. So your early-to-bed advice paid off magnificently in slowing down the cancer while giving your immune system enough time to mount a strong defense. And so, sleep became your medicine. It also bought you more time.
When it came to eating, I was pickier than you. Yes, I would eat more veggies and you ate everything. But always in moderation. One thing is for sure, you always ate on time. Meal hours were observed strictly when we were growing up. That was non- negotiable. It’s not about being too fussy. It was physiology. And you understood it. Eating on time arms the immune system. You were not aware of this fact: Skipping meals significantly drops white blood cells and natural killer cells. So, you were doing the right thing. Also, you stopped muscle wasting. Food is the building block of muscle. By eating regular meals, you kept your body strong.
Finally, sunbathing. You would run after me each time I would dash out of the beach house at noontime. Umbrella in hand, you covered me and brought me back into the house. It was not until 4 p.m. that you allowed me to go to the beach and play with my friends. I often wondered why. All you would say was “You will only appreciate it when you grow up.”
Well, I am older now. I get it. You did not have a degree in Dermatology, but you knew then that noon day sun exposure is detrimental to skin health. You get DNA damage because of ultraviolet radiation. Thus, you made me avoid the sun at its most intense.
All I truly wanted to say was that your words of wisdom will live on. I have passed them on to your grandchildren. Ultimately, it was not just about ginger, covering the throat, sleeping early, regular meals, not sunbathing and wanting to live longer. It was really about love.
Yes, you are in Heaven but you are forever in my heart.
Happy Mother’s Day.
Affirmation: “I will carry on.”
Love and light.
