"Paningkamot jud ug skwela mao ra na'y ikahatag nako nimu." (Try your best to finish your studies—that's the only thing I can give you.)

These were the words spoken by the person who inspires me most; the person who never leaves me in all aspects of my life, the person who gave me life purely out of love. She is my first teacher and my ever-supportive friend, my mother.

Everything she has done for me is proof of her immeasurable patience, love, and self-sacrifice. My mother made a difference in my life by inspiring me in many ways. Ever since I was young, she's always been there to guide me. All her efforts have encouraged me to pursue my dream of finishing my studies. She loved and cared for me like no other person did. It is she who feeds us from a noble, clean, and inspiring source. Most of all, it is Mom who brings light into my well-being that takes me to a state of euphoria.

Amidst all the miseries I suffer from or the things that I loathe most, it is still rewarding for me to know that I have a mother who never fails to inspire me. She has earned my biggest salute for all the sacrifices she made. I fervently thank God for giving me not just a flickering light but rather a deep-burning and ubiquitous one, my mother, my light. I love you, Ma. Always!

It's 2026, and I edited this post to add recent photos I took of my mom. The short essay above was written a decade ago. I didn't realize this was sitting on my blog's draft for quite some time. lol

Cheers to all moms out there. And may I soon become a good mom, if not better than my mother.