By Jan Vicente B. Pekas
Often, jeepneys can attract a wide array of colorful people. Whether it be as a temporary or unexpected place of meeting with people from our past. Or people we are not too keen on seeing again.
Just as colorful as the outer paint of jeepneys are the stories that are jam packed inside. Everyone who is sitting down or hanging outside always have something unique to share. Although sometimes, that would be a horrible body odor or the smell of “momma”.
Yet, on occasions we are shared with something valuable.
Mothers and their babies are staples of jeepneys that travel our jeepney routes. And the classic sash that hold their babies up are always wrapped around them.
Once, the sight of a mother looking at her child was something to behold. Something pure that caught my attention. Babies on jeepneys would always mean one thing, a noisy ride. But on that occasion, I was proven wrong. A mother’s smile to her child is something that could be easily brushed off in life.
Yet that sight was worthy to be painted by a talented artist.
On that ride, no sweat nor heat could grab my attention for it was focused solely on something beautiful. There were countless mother and baby pairing that I had been with on jeepneys before. Yet, for whatever reason this one was special. She held and looked at her child as if it was the greatest
thing she had ever touched.
Perhaps it was the child in me being nostalgic at a situation we can never go back to. A baby who only ever needed one thing, a mother’s touch.
A family’s love is what makes the upcoming holidays special. The people around us are more than enough to keep us warm. But a mother’s love makes each day special no matter if its Monday, and no amount of wind nor cold can kill the fire they hold within.
A season of sharing is upon us. And the moms who had done nothing but share all year deserve the most. The gifts we give are for the loved ones. But a mother deserves her presents everyday even after this month.
The ultimate gift to mom is what we all pursue, a shame we cannot give now but we can all promise for it to arrive someday, when the time is right and we have worked hard enough. It may not be enough to make up for our mistakes spanning decades , but the promise to give back to the ones who shared the most is a proper beginning for us former upstarts.
“Ask and ye shall receive”, to the children who would go crying without a mother’s touch and her singing voice. We had asked and our gifts piled up since day one.
Christmas has been going on all throughout her life. For she always gave gifts to her children, everyday, no matter the amount of money in her wallet.
A child should always give back, day by day, for she is more than deserving.**
