My Other Half

Since then, a family is always compared to a tree where the father serves as the root, the mother as the trunk, and the children as the branches or fruits. But how can a tree grow healthy if the root is missing? Is the trunk capable of doing the responsibility of the root to lift up the fallen tree and flourish it beared fruits? Or the trunk will succumb because of there is no support? Then, let us see as I unfold my family tree.

Raising a child all by oneself is hard to go through when one of the support systems is lacking. But I have known a dedicated woman who carried the entire burden to nurture a child. She served as a housekeeper, factory worker, and even a vendor to fill the lacking in her child’s need. She also endured the suffering as she could not pinch her child’s cheeks, kiss him and even sing him a lullaby to fall asleep as she was not on his side. And that woman was my mother who leaves me when I was one month old with my grandparents as she carried all the responsibilities of being a parent. In other words, my mother was a proud single parent.

It’s been a couple of years when my mother experienced this agony. And everytime she leaves, I have seen her wept eye showing her saddest goodbye after going back to work. From this time, sorrow is also overflowing on my emotion. Likewise, it was also mixed with anger on my father as I have realized how my mother has struggled on raising me that in fact, it should be his role.

As I everyday conquered the path of my life guided by the shed of light of my mother, what always popped in my mind is her who was my great lover and my ultimate provider. Even in just a short span of time when she is with me, she was always there for me being a doctor when I was sick, my teacher when I have something to learn, my policewoman when someone maltreated me, and my greatest adviser when I made a life choice which is not good and suitable. 

Struggling for several years, her fruit will soon ripe as he grew fruitfully. Her fruit was also one step ahead of achieving greatness in life as he was now on his final stage of education. Therefore, sacrifices will turn to relish the taste of victory. Agony will also turn to bliss as both of us will reap the fruit of our hardships. Even though the root is missing, the tree still stands stronger as she performed both roles despite the strong winds and catastrophe that represents adversities.

 Ample of awards and thousand folds cannot compensate all that have been made by my mother. And for me the utmost reward that I can bestow to my mother is my success in life. From my younger age until I grew older, this was always my mother’s desire for me. And for me also who have witnessed all the downfalls and sacrifices of my mother, it will not be hard for me to strive for greatness in life as she was My Motivation, and My M[Other] Half.

James Fuentes