My Mother’s Journey

She was 25 when she left everything that she knew to come to America.  She had been married for just a year, before she would make the journey by herself to fulfill the dreams of her husband.  Never in her life did she think she would be flying to America alone and pregnant.  The pregnancy wasn’t planned and many tried to convince her to stay until after the baby was born, but she knew that if she stayed her husband’s dreams may never come into fruition.  When she got off the plane and met one of her best friends in New York, she just cried as her friend told her she should have never come pregnant.  There was so much heartache being away from her family, her husband, and everything that was home.  Her new home in Brooklyn was the complete opposite of what she called home.  She shared a cramped apartment and was introduced to the concept of snow, which was a departure from the humid island weather of the Philippines.  She received pitying looks from those around her because though she was married and 25, she looked like a pregnant teenager.

She moved from Brooklyn to Virginia to stay with her husband’s aunt.  As she was approaching the nine month mark on her pregnancy she was still without her husband.  She was petitioning for him to come be with her, but who knew when he’d ever get here.  In her loneliness and her desperation of having her husband with her she did the only thing she could think of, she wrote.  She wrote a letter to President Nixon telling him her plight and asking him to help get her husband to America.  Any other person may have thought that the effort was useless, they would never read it, and nothing would ever happen.  She continued to hope and one day received a letter “From the office of President Nixon.”  The President didn’t write her back personally, but his office promised her that they would call the embassy and have her husbands papers expedited.

She had her baby on February 10, 1971 alone.  While the other new mothers received flowers, she laid in her bed, just hoping that she would receive them, but they never came.  She became a new mother alone, waiting for the day her husband would come, waiting for the day that the President would keep his word.  A month later this new mother and her son had a real family when her husband arrived to be with them and continue to build the American dream.

This story is one of my favorite stories because it reminds me how amazing my mother is.  It reminds me how lucky I am.  It shows me how brave and giving my mother is.  I come from a family with an amazing story and every now and then I have to remind myself how incredibly lucky I am to be where I am.

My mom is one of the most generous, loving, intelligent, funny, and warmhearted people I know.  If you need a dollar, she’ll give you five.  If you’re hungry, you won’t be for long.  (cause she’ll buy you food, not cook, my mother doesn’t cook)  If you like her flan, well be prepared to get one for your birthday, Christmas, and any other special occasion.

My favorite times  with my mom are when we’re just hanging out watching television.  Whether its Glee, Grey’s Anatomy, or the Dodgers game we find a way to have a good time make jokes and just laugh.  Those are my favorite moments.

Happy Birthday Mom, I Love YOU!

My mom and her best friend Nancy.  They’ve been friends for 36 years.

With Trisha, the most amazing event planner on the planet.

*We had lunch at the Granville at the Americana, and it was to die for.  The Americana is a must see and the Granville is a must eat.*

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