18 April 2011 92/100 Present Day The picture was taken in Plaine de Plainpalais. Looking at the image, I am sure that it was a day outing with my daughters. I wanted them to have a feel of my childhood experience. I grew up seeing goats, cows, and chickens all around our neighborhood. Dogs and cats freely roamed the neighborhood. Mama had some chickens for sale we called "40 days," and I used to help her, along with the other members of the family, in preparing the chickens at 5 in the morning to be sold in the market the same day. The setup was like an assembly line- a large pot with boiling water, a plucking area, a cleaning nook, and then the packing area- usually a sack, where the prepared chickens were put. In this kind of scenario, warmed by the firewood in our kitchen, hot coffee and radio were our companions. My grandmother, Nanay Manang, glued to our white radio, was also present, intently listening to the Toning program on DZBB, a glass of water in front of...
Relationships of any kind undergo challenges. Some would work on it, others would simply walk away. Her marriage is no exception. Staying and trying to work it out 97 and 96/100+ Present day On April 17th and 20th 2011, I had two drafts about people close to me, and rereading the two lines on each draft, I realized that it was something that should be posted anonymously. I honestly look up to these people, given how they have built their lives and achieved success in their own fields. It felt invasive and so out of line to continue writing their stories. So this one's going to be two drafts in one-not a continuation but rather a post of gratitude to these two human beings who continue to show up for their kids, show strength amidst the uncertainty of life, and really worked hard to be the best versions of themselves. Thank you for being in my life. For being my constant reminder of different facets of mothering and being true to oneself. For in...