A Mama's Boy No More

I used to be a mama's boy.

When I was still in elementary years, it was my mother who accompanied me in every competition I had joined into.  Though it would take her to stay for the whole day, my mother never faltered to chaperon me.  In fact, she would never allow me to go an errand without her accompanying me. Most often than not, she would always stay beside me or within my reach.

I do not know the reason why my mother gave me that extra special attention. She did not allow me to do the house chores even the littlest ones.  She wanted that I would not get tired so that I would have all the energy and time to review my lessons. There was a time even when my younger brother questioned her why she gave me such attention. My mother would say that since I was the only one in the family who had the interest in studying, so I should be given much time to review or read my books than washing the dishes for instance.  Thus, if I would not like helping nor doing the household or any of the farm chores, I would just open my notebook or even flip a newspaper to have an excuse.

To become a lawyer was my mother's greatest dream for me.  However, when I enrolled at Mindanao State University in Marawi City in 1995, I never took any prelaw course because I was already in a sort of a rebellion.  I defied the wish of my mother.  I wanted to pursue at first an engineering course.  However, I was not able to qualify for the said course, thus, I ended up taking up Bachelor of Science in Forestry instead.  It was not because I loved to be a forester but I was just enticed with the numerous field trips it offered.

I knew that I was not meant to be a forester.  Despite this fact, I was able to graduate with honors, something for my mother to be proud of.  But still, my mother kept on insisting that I should proceed law.

After I passed the Forestry Licensure Examination, I was absorbed by my alma mater to be part of the teaching force.  While I was waiting for my chance to have a scholarship to proceed any Masteral Degree in Forestry, my fraternity brother told me to enrol even for some units in law school.  Considering that law school is relatively free in MSU, I enrolled and then tried my luck.

When my mother knew that I enrolled in law school, she was so happy.  As a matter of fact, she already bragged to her friends and relatives that someday she would be having a lawyer son even if at that time I was still on my first semester.

Unfortunately, my mother died when I was still in my third year.  I remember that it was during our final examinations when the very unfortunate news came to me.  I had to ask excuses from my law professors at that time for I needed to be home.

The supposedly taking-chances style of enrolling the law school became a serious matter upon the unexpected death of my mother.  Her death reminded me that I should make it and make her proud someday.

I am now a lawyer.  Had my mother still alive today, she would be the proudest mother in the world.  She would always, I believe, tell her all friends and relatives how proud she would be.

But she is no longer here.  I would not be able to see and feel how she would brag me to her friends.

My mother was the one who believed in my capacity.  My mother was the one who pushed me to pursue her dreams for me.  My mother was the one who guided me.

And now that she is dead, I am now living out of the cloak of my mother.  I could do anything I would in the absence of my mother's interference.  I am a mama's boy no more.  But to remain a mama's boy forever, I would be willing to bear that nametag for as long as I could see how proud my mother would be with I have become now.