(Ma/Pa/Ka)Hirap

 

I will say this from the bottom of my heart...

Salamat pinanganak akong mahirap.

Salamat hindi nagpursigi ang tatay kong magtrabaho.

Salamat sobrang sipag ng nanay ko.

Salamat tinulungan kami ng mga kamag-anak namin.

Just so many blessings and challenges to be thankful for.

Lumaki ako sa hirap.

Lumaki kaming pinakamahirap.

Out of both sides of the clan.

When your cousins and relatives are all studying from schools like CSA, Don Bosco, ICA, La Salle, Miriam, etc.

Tapos kayong magkapatid eh Paranaque National High School ang peg, siyempre may maramdaman at mararamdaman kang inggit, lalo pag bata ka pa at hindi pa masyadong maintindihan ang mundo.

Although me and my ate did come from a Catholic Elementary School, hindi na kayang magpa-aral sa isang private school ng aking mga magulang.

And of course being kids, we couldn`t understand that.

I would like to recall the summers I used to spend with my better-off relatives.

Grabe!

We would eat imported sausages, go out to restaurants on weekends, have Quickly on random weekdays, and go to Quad (present Glorietta) on Saturdays.

Sa bahay, we couldn`t afford any of those.

Going out to Harrison Plaza was a luxury.

Bacon was a luxury.

Keloggs´ was a luxury.

Cinnamon-flavored Mini Donuts in Glorietta was a luxury.

Nerds and Jawbreakers were a luxury.

Although to be fair, my mom does cook good meals for us as pambaon.

May mga baon rin kaming Whammos at Zest-O before!

There was a time when most of my cousins` already had their first mobile phones in high school: Nokia 5110, 3210, 3310, etc.

Ako nagkaroon ng hand-me-down na 6150 nung 4th year high school.

You would wish for a better life, or for a better wording, a more comfortable life.

Na sana makapasok ka nang may sapat na pambaon.

Na sana makakain ka ng pagkain na gusto mong kainin.

Na sana makatulog ka ng mahimbing ng walang ingay galing sa mga nag-aaway na magulang.

Those were memorable times. 

Galit na galit ako dati sa mga magulang ko for the reasons above.

I didn`t go to that rebellious phase, per se.

Mabait akong bata for the most part, masungit at maldito lang talaga ako ever since.

Pero ngayong tumanda na ako, and experience what they had to go through as well...

Nawawala na siya paunti-unti.

Kaya ngayong nakakaahon na sa kahirapan, nagpapasalamat ako sa mga tumulong at hindi tumulong, dahil sila ang humubog sa akin, kung sino man ako ngayon.

But it really is according to God`s time.

You can only influence as much as you can to fulfill your dreams and goals.

Pero kung hindi pa ito ang tamang oras, hindi pa ito oras.