Family is always the best gift

Carol Santos, mother of three children, including a “young superstar,” celebrates her “17th” birthday and her guests wish her 71 more years of a beautiful, grateful life.

You know that a mother has achieved bliss and fulfillment when all it takes for her to be genuinely happy is to be with her children and grandchildren. She creates her own world when she is with her loved ones. With them, she is her most authentic self — because with them, she is whole, she is home.

If joy and contentment could take a form, they would surely be found on the face of Carol Santos. It’s the kind of joy that lounges in her soul. Last Sunday, Tita Carol celebrated her intimate “17th” birthday in the company of family and friends. The crispness of her laughter as she was being feted by her children Jeff, Jack and Jud was foretelling of a happy life that she would live further. (Jud, by the way, is how the family members call “young superstar” Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo.)

“I’m blessed to have my children. They are very hands on in taking care of their kids. That is something I was not able to do to them because of the circumstances,” said Tita Carol, who, according to Juday, worked for 13 years as a caregiver in Canada.

(From left) The author with Judy Ann, Luna and Ryan Agoncillo.

“My mom is one tough and brave woman. She was my only inspiration growing up. I worked really, really hard because I wanted her to come home and be with us when she was still working in Canada. Nag-promise ako sa kanya na hindi na siya babalik ng Canada. And that I want her to see the world, because she deserves that. Everything I am now is because of my mom,” Juday said.

What does his mom mean to Jeffrey, the eldest of the three siblings? “My mom will always be a part of my heart. We may have our differences, but we always see each other through. Her wisdom has always influenced my decisions one way or the other. She respects me enough to trust me with the decisions I make for my family, but keeps me close enough to her to guide me while working through that decision. It takes a pretty special lady to be able to know and balance that,” Jeffrey said.

“She means a lot to us. My siblings and I are all thankful that she is our mother,” Jack said.

The Santos kids also find their mother amusing. She was a strict mom but she was also a funny mother.

“When we were kids, we had a curfew. We should be home by 6 p.m. Not 6:01 p.m. One time, all of us came home late. Mom locked the door so we all stayed and slept in the neighbor’s house. And for our mother not to get mad at us, we came home very early in the morning the following day to water the plants, tend to the garden and give the dogs a bath. Nagpa-good shot kami,” recalled Jack.

“Si Mommy, siya ang batas! If she saw us fighting over instant noodles, she would make sure we would eat instant noodles the whole week! If we did not like to eat vegetables, she would also make sure to serve us vegetables the whole week,” Juday added.

For Jeffrey, her mom’s being funny lies in her predictability. “We echo each other’s thoughts.”

Carol Santos with her grandchildren (from left) Karrie, Yohan, Jamil, Dale, Lucho, daughter Judy Ann and Luna.

At the party held at the house of Juday and husband Ryan Agoncillo in Alabang, Tita Carol sauntered around to be with her siblings and friends, one of them was Amy Pascual, mother of heartthrob Piolo Pascual. She also enjoyed the spectacular song numbers of her granddaughters Yohan and Karrie.

Apart from the sumptuous buffet, the food for the soul — the Mass celebrated by Fr. Tito Caluag — was also a highlight. Every time I attend a big or intimate party at the house of Ryan and Juday, I always observe that the “Peace be with you” moment during the Mass officiated by Fr. Caluag is the longest part of the Mass. That afternoon, it was heartwarming to exchange prayers of peace among guests of Tita Carol. Every guest left his or her seat to bring peace to others. There was sincere friendship in the air. The scene was warm, cordial, tender. It was so jovial and genial one could feel the presence of God.

“Mommy taught us that the family will always have your back no matter what,” Jack said.

“The best lesson from Mommy is for us to stay honest. Wag sinungaling. Dahil ‘kakambal daw ng sinungaling ang magnanakaw.’ So we practically felt guilty every time we told lies. It didn’t stop us from telling them, but it was significantly minimized,” said Jeff.

“The greatest lesson from Mom would be to treat everyone with fairness. Help others to the best of our ability. At huwag makalimot magpasalamat sa Diyos sa lahat ng pinagdaanan namin at nalagpasan naming apat. Nasa magandang estado ang buhay namin ngayon,” Juday added.

The best gift is always family. And a mother’s heart will always yearn for the welfare of her loved ones. A mother is a friend, a critic, an ally. A mother is the manifestation of God that everything on earth can be done with a grateful heart. 

“My birthday wish is for my children and grandchildren to always have good health. It is also my prayer that they will be kept away from people who will do them harm,” said Tita Carol.

“I also wish that I would be given a little more time to be with them, to enjoy them,” she concludes.

The kindness of her heart will be Tita Carol’s advantage for God to listen to her pleas. Who knows, God might just give her another 71 years to enjoy!

Happy birthday, Tita Carol!

(For your new beginnings, e-mail me at bumbaki@yahoo.com. I’m also on Instagram @bumtenorio. Have a blessed Sunday!)