Top things I learned from my MOTHER (that her grandsons should know)

 My Nanay is enjoying her grand vacation in the wonderful place 

filled with nature's beauty called El Nido, Palawan!

Top things I learned from my MOTHER*

 (that her grandsons should know)

She raised five loud children, put up with a moody husband and handled different familial and spousal problems in the society as a dedicated government social worker. Here are my cheers to a happy positive woman I dearly call Nanay.

Labor is honor. That's it.

Never say no to learning skills. Learn skills such as haircutting, crocheting and sewing; they can give quick money somewhere out there!

Be industrious. If you are industrious, you will thrive as everyone loves to welcome in their homes a busy bee over a lazy babe.

Make friends. Talk to your neighbors, roommates and friends. They are your support group. How will they know that your stomach aches when you are not telling them. Of course, she meant more than stomach aches.

Never borrow personal things. Don't borrow things just to say that you own a new one. It is better to wear old clothes that you own than wearing new clothes that one does not own.

Be truthful. Always tell the truth no matter how hard it may be. If someone can't accept it, he has to deal with his acceptance rather than he has to deal with the fact of trusting you one again if he discovers that you lied.

Ask yourself why they lied to you. If someone close lied (white or black lies!) to you, ask yourself why. How you react to the truth is sometimes the motivation to lie for signioficant others. So always be a sport in hearing the truth.

Don't give alms. Real help involves a lot of work. If you want to help, it takes more than giving an alm.

Don't drink coffee, it will dwarf you. Eat margarine, it will make you tall. Well, we all grew up believeing her and it turned out, she was right all along.

Always say yes to a child's request (which are more like demand). They will never forget how happy they were when you said yes, even though you can't actually deliver. I call this a positive negative response, like... Yes, we will buy it at the end of the month (knowing that the child does not know when is the end of the month anyway).

Be positive. Look at the good side of everything.

Laugh. Laugh, even the expense of one's self. She can do this to herself, again and again.

Pep talk. She let us cry, rant, get angry. Then, let help us let go by giving us pep talks.

Parenting has no fix rules. She said, parenting has some code or commandments that over time reduced only to tips.

No swearing. Get angry but no swearing. I think, above all else, this is a sign that we have a good breeding.

Answer her with “Yes, Nay?” or “What, Nay?” and not just “Yes?!” or “What?!” When called for, always answer with the name of the caller, even if one is already angry at him/her.

Be disciplined. In food, we will pamper you. In attitude, we will break the wrong ones.