From the
animated movie, UP, a kid named Russel was talking about his absentee father.
He remembered how they would go for an ice cream, sit on a corner and count
cars. The father counted red ones. Russel counted the blue ones. Russel
observed, "It may sound boring, but the boring stuff are the stuff I
remember the most."
This
is the mystery of a parent's love. Because of love the boring stuff becomes memorable. The boring stuff like,
preparing a meal,
doing the laundry,
bringing to school,
eating together,
watching TV together,
taking a walk together,
a kiss, an embrace, a
pat on the shoulder - when done out of love, get infused with meaning, purpose,
connection and affection. Because they are acts of love, they become memorable how ever boring or ordinary they may be.
Minsan, pagkatapos ng isang mahabang araw umakyat ako ng
kumbento na pagod na pagod. Pagtingin ko sa mesa, wow adobo, chicken pork
adobo! Sa unang subo, sabi ko sa sarili ko, “Ang
sarap parang adobo ng nanay ko.” Pagkatapos kumain
naghanap ako ng panghimagas. Nakita ko sa mesa may yema. Kumain ako. Sabi ko sa
sarili ko, “Ang sarap parang yema
ng nanay ko.” Nung nakakarami na ako, naisip ko, hindi
kaya nandito ang nanay ko. Pumasok agad ako sa kuwarto ko. Pagbukas ng pinto,
andun nga ang nanay ko! Sabi nya sa akin, "O anak, andyan ka na pala. Kanina
pa kita hinihintay. Me dala akong adobo at yema, kain na tayo!"
Today is
mother's day. What
can we learn from a mother's love? That nothing is boring for one who
truly loves. That
no stuff is ordinary when done out of love. Everything can be an act of love. From the most amateur greeting card
to the most expensive gift... From the lowly household chores to a grand act of
sacrifice... Everything
can be an act of love.
Genuine
love has the power to connect us to the divine. For, as the second reading today proclaims,
God is love. Love
has the power to infuse meaning and depth to the most ordinary stuff, to the
boring stuff (even to adobo and yema) because every act of genuine love comes from God, for God is
love.
Happy
mother's day to everyone!
