Mother of grace

"Everything I am, I owe to my angel mother."
-Abraham Lincoln

My mother, Lilibeth P. Cruz-Sebastian was born into the world on September 28, 1968 at the General Emilio Aguinaldo Hospital in Trece Martires City. She was given to a simple family, a Provincial Warden of Cavite for a father, and a Chicken Dealer for a mother. She was an only girl in the bunch, having two brothers, one older and one younger.

She studied all her primary and secondary education at Saint Augustine School, then De La Salle Supervised in her hometown, Tanza, Cavite. She was a consistent honor student.
My mother was known for being a hard working person, up until now. Being a skilled orator, she frequently joins contests, without the knowledge of her mother. She would practice her piece near the river (so no one would hear) all by herself, and go home the next day with a gold medal, successfully surprising her family. Every weekend, she would help her mother in dressing the chicken every morning, and deliver it to their stall in the market.

In college, she took up AB Communication Arts in the Philippine Women’s University, in Taft Avenue, Manila. She was a Dean Lister right on her first year, and successfully graduated with flying colors. Her career path was that of an hotelier, worked at the front desk at Best Western La Corona Hotel and as a front desk telephone operator at the Sofitel Grand Boulevard Hotel.

My mother met my dad at the age of 24. He was an engineering student at the Technological Institute of the Philippines. They had the same circle of friends, though she was one year ahead of him in schooling. After four and a half years they decide to settle down and get married.

Their first child, my brother Lance, was born a year after their marriage. While pregnant, my mother decided to stop working at Grand Boulevard because of the distance it would give to her and the baby. She then decided to work full time at our Lending Company that they had opened before they got married to support the family that was about to come.

After three years, they chose to have another addition to the family. That was when I was born.

You see, I chose my mother as my hero not only because she is the person who brought me into the world, but because she stayed strong through every moment of her life. No matter what obstacle tries to bring her down, she still stood high full of strength and faith in the Lord.  Now, she is a successful self-made businesswoman whom I am sure will be full of happiness and contentment the rest of her life.

To my mother, thank you for being the foundation this family has stood on for years.
You are my hero, no matter what.

I love you, Mom.