by Susan Palmes-Dennis
My favorite memory of my mother (Nanay in Filipino) is her love for plants and flowers. Writing is to me as taking care of a plant is to her. And my story tells how her love of plants made me cry and how she would poke fun whenever I do.
I am the eldest in a brood of seven children to working parents. Back in the days in my country of birth (and I hope it still is the norm despite these changing times) much was expected of me.
as the eldest you carry responsibilities and duties as second parents.
Expectations in fact are an understatement concerning the obligation and duties that my parents entrusted to me while they were out. For now, I'll be talking about my being a little mother or nanay.
Being the little “nanay” in her absence, I would assume the duties every mother is bestowed with upon having a family. While I revert to being a child whenever they are around, like every dutiful daughter I would assume the “mother hen” role for the most part.
I may forget to mention that if I have to do it again I should have done better for my siblings. Anyway, according to them this is my story of my mother and her plants.
My Nanay is Loreta Ejem-Espelarga Naelga, Lily for short and she loved plants among others aside from cleaning the house. I guess taking care of her plants is a stress reliever.
I didn’t hear her sing to the plants but I did hear her saying” pamulak na (Bloom now).” In those days, mothers are just confined to their homes when not working.
There was no aromatherapy or sports wasn't a fad at the time when she goes home after working at Philippine Packing Corp. (now Del Monte Philippines).
Recalling only groups in the church or at the Puericulture Center with Iya Ipoy (what’s her last name, Iya Ipoy?), my mother listens to the radio in the morning and her favorite programs feature stars like Diego Salvador or Melodina at Night Time while cultivating her flowers, pulling out the weeds around the pot or plot and talk to her plants. Sometimes she'd wipe away the dirt on the leaves.
She got all kinds of cacti in big and small pots, begonias, ferns, roses and wildflowers as well as bougainvilleas. The plants were arranged based on what plant she thought needed the most sunlight or water.
There was no Google that time, the only way she cared for her plants was through common sense and she had a lot of it.
Her plants were given or bought and later she swapped plants with others. Yes, some plants were bought but most of the time it was exchanged with friends who also have their own plants.
Every payday on the 5th and 20th of the month, she would have new plants. At first it was nothing to me.
Here is the thing- if she had first shift and that would be 6 am to 3 p.m., unless there is overtime I would see her coming home either from the corner of Iyo Glen Gamber's house or at Iya Pamie Valdehuesa's home and I would see her hands are full and even from afar I know she's holding plants or pots.
Even at a young age I know what barter was all about. She usually did this, bartering plants with Iya Oling Santander, Iyo Gorio Cabunoc and Tiay Gingging Dagus or with the Mama of Myrna and Allan Cagaanan.
This is how it works: If Nanay had this cactus which Iya Oling doesn't have then my mother would give her cactus in exchange for one plant she doesn't have.
Then there was the onset of her love for orchids. Gosh, it wasn't not only water and pots (plastic pots weren't discovered yet and if it was, it was made in China and it did not reach us yet) that were the problems, but the coconut husk.
We have to shred a lot of coconut strips to get the husk that would be used for the orchids. The orchids would be placed on the coconut husk. Her love of plants was her therapy for life's struggles. She would be so engrossed with her plants especially when my father is too busy with his gang of “ Alsa Baso” or doing carpentry works at home.
If she is still around this time I would buy all the plants she would like to have, including the pots, soil and vegetables.
That was among the memories I had of living with her and if I had the chance to live another life with her, I would gladly water all her plants again even if her garden circles the world. I miss you Nanay.
What about you, what is your favorite memory of your mother? Add yours in the comments below. Thanks for reading and Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers and mothers-to-be out there.
(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who worked as a nanny and is now employed teacher assistant in one of the school systems in the Carolinas.
Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com and at http://www.blogher.com/myprofile/spdennis54. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.
You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)
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