As Mary weeps at the foot of the Cross that held her dying Son, her mind might have wandered back to the littlest moments of when she nursed and nurtured the infant Jesus – something that she could not do while standing helplessly near the Cross.
When Mila received her son after endless prayers of having one of her own, she did not hesitate to embrace her adopted child as if he was her own blood and flesh and raised him out of the motherly love Mila knew would mold him into the God-fearing child she hoped for.
“Gipangga jod namo siya kuyog sa akong duha ka babae nga [mga] anak. Gatubo jod siya sa pag mahal [ug] sa paghigugma sa pamilya… Naa ma’y mga times nga mouli akong bana once a year so mag-bonding g’yod sila ug na-develop niya ang love nga secured siya sa among pamilya. Kuyog-kuyog sad siya nako every time naa ko’y mga meeting sa organization… [Kung] naa ko’y mga activities sa akong apostolate, ako g’yod siyang dalhon permi… Mao to nakamatngon siya nga nagtubo siya sa pagtuo sa Catholic Faith. Kay active man ko sa simbahan, siya pud ni-active sa pagka youth.”
What Mila was not prepared for was the phases that her son had to go through and what it would cost her. Just like how Mary broke down at the sight of her Son’s bruised body, Mila could not help but apologize for the times she had wept at how her son had become from the child she so carefully reared to life to the teenager who was nearly a hopeless case. Mila started doubting whether she was enough of a mother for her son, but one thing that never crossed her mind was the regret of having her son.
“Pag third-year high school, na kick out siya sa private school nga iya giskwelahan kay nakakita siya’g away, [u]nya ako, ako lang jud siya gigiyahan nga makabalhin siya’g lain school nga mabut-an siya. Ako na siya gidala sa silong sa Sto. Rosario [Parish]. Niduol mi sa Family and Life Apostolate [ug] nagpatambag didto. Gitabangan pod mi sa akong ninang nga ipaduol jod siya sa Ginoo. Mao to naka graduate siya sa iyang gibalhinan nga school.”
Fortunately, with God, hope always knows no bounds and Mila could never be happier as she finally saw her son wear the black toga through his own hardship and sustenance.
“Minyo na siya ato ug nag self-supporting na siya sa iyang studies and I told him naka-graduate jod ka the hard way kay naa man unta sayon kon iya pa giuna ang pag eskwela kaysa magminyo og sayo. Ug mao na proud ko niya nga nakahuman [siya] sa iyang studies with his own effort and financial support.”
In life, we will ultimately face hurdles that could lead us to feeling hopeless, doubtful, undeserving of where we are or what we have, and sometimes, we end up questioning God why we had to go through all of these. However, similar to how Mila never ceased to reach for the hope that God instilled in her heart, may we also continue to endure and live through every suffering knowing that “the pain that you have been feeling cannot be compared to the joy that is coming.”