Summer Stories: small things with great value

I am going back to Tacloban with kit kat, stick-o, wafers and pringles in my luggage.

It’s always like this during summer – my take home would be chocolates or a pair of sandals or anything under the sun.

Hurray to being my mother’s child!

It is not the items that matter, though. I can buy things on my own and can opt not to go through the hassle of packing them on my luggage. But being child-like once in a while breaks the monotony of working life. I think everyone needs that sometimes.

And so I love it when my mom allows me to sneak some goodies to her shopping basket. I laugh it out when I insist that I am still her child and that she has to buy a thing or two for me. She gives in, of course. That gesture represents many things to me, including the thought that when I am with her, I am simply her child.

I also appreciate it because in a society where a child, after landing a job, is expected to be the one buying things for the family, my mom is simply the opposite. She keeps on giving until she can. She is not someone who tells you to buy me this and that because you have money. My siblings and I grew up with a mindset that we are not obliged to earn a living for the family, that we are not in debt to them because of our education. We were never forced to think like it is our responsibility to give back. They taught us the value of sharing but emphasized that we should give because that’s what we want to do and if we don’t, it won’t be taken against us. Talk about free will.

It was that kind of upbringing that aroused the generosity in us. It was also that kind of upbringing that made us appreciate the pleasure and privilege of both giving and receiving. So the next time you see someone eating kit kat after coming home, you might smile with the story behind. 

Lastly, with the things and schedules that go with growing up, I appreciate the limited time when the family is able to buy things together. To us, it’s luxury.

This is short (our schedules won't meet) compared to the past summers we had together but it's fun just the same :)

To me, it means I can leave again without worrying of what lies ahead because there will always be a summer to look forward to – summer that includes chocolates and wafers and home.