From a Concerned Mother

March 29, 2011

video

I just added a link to the video if a 6 year old boy who joined a mini game in the show of Willie Revillame as we all know Willing Willie. Amidst the laughter and cheering of the host and audience, you can clearly see that the boy never cracked a smile. The whole time that he was talked to by the host, his facial expression was somber. And when the music was giving him the cue to start dancing, he started crying but he still danced on. Sad to say that Willie, the audience and even some viewers at home was enjoying at the expense of the boy's humiliation in national tv and now the world. Fine, he was doing it for his family because he earned some money dancing away. But dancing the way he did was utterly diminishing what little dignity he had. It was simply below the belt. And Willie continued to embarrass the boy by letting Jan-jan dance even after the talent portion and mini show was finished. For the life of me I cannot understand the boy's tita cheering him on for a mere hug and P3,000 Willie gave her. Was that the worth of her self-respect? And P10,000 was the boy's life worth?

Did they not think even for just a second what if it was their own son doing such dance? What was going on their minds while applauding for the boy?

I am a mother of two sons and they love to dance. But not the dance that Jan-jan did. That kind of dance is seen in night clubs and for adults only. Or maybe I am just trying to overlook that these kind of shows have sexy dancers doing the same dance on prime time television. That's why as much as I can I check the shows that my kids watch. For Jan-jan, it was his father and his tita who taught him such dance. I can't judge them harshly as life may be harsh to them to do such desperate moves to win some cash to augment their daily living costs sacrificing their child for a few minutes in a show. Is that what these shows push the people to do? Losing their dignity just to have some easy money. To those who are willing it can be but to do that to a child is such exploitation and harassment. People may dismiss it and forget it someday but for Jan-jan he will bring that memory to him until he grows up and I fervently hope and pray that it does not define his future.

On Weddings and Marriage

March 7, 2011

A lot of my dear friends are getting married nowadays. In just a span of three months, four of them are finally hitched. One thing I love about weddings is when the bride starts walking the aisle towards her groom. That moment really turns my heart into mush and my eyes just brim with tears. It always makes me go back to the time I did my own walk down the aisle. A feeling of overwhelming pure joy. A sense of fulfillment that no one can measure. It’s more than being in cloud 9, it was a piece of your own heavenly moment. And it’s all mine for the taking. It even gives me goose bumps while writing this, taking me back to my very own blissful moment. No matter how I describe that moment only the married ones can relate to that, sorry singles.

Weddings are great manifestations of the love shared by the couple. It‘s as if the couple have overflowing love that they need to give away their joy with relatives and friends in such a traditional way. I read love stories of people getting married saying that their story is unique, that their chemistry is just amazing and that few people ever find such love. But I would like to disagree. If that were true, then only a few would get married and settle down.

I would like to believe that couples who get married have their love story to share. I don’t want to burst anybody’s bubble by saying that you are not the only one who found love or the one to share the rest of life with or telling you that you’re love story is not far from ours, it may be unique but it’s still a story bound by love. I would like to think that all the brides who walked down the aisle felt the same joy I did. That somehow we look forward to happy ever afters even if the old married couples say otherwise. But in our own little innocent minds, we want to believe that we will have better marriages and happy at that.

Up until now I still believe that I have a happy marriage. Maybe better but definitely happy. Somehow reality sets in and you noticed a lot of things you haven’t noticed before and usually they are not so good ones. But you accept those little things as long as it doesn’t compromise with your core values. And the happy ever afters? You have them once in a while sometimes in unexpected ways. But you do get your own dose of happy ever afters. Those happy ever afters keep you sane amidst the challenges that you face in marriage life. And you do get a lot of them. And that’s when you face reality right on because you have decided to have a happy marriage. And with that you can say that you were right when you got married. Cheers! ;)