Often, mothers do not get the recognition they deserve for the efforts they do to keep the family together. But a simple note to say “I love you” or “Thank You” will do.
Variety’s “My Mom’s Story” which is on its eight year, recognizes the important role that mothers play in not only shaping their children into good members of the family, but also in making them good members of the society.
Through the “My Mom’s Story” contest, Variety invites children across the commonwealth to express in writing their admiration for their mothers and share their struggles, their joys, and their aspirations.
A hardworking mom
On December 23, 1964, a baby girl was born in the southern part of South Korea. The baby girl’s name is Park Young Ae. The young girl now grew up ad became an adult. She is a mother of three well-grown children. This woman is my mother.
Mother came to Saipan in January of 1990 with my father to open a business here in Saipan. During those days, my father’s business flourished and my family lived in prosperity. However, when South Korea faced IMF crisis in 1997, my family’s wealth also plummeted. We lost our prestige, honor, and title all together at once. As we faced financial problems, we had to endure all the obstacles that accompanied them such as separating from my father for many years and moving into small apartments that we could not manage to live in because we were used to living in big two-story houses. Because my father had to help support us, he had to open his own business in South Korea. Although he visited us once every two months, my family and my father had to be separated for 14 years to be exact. Despite all the hardships, my mother did not fail to show her love and her commitment as a mother to three children. She maintained her job as best as she could in order to send all three children to private schools. After working till midnight, she would reach home about 1 a.m. My siblings and I were immature back then. We would not clean after ourselves. When mother came back from work, she could not relax from her tiring work because unclean dishes, messy toys, and unwashed clothes were waiting for her. However, I did not detect see her complain. She would then sleep at 2 a.m. after organizing the house that needed the presence of a mother.
My family is a well-known Christian family. “We would not have made it till this day without God’s guidance” would be the words of my mother whenever she felt relief from distress. My mother never failed to attend the early morning service at church that started from 5:30 in the morning every single day. She would pray to the Father in heaven to always lead her young babies to the path of the righteous. Not only would she pray for her children but she would also sometimes cry out to the Lord to help her from all her adversities. She would ask Him to someday raise her out from all her troubles. That is how she would manage to help herself restrain from crying in front of us and showing her weakness in front of her three children. Mother would also never forget to pack our lunches even after her tiresome daily services she attended every morning. Her lunch was also made with delicacy. We would have a diversity of food. We could taste her love and care whenever our friends gathered and envied our lunches at the instance we opened our lunch kit. Her passion to keep us healthy and well-educated soon bore fruit. My brother is now attending New York University Stern majoring in business, my sister is in the University of Southern California, and I am currently attending Marianas Baptist Academy, one of the well-known schools on Saipan.
Without my mother’s prayer and support, I would not have learned to accept discouragements. I got to appreciate my life even when trials hindered my path. Through my mother, I learned many moral lessons regarding persevering through obstacles even when I felt that everything was against me. As Mother’s Day is coming up, I just want to say “I thank you, I love you, and I utmostly admire you” to my hardworking mother.
Young Eun Lee, 10th grade
Marianas Baptist Academy
‘My Mom: The Strength in her’
My mom’s name is Barbara Ada Torres. She was born on February 22, 1956 on Saipan. She got married and had three children: Frances, Eric, and myself, Audrey. My mom means the world to me and I don’t know what I would do without her. My mom has done so much for my family and I.
She takes good care of us and always puts others before herself. She’s emotionally, physically, mentally, and financially supportive of me, especially when it comes to my education and my achievements. My mom has always taught me right from wrong. Of course, every teenager wouldn’t listen and in the end, we can all say that “mothers, know best.”
My mom’s life was not always easy, but yet she finds the strength to overcome all the obstacles in her life. In 2000, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Her emotional and physical strength motivated her to successfully overcome this obstacle in her life. In 2006 my dad was diagnosed with cancer too and my mother was there to take care of him day and night. She traveled to Hawaii and Guam many times for his treatments and she spent her days in the hospital with my dad to make sure that he was well taken care of. During the times when she took care of my dad, she herself overcame medical issues, but once again she managed to pull through with them. Unfortunately, in 2008, my dad passed away. This was a very difficult time for our family, especially my mom who was taking care of her ill mother. I can see the stress and pain she goes through, and I just wish my mom can finally receive the stress-free life she deserves.
My mom ad I have had our moments, but of course in the end I know that she loves me and I love her. I know that I can go to my mom for anything and everything. The best times I have with my mom are when we take long strolls around the island and just talk about different things.
She is my inspiration and I couldn’t imagine life without her. My mother is a beautiful, loving, and strong person and when I get older, I want to become just like her.
Audrey Ada, 10th grade
Marianas High School
‘An industrious mom’
My name is Pearl Carresse Cataluna, an 8th grader of Marianas Baptist Academy. What I will be narrating below is my mom’s story and I hope this will inspire people that life is a journey, that everyone must navigate to reach our destination we dream and aspire for.
My mom, Lea Magno Cataluna was born on March of 1971 in General Santos City in Mindanao, Philippines. Her father, a widow, married my grandma who was 30 years younger his age. This makes me believe that in love, age does not matter. According to my mom, her parents taught her the value of hard work at the early age. My mom helps her parents in their small business of selling home-made popsicle and ice-cream.
Besides this, my mom being the oldest of the children took care of younger siblings. My mom used to tell us that though she found it hard born to poor, struggling parents, she said she was fortunate to learn responsibility, hardwork, dedication, total focus. She also learned to value and be grateful for small and ordinary things she had. She said these are what she needs to conquer the complexities in life. My mom also told us that in order to be successful, we need to accept defeat and continue to work harder to achieve our goals to be happy and satisfied.
To demonstrate my mom’s struggle, she was to take care of her younger brother and sister at a young age while parents are at work. Also, being his father has other children from the first marriage, her father’s time for them was limited. Instead of holding a grudge against her father, my mom used this situation to be more responsible, diligent and resourceful to help her parents. My mom used to tell us that sometimes, at an early age of 8, she worked for relatives to earn money like doing laundry, among other household chores This is the reason probably that my mom up to now is an early bird, regardless if she slept late, still she can still wake up early to prepare our family’s needs for the day.
Then her parents’ business went bankrupt and her parents could not afford to raise them and temporarily she was sent to stay with her step sister that made her life complicated. Yet, some people are born with strong will which affirms that survival is for the fittest. My mom, to be able to go to school, she had to do a lot of household chores for the family she lives with. My mom told us that she had to walk a long distance to school and without any money or snacks. This prompted my mom to be more resourceful and discover the enterprising girl in her. My mom sold candies, delicacies and fruits from their backyard to her classmates to raise money to support her education and help her parents. We, her children, sometimes doubted her stories being what she went through is exceedingly hard, yet she stress to us that she is not afraid to experience it again because she knows she has endured it all against all odds. She told us that there is no shortcut to success and that success and contentment in life are more appreciated and sweeter if you have experienced hardship and all challenges mentally, physically and emotionally. When my mom was about 12 years old, her grandmother took her after her father died. My great grandma according to my mom was very strict and thus further trained my mom to be more responsible and assertive in life. She also taught my mom to be closer to God. When my mom finished high school, she worked to support herself to be able to go to college. She stayed and worked for a relative until she completed a 2-year secretarial course.
In 1992, my mom was hired by her auntie to work in Saipan to help with the construction manpower business. The first few months her work went smoothly. However, after that, my mom experienced problems in her work such as underpayment, delayed salaries, unjust treatment and labor violations towards her. This prompted her to file a labor complaint to stop the unlawful act of her employer. As a result, my mom had to look for another job and for about year a half my mom had to jump from one work to another on a temporary work authorization. Though no adequate income, my mom did not fail to send money to her family in the Philippines. Even now, my mom continued to support her mom and family back home.
In November 1994, my mom worked under manpower contract as administrative assistant in Black Micro Corporation where she met my father working as an engineer. To make the story short, my three brothers and I were the product of their love story. Since then, our family have lived on Saipan for about 17 years now.
My brothers and I are very lucky to have a loving and caring mom. I said so, because she puts her family first on her priorities. Though both of my parents are just contract workers, they never failed to provide our needs, physically, mentally, emotionally and most importantly our spiritual growth. My mom does not want her children to undergo the same hardship she went through which maybe the reason she works hard every day, yet she never failed to nurture us to be responsible and doing what is right and just. My mom also teaches us about respect to all as well as practicing the “Golden Rule”. At first, when I make mistakes and reprimanded by her I find it annoying, but now I understand that she wanted us to learn from our mistakes and have proper discipline in life. I also admire my mother for she’s a woman with plan for us. She never fails to work hard and save for our education and that I know from my heart that all she wanted is that we become prepared for greater responsibilities when our time comes to become parents.
We only live life once and besides honoring and loving God, the next best thing you can do before we pass in this life is to thank our mother who puts her life in line to make us see and experience life. As children, we cannot repay our parents, yet they never ask for more except love and respect, that’s all, no more no less.
Pearl Carresse Cataluna, 8th Grade
Marianas Baptist Academy
‘You’re my main life source’
What do mothers mean to you? To me, a mother is your main life source. Since birth, she is the one who cares for you the most. Without a mother, survival becomes hopeless. A mother is nurturing and is often amazing beyond words. So why does this apply to my mother? My mother may not be the best, but she is someone I could look up to for guidance and comfort.
My mother is Conchita Liwag Llana. Born in Sto. Nino, Cagayan, Philippines on October 24, 1961, she is the daughter of Bienvenido Liwag and Consuelo Rington and the youngest of six siblings. She attended elementary, junior, and high school as well as college. Her hobbies as a mother are cooking and watching TV. She is currently married to Abner Llana and is a happy mother of three children. She works as a cashier at Anne’s Convenient Store and is currently 48 years old.
During her childhood years, my mother was a cheerful child who loved playing on the streets with other children. She played games like hide-and-seek. Chinese garter, hopscotch, and jackstone during the night. She also attended festivities like fiestas with her family. From 6th grade to her 4th year of high school, her family owned a sari-sari store and sold snack foods, beverages, and cigarettes. As a young child she accomplished to become the 2nd Reyna of the Santa Cruzan [a parade of beauties] of 1972 . Once, she traveled to Baguio City during her elementary school years to visit her older brother who attended military school. A tragic incident soon occurred. During my mother’s 5th grade year, that same brother died after graduating from military school. He was deployed to Mindanao, Philippines to meet the president during the time but was met with an unfortunate vehicle accident. My mother and her family were in mourning but after that she stated that she’d look to her brother as a loving sibling and role model.
My mother’s teenage years were unlike any other a teen had ever been through. After three years of her sophomore year in high school, her father died of liver cancer. Suffering two deaths from her family, my mother took it upon herself to find a way to pull herself together. At her second year of college, another tragedy occurred. My mother became involved in a car accident on her way to her sister’s home. She endured her one month stay in the hospital and stopped attending one semester of college. She sustained a broken collarbone and several stitches at the back of her left ear. Because of her strong will, she healed quickly.
Just as we love to listen to music and hang out with friends, my mother was the complete opposite of that. During her free time, she loved to clean and cook. But also like us, she developed several crushes with the province boys. But as destiny was soon to dictate, those feelings of affection were not meant to be. My mother had dreams to obtain her goals as well. She wanted to become a bank teller but unfortunately due to the robberies at that time, she became doubtful and instead decided to pursue accounting.
As my mother matured into a young adult, her dreams were answered. After graduating from college in 1984, she started working as an accounting assistant. She worked for several businesses. Once, on a business trip, my mother once saw former president Cory Aquino and her daughter. It was a delightful event for her. She also worked as sales representative for a cosmetics company. Somehow, those jobs were not meant to last. Desperate to find a job, her mother took it upon herself to help her daughter. She then recommended her to work on Rota as an accountant. My grandmother had work there as a cook. At first my mother felt disappointed because she was not used to the laid-back scenery.
But as time passed, she soon worked for Hita Travel Agency. Years went by and at 28 years of age, my mother met my father through a phone call. At that time, my father worked as an accountant in a shipping company where my mother placed an order. That call led to a meeting. Their relationship continued to blossom after that. My mother soon went back to the Philippines with my father in tow. Both their parents were happy with the match. Before long, they got married on September 23, 1990 at the Immaculate Concepcion Parish in Cubao, Quezon City. After the wedding, they left for Rota to start life anew as a couple.
Now, my father and mother are still happily married for 21 years. Even though my older sister is away attending college and hardships continue to put us down, being a family becomes a huge part of not giving up. My mother is that same cheerful child even when times get tough. She fulfills her role as a mother very well. Once, I asked her if she ever doubted my existence. She then stated with a sure look on her face that she never thought that. Before starting the family she has now, she did think of the consequences. Now I am definitely sure that I am lucky to have a mother like her. She may not be a perfect mother many hope for, but I am thankful to God that he gave her as mother to me and am still thankful to this day.
Carla Ann Llana, 10th Grade
Rota High School
‘Mom, I owe you my life’
There are no words I could possibly use to explain what my mom means to me, but I will do my best to explain it. My mom is, no doubt, the first friend I’ve ever made, and I’m very sure she will be the closest I’ll ever have. She’s been with me through thick and thin. She watched me grow from being a newborn baby to the way I am today. She has seen me at my best and has praised me, but she also seen me at my worst and continually chooses to accept. I would never, for a million dollars or in a million years, trade her for someone else. My mom is the best I could ever have.
My mom never had it easy growing up. Like most contract workers here in Saipan, she grew up in a poor family. She was born to that family on June 13 years ago in Calumpit, Bulacan, in the Philippines. It was a simple life, but she had to work hard to finish her education from elementary to college. It was not until 1992 that she got a job here in the CNMI. She came not knowing what to expect and found her best friend and the love of her life in the process. She still works in the same company, even after all of these years.
I was born to her on May 31, 1995, at 3:10 a.m. That was the first day she ever laid eyes on me. I was so tiny and just a little under five pounds. She took care of me with utmost care, so worried I would break with just the slightest touch. Maybe that is the reason why to this day, she continues to baby me. I love her for it, but the truth is that I’m not as fragile as I once was. Everything she does, she does for my sake. Many times I take her for granted, but recently I’ve had to rethink things.
My mom was diagnosed with cancer just last year. For three months, I stayed here in Saipan while she went off for treatment in the Philippines.
Every day she was gone, I lived with the worry and the fear that something could go wrong. It was the only year I ever spent apart from her during Thanksgiving. A holiday without a complete family just doesn’t seem right, not to me, and I’m assuming not to anyone else.
It was a long three months, but my mom returned safely in December, barely able to mover her arm. Still, she went back to work within a few weeks of her return. All of this was for me so that I could go to school and continue to live my comfortable life. I don’t deserve it, but she gives it to me. She works despite the pain out of her love for me, and I really appreciate that now. My mom is a strong, God-fearing woman who has sacrificed so much for me. I’m thankful that God gave her to me, and to me alone.
Kristine Joy Leynes
10th Grade,
Marianas Baptist Academy
A role model
Moms these days should be a good role model to kids so that they follow what they’re doing and become a good person. Sometimes, Mothers gets mad at their child for very simple problems that could be fixed in like what? 10 seconds. But you know, no one is perfect. We all make mistakes, have our share of wrong doings. So even though my mom gets mad at me at times, I still and always will love her.
My mom is a very loving mother. She takes care of me, trains me to be responsible, gives me chores to do, and scold me whenever I do wrong.
But even though she scolds me, she will always be my favorite mother in the earth. I know sometimes she is wrong too on what she is doing to me at times. But I always understand her. Like I said we’re all not perfect so why try to be when we’re not half way close?
My mom doesn’t like the house dirty so I always have to clean up all day to make it tidy. Whenever I don’t clean my room she would get mad at me, and I would start cleaning it and make it look nice in the inside instead of making it look like a garbage can. Bad smell is one thing my mom really hates, she really could smell the odor everywhere and I can’t. One time when my room wasn’t clean yet I thought it smelled fresh in the inside. But, when my mom went in she said it stinks. So I started to use air freshener to make it smell good so my mom won’t scold me.
My mom likes to see me clean the house and help out. Whenever I don’t do household chores should would scold me. Sometimes I feel lazy, so my mom tries to make me motivated and try to make me do something like sweeping the floor and do other things inside the house. I don’t like it when my mom gets at me to do something. So I just try to make her happy all the time.
The modern Mother’s day is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most ly in March, April or May as a day to honor mothers and motherhood. In the U.K., it follows the old tradition of mothering Sunday, celebrated in March/April. Whenever it comes to this holiday, I would always give something to my mom because it is her day. I’m always happy for her even though she scolds me a lot.
Rodel Cayetano, 7th grade
Dr. Rita Hocog Inos
Junior High School, Rota
Marianas Variety publisher Abed E. Younis is seen welcoming guests and sponsors of the “My Mom’s Story” contest at Kinpachi Japanese Restaurant in Garapan.
Extreme Cuts manager Marie Moses presents gifts to the mothers during the award ceremony for the “My Mom’s Contest” at Kinpachi Japanese Restaurant on May 4.
Marianas Variety publisher Abed E. Younis congratulates Kristine Joy Leynes as her mother Lota Leynes looks on.
Island Florals’ Philip Canuto is seen distributing bouquets to the mothers.
Abed Younis distributes prizes to the winners.
Barbara Ada Torres and her daughter Audrey are seen at Kinpachi Japanese Restaurant during the award ceremony for “My Mom’s Story” contest last Wednesday.
Sponsors and educators flank Marianas Variety publisher Abed E. Younis at Kinpanchi Japanese Restaurant during the award ceremony last Wednesday for “My Mom’s Story” contest. Photos by Raquel C. Bagnol
[Marianas Variety would like to thank our sponsors: Kinpachi Japanese Restaurant, Hyatt Regency Saipan, Ebisuya, Island Florals, Mcdonald’s, National Office Supply, Taro Sue, and Extreme Cuts. Our sincerest gratitude for helping us recognize six mothers with inspiring stories.] {jcomments off}
