Dear Mom, 

Happy Birthday! I know you will hate me for the title but deep inside i know you will agree with me that you are one. Hahaha! 

We have a love hate relationship. You know how much I resent you for 101 ways you have been the imperfect mom to me. But now, i have made peace with all my selfishness and I totally understand everything. 

All i know is, I love you more than ever. Maybe because i am now a mother or maybe i just realized that your imperfections made you the best mom for me. 

You are not the “i will take care of you and our family” type of mom. You let ka belen do it for us. You seldom cook, take care of us when we are sick, go to our PTA meetings or attend my oration contests. You let dad do it for you. But, you are a good provider. You worked hard for us. You made sure that you will not fall short in giving us the best education you can give us. This not so caring but i will give you money approach made me independent and a responsible Ate. You molded me early in understanding that life is not perfect and I have to suck it up. All the more, i have brothers who look up to me so i should be a good example. 

You don’t know how to compliment me instead you always challenge me so i ended up graduating on time and conscious with my life decisions. You are not always happy with what i achieve in school and you always asks for more. Thank you because i strive to be better to prove something to myself. You taught me to be always on my toes and to add value more than what is expected of me. I learned the hard way. 

I love you for who you are and thank you for making me who I am today. I may not be successful yet as you want me to be, i am working on that. Hahaha! 

P.s Thank you for all our blooper moments. I promise to remind you of those when the time comes you cannot remember it anymore. Thank you for holding my hand as I cry when the anesthesia was gone and i can feel all the pain and tiredness after giving birth to Aia. That was the best mom and daughter moment for me that i will treasure for the rest of my life. 

Happy birthday, Lola Penny. 

Love, 

Your may pinakamatigas na ulong anak Tey.