Illustration by Noy Narciso
You always find a way
when everybody else fails to do so
How you humble yourself and ask for help
when we have nothing on the table
or when I don’t have money for school
How you always think of me in every place you go,
even in celebrations I couldn’t attend
So you keep a portion of your food and bring it home
How you never hesitate selling the cow we raised for my graduation
How forgiving you are as a wife and as a mother—
That all, perhaps I could only comprehend when I become one, myself
You always find a way for me, Mama
I may be far yet from where we dreamed to be
But I know I can find my way,
Like you always do.
Jonna Rhen Degamo is a graduate of Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Science at Davao del Sur State College. She has been a literature enthusiast since grade school.