Living at the Brink of Survival

Life is unfair. It is a sad reality that nobody could escape. It is a fact that no one cannot deny. Rather to accept it as a challenge and most importantly as a blessing; because it is just a simple reminder that the Almighty has chosen you to be recipients of these obstacles in life for you are strong and valiant.

Let me tell you a story of never ending hope, unconditional love and fervent faith of a woman that I know back in my hometown in San Dionisio. Her name is Tina.

Tina is a mother of eight, and a wife of a fisherman and also a drunkard. Her husband’s earnings seem not to surpass the family’s daily needs so Tina is helping in any possible thing, she thinks, she can. In the morning, she gathers sea shells and sea weeds which she sells to the nearby barangays. Tina, also sells, ice candy in the elementary school, from where her students are attending to. In the afternoon, she accepts laundry.

A great hurdle in Tina’s life came when her son was diagnosed with hernia. Hernia is the protrusion of an organ or the fascia of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it. Tina had no choice but to seek help from neighbours and friends. In a hernia operation, one must need around 100,00 pesos, and where on earth could Tina get this amount of money? She made a list of the people who have donated. You know what’s heart wrecking here is? As I see Tina’s list, people just gave her, 20.00 pesos, 5.00 pesos, and worst, 2.00 pesos. Of course, Tina did not complain about this, however, she continued on asking for help until one Good Samaritan answered Tina’s prayers.

Another obstacle came when Tina’s eldest daughter, from whom she thought was working in Manila got married to a man who is somewhat ‘can afford’. Tina didn’t knew this at all. She just learned this through a friend. On the day of the wedding, Tina came, but her daughter rejected her. Her daughter told her husband that it was her “yaya” before. Tina did not say a word and just left.

She said to herself, maybe, she was not good enough for her children to call their mother. Maybe because she was not able to finish her schooling. Maybe because she is just an ordinary housewife and a shell vendor.

I do not know how Tina felt that time, but I know that it really hurts, big time! On the other hand, because of her love to her children, she did not complain.

From then on, I haven’t heard from Tina again, until my younger brother told me that Tina is sitting in at Grade three in the school her where her children is in too and sells at the canteen when break time.

From Tina’s story, reminds me on hat it is to be a mother. Doing whatever you can for your children and never lose faith when problems arise. Her unconditional love for them had pushed her to do more, and to hope for the best. I guess, Tina just reminds me that no matter what happens, education is the best key to survive and the only inheritance a parent could ever give to her children.

No matter how unfair life is, it is for us to know the real meaning of it as we go along in this journey we call, survival. Also, for us to differentiate the meaning of survival, from knowing the true essence of living itself.