Dear Me, I Will Write--For Mama

January 30, 2010

Dear Me,

It seems as though you’ve lived in the United States for a long time, when in fact, it’s only been less than a year.  And now, you’re into 2010.  You are feeling melancholy as you write this letter because of the current situation with Mama who is fighting a serious illness.  You have to be optimistic that life will be much better this year because it’s the only thing you have: hope.  You should vow to continue to pray for Mama, Papa, baby Paul, and yourself, that may God bless you with the most important gift of all: good health and happiness.  You must also resolve to make this year the best year so far in your life, by making Mama proud of you because she’s the one who first taught you how to read and write.  Without her, you would not be writing this Dear Me letter, because if it had not been for her, you would not be a part of this awesome writing community called Writing.Com .

Early last year you were still living in the Philippines and being ridiculed, taunted and jeered at by other children because you were what people call a bastard child. It hurt so much, but you took it all in without reprisal.  You didn’t want Mama to get upset, so you chose to cry in silence.  It wasn’t her fault that Papa did not know she was pregnant with you.  Remember how you prayed every night that God send Papa to you and marry Mama so the three of you could be one small happy family?  It took years before your prayer was granted, but wasn’t it simply wonderful when it finally happened?  Months later, you were living in America.  You thought it would be the beginning of a good life for you, but it was not to be.

Life in America was very disappointing for a while.  There is a new baby in the family, and you immediately understood what sibling rivalry meant.  You live in the Projects because that’s all your parents could afford.  Worst of all, Papa suffers from an irreversible hearing impairment, and someday he will be totally deaf.  And you thought he was mean to you because he was moody and downright insulting at times.  How you cried when you learned why he was like that--his condition was causing him constant migraine headaches and ear infections.  To make matters worse, he was laid off from work and could not find another job.  It’s all right now because you helped him get a disability benefit from the government.  He’s so proud of you.  Your relationship with him is now loving, and you know he is truly happy that you are in his life.

Your simple fairy tale has come true.  The family is together, and even though you are not rich, you love and understand each other.  You started to write a story about your life, as suggested by Mama. There is a lot in this story that you believe can help many young adults overcome some of their disappointments in life, especially the immigrant children who come to America with the illusions that it will transform their lives instantly for the better. 

There have been some good things that happened to you in 2009, and one of them is being a member of Writing.Com.  Who knew that professional and aspiring authors would be calling you a writer, and a good one at that.  They even critiqued your work and gave you some suggestions for improvement, which you appreciated very much.  You know you have impressed someone when he/she awarded your work with a ribbon of excellence, accompanied by a generous rating of five stars.  And all you did was express how you felt about what was going on in your life.  I guess, if you are honest with what you are writing about, you will get an honest opinion.

There are wonderful people on this site who supported you from the beginning and continue to inspire you and encourage you to keep writing.  You were filled with inspiration that you wrote five chapters in one month; you even thought you could finish your novella before summer ended and school started.  You were wrong. 

Mama becomes ill.  For a long time the doctors could not decipher what was wrong with her; why she was always tired, anemic and nauseous.  She is now on medical leave. You’ve stopped writing because Mama cannot perform her regular chores around the house, not to mention taking care of the baby, so you’ve been doing it for her.  You’re exhausted at the end of the day, and you still have to do your homework.  Sometimes you fall asleep with your face on your books, and Papa would carry you to your bed.  The following day, everything starts all over again.

Life is full of trials and tribulations.  You believe you are a survivor with a strong determination to overcome any roadblock to your future success.  You write this letter as a testament to this.  You will make Mama proud for a long time because you feel it in your heart that she will get better; once she does, she will demand that you continue writing your novella.  And that, dear me, you will do.  And you will get it published…for Mama. 

This is your New Year’s Resolution.  Next year, you will look back at this and smile, then you will write a new “Dear Me” letter with a new and bigger goal.

Dearly,

Me


(Word count: 930)