"Ang ganda naman ng boses mo". They whispered.

Whenever I hear this, I am always reminded how blessed I am. Blessed, not because God has gifted me a
voice which I can say, enough to serenade one's hard-to-get heart but blessed, because this voice has the
power to reveal a story - a bitter and sweet story.

Let us taste first the bitter one. I am raised in a family wherein hate, disappointments, and struggles
became a melody. Earlier than the not-so-good greetings coming from our 'manok na pula', I am forced
to leave the bed, wearing the well-rehearsed mask just to at least accomplish a single day with a small
glimpse of hope.

Not all heroes wear capes, some wear sandos - sandos that came from the finest 'ukay-ukay'. How I
loved the times when I was with her - having quality time while meticulously selecting the clothes which
are tantamount to branded and newly-arrived ones in the nearby mall. The feeling was so fulfilling,
especially when I have seen the incomparable smile painted on her angelic face because finally, she got
the sando - in a cheap price but in a priceless prize. The prize of having the moment with his son, the
moment that will never happen again.

The heaven got another angel. The absence of my hero, is the presence of an another hero - the hero in
my father. Today, I live a roller-coaster journey with my father. Of course, life is never easy. There are
times that I cannot afford to sing - I am voiceless, powerless at the same time. I cannot find the very
reason to render even a single line from my favorite song. I cannot no longer get any words that would
speak how beautiful the rendition of a song is. I cannot but that was before - before the moment that I
failed to realize that there is more to life, there is something that the own music has to offer.

The future is now. Enduring all the love and pain has been a sweet symphony in my ears. Letting the days
passed without thinking how to correct what has been done is always good rhythm. The taste of
bitterness in my own cup of success is now changed into happiness, tolerance, and gratefulnesa - virtues
of sweetness, virtues of my late mother which I can say, the virtues that have impact my father's view in
life.

This is not your typical rags-to-riches revelation. If God will let me have one wish - that would be
probably the wish of serenading a song for my mother.

"Ang ganda naman ng boses mo". She will whisper.