The Mommy Book

     It was only a few more weeks left 'till Christmas and I wondered how my grandmother would have felt after reading my history papers.          I suppose she was my first nanny second only to my Mom.            I remember her crinkled smiling face, her tobacco-chewing mouth. She cured my wounds with guava leaves. She boiled them before applying and she cooked and maybe helped with laundry.            Maybe my sister Jo Ann remembers my Lola better. What I remember more is my Auntie's Mom.            Maybe my parents were forced to get a divorce. Our neighbors thought we were too noisy.            But Daddy showed by example. Mama became a Martha, trying her hardest to fit in.            Maybe I was a younger Mary, silently watching.            This Christmas, hopefully after the mayhem of COVID and past wars, let us try to be kind.            Grandmothers might be hard of hearing, might be depressed and sinking in their thoughts.            So if granny refuses to eat,

Update:  Okay, so I re-read this in 2020 and I admit it didn't sound right - for those with other things in mind.  This article was meant to be satirical.  Please try to remove any form of malice?  All in the name of fun please.  Much thanks!  And terms that might connote negativity in American setting was not meant to be so by this writer who is a Filipina mother.  Peace :)  We all start our year with resolutions right?   Well now that the first quarter is over, it is time to do a little assessment.   I did mine, so before I make any more false promises to myself, I have identified my top three new year’s resolutions that I KNOW won’t work this year. Number One – Diet I already know what I need to do to lose weight – eat more fruits, exercise, reduce consumption of rice, don’t drink creamy coffee, and don’t eat too many sweets.   I know all that, I just don’t do all that.      Sweets follow me wherever I go.  How can I say no? Let’s face it.   I love to do the