Mother Love and a New Blog

The most important woman in most everyone’s lives took center stage this week with our Mother’s Day stories: “Model Mom” by Cherie Moreno-Querol on Cynthia Bonta, the woman who raised the first Fil-Am state legislator in California Rob Bonta; “My Mother, Who Wanted to Live to be 100,” community activist Tessie Zaragoza’s tribute to her dynamic mom, and “Letters to My Parents,” selected essays from Fil-Am youth of Hawaii, winners of the Letters to Our Parents essay contest last year.

Beyond motherhood, we take you back on a nostalgic trip to Escolta in “Street of Faded Glory” by Lou Gopal. We have picked up Lou’s “memory lane” postings from his blogs and, each time, we get a lot of enthusiastic responses from our readers. I’m sure this piece on Manila’s formerly premier street will elicit no less, so keep sharing your personal memories in the comments section at the bottom of the story.

This week, we introduce a new section on our website—my blog on getting to seniorhood, an important rite of passage that draws in millions daily. To access the blog directly at http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/gemma

If you’re a senior or getting close to the age, I hope you enjoy the blog and share your own experiences with me (gemma [at] positivelyfilipino[dot]com) so together we can help each other ride this new reality of being over the hill. It will not be easy (getting old is not for sissies, as the saying goes) but it can definitely be made into the great adventure of our lifetime.

And speaking of seniors, we are re-sharing our publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco’s heart-tugging documentary on Delfin Gonzalez, who turns 100 this year.  

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms, and Happy Older Americans Month to the boomers who are no longer in denial about the age they’re in.