Unsent Mother's Day messages: #SanaMa, napasaya kita

For Mother's Day,  GMA Public Affairs produced a #DigiDokyu series that gives people a chance to share messages for their moms that they can no longer send. 

In 2012, John Brandon Basalo's mother made a choice — for herself and especially for her children. John's father had been using drugs for months and, on top of wasting the family's money, he also became abusive.

"For months, lumipas ‘yun until my mom, she decided na umalis na lang," John said. 

"I thought it was a very brave decision. Kasi kahit na hindi niya alam kung ano ‘yung mangyayari sa amin, kahit wala siyang masyadong pera noon, she had hope na [maaahon] niya kami sa paghihirap."

It wasn't easy. In her desperation to land a job, John's mom would sleep right outside the building. She was determined to provide for her family and finally, her luck improved and she got hired as a call center agent. 

She was happy making her kids happy. "There was this one time na pumunta kami ng Subic Manila. Nagbakasyon kami doon. First time na nakumpleto kaming tatlo ng kapatid ko. ‘Yun ‘yung pinakamasayang time na nakita ko siya," John shared.

She looked wistful, John added, like she wanted to capture the moment in amber — a perfectly preserved, blissful moment with her family. She wanted nothing more than to spend time her kids and, like all good moms, she wanted to make life as comfortable as possible for them. 

John recalled a day when he was supposed to pick up his sister. He had fallen asleep and his mother, wanting to let him rest, didn't wake him. "Pag-uwi ng nanay ko, kasi night shift siya sa call center, nakita niya na tulog pa ako siguro naawa siya na pagod ako sa school. Siya na ‘yung nagsundo sa kapatid ko," he said. 

A knock on the door woke him this fateful day and he was told, "Si mama may nangyari sa kanya."

His mother had suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and after three weeks in the hospital, she passed away. 

John's message to his mom:

Sana Ma, I made you more happy noong nandun ka pa. Sana I still have a chance to have you by my side.

He said he was angry — at himself, at his father... and even at his mother. "Galit ako sa sarili ko at medyo galit ako sa kanya kasi hindi niya naabutan ‘yung time na kaya ko na siyang suportahan, kaya na niyang magpahinga na hindi na niya kami inaalala," he shared.

But John said he wants to learn from his mother — a brave, strong woman. She taught him, by example, to be more patient and forgiving. — AT, GMA News