What we mothers say are surely imprinted in our childrens’ minds.
It may be because their formative years are mostly spent with us.
And also between ” them- dads ” and ” us-moms “, mothers remain the Speaker of the House.
Since repetition is one form of memorization, my mother’s words resonate in my ears like she uttered them just yesterday.
And besides, my mom is just the queen of idiomatic expressions and quotations.( may it be an original of hers or quotations by other people.)
So this year, I will not let mother’s day pass by, without enumerating my mom’s common or I guess, ” kumon” words, in bisaya, tagalog and english.
The mastery of mom’s quotations begins:
1. ” Unsa pay gihuwat ninyo, Pasko? “
” Ano pa ang hinihintay nyo, Pasko? ” ” What are you waiting for, Christmas? “
2. ” So luoy na gyud ka sa imong pamati? Magpasalamat ka sa imong kahimtang, kay kung naa pay higayun, daghan makig baylo nimo ug lugar. Mas daghan pa luoy nimo.”
Filipino: ” At iniisip mong nakaka awa kang talaga? Magpasalamat ka pa sa sitwasyon mo, kasi madaming pa ring may gustong maki pag palit sa ‘yo ng pwesto.”
English: You think you really are that pitiful? Be thankful of your situation, for given a chance, many would willingly trade places with you. Many are more pitiful than you are.”
3. ” Dili jud ka makakita sa imong gipangita kay baba imong gi gamit ug pangita, kung mata pa imong gigamit …”
F:” Hindi mo talaga makikita yung hinahanap mo, kasi bibig mo yung ginagamit sa paghahanap, eh kung mata sana ginamit mo…”
E: ” You will never find what you are looking for because you are using your mouth to look for it, if you should just use your eyes…”
( this usually is, what she says, everytime we misplaced something. And before we actually begin to look for what was lost , we already say ” mom, where is the…I can’t find it.”)
4. ” Kanang upat nako nga lihok, isa palang ang inyo.”
” Apat na yung nagawa ko, isa palang sa inyo.”
“I have already done around four things, while you have only made one.”
( this usually pertains to household chores.)
5. ” Walay mang daug daug kung walay magpa daug daug.”
” Walang nangaapi kung walang magpapa api.”
” There are no bullies, if no one will allow himself to be bullied.”
6. ” Ayaw igna, ” housewife, lang ko ” kay naa nay nahimong presidente pareha nimo.”
” Wag mong sabihing ” housewife, lang ako” , kc may naging presidente na, na tulad mo.”
” Dont say, ” I am a housewife, only ” , for someone just like you was made president.
( pertaining to Pres. Cory Aquino)
7. ” Tulog pa mo, taas na ang adlaw. Nag pa itcha itcha karon ug kwarta sa gawas, walay inyo”. “
” Tulog pa kayo, mataas na ang araw. Nag pa agaw ng pera ngayon sa labas, wala kayong makuha “.
” You are still asleep when the sun is already up. If someone threw away money outside, you will not be around to get any. “
8. ” Pangaon na mo, kay abtik pa ang iring ninyo.”
” Kumain na kayo, mabilis pa tung pusa sa inyo.”
” Start eating already, the cat is way quicker than you guys.” ( in grabbing food that is.)
9. ” Nganong kung suguon, mag pabungol bungol? Pero ug mu hunghong kog ice cream, makadungog man lagi.”
” Bakit kung utusan kayo, nagbibingibingihan, pero kung ibulong ko ” ice cream “, naririnig nyo naman.
” If I send you for errands, you seem to turn deaf, but if I whisper, ” ice cream “, you hear me, alright.”
10. ” Kung kana inyong gi ingkod ingkod, gi lihuk pa na ninyo, ni abot namo sa inyong adtu an, unya basig naka balik na mo dinhi sa ginika nan.”
” Yang inupo upo nyo dyan, kung ikinilos nyo lang yan, nakarating na sana kayo sa inyong paroro-onan at malamang naka balik na dito sa pinang galingan.”
” If the time you spent sitting down was instead spent on moving and doing something, then you might have already reached your destination and might have also gone back here, in your point of origin.”
12.” Ang dakong sala sa pagminyo unya dili mo pareho andam, kay ang gutumon ninyo ang mga bata nga ihatag sa Ginoo ninyo.”
” Ang malaking kasalanan sa pag aasawa, na pareho pa kayong hindi handa, ay yung gugutumin ninyo ang mga batang ibibigay ng Diyos sa inyo.”
” The greatest sin committed in getting married when both of you are still not ready, is to starve the children that God will entrust to you.”
13. ” Ayaw ug reklamo nga hinay ug pangsabot ang katabang, kay kung sobra iyang ka bright ug genius pa na sya, di nag doktor nalang sya. Hinaya, tarunga ug klaruha imong sugo.”
” Wag ka magreklamong mahina ang pagintindi ng katulong, kc kung sobrang talino at genius pa sya , eh di nagduktor na lang sana sya. Ibigay mo ng maayos, mabagal at malinaw ang utos mo.”
” Do not complain if the househelp seem slow to understand because if she was too bright and quite a genius then she should have been a doctor by now. So give your instructions, properly, clearly and slowly.”
14. ” Sa kinabuhi, mas tagaan ug daghan pabor sa lain tawo ang mga gipanganak na daan na nga:
extremely wealthy.
extremely beautiful. ( mau na ang mga artista )
extremely talented. ( pareho anang mga singer. )
born an athlete ( kana si Pacquiao.)
a genius . ( kanang mga inventor. )
And they can start working from there.
Unya kay dili man ta ingon ana, mas labaw ta maningkamot.”
” In life, the people that other people give favors more are those who are BORN :
extremely wealthy.
extremely beautiful. (the celebrities)
extremely talented. ( the talented singer. )
born an athlete, (Manny Pacquiao.)
a genius . ( the inventors. )
And they can start working from there.
and since we are not born like that, then we should strive harder.”
15. ” Kintahay, karon pa sila masuko nga ignan sila murag nawong ug kwarta nga gibaligya man nila ilang boto.”
” Ngayon pa sila magalit nuong sinabihan sila ng mukhang pera ,eh ibinenta naman nila boto nila.”
” So it is only now that they would get angry to those who call them gold digger, when they actually sold their votes.”
16. ” Karon kanang Facebook mau nay nakaingon sa tanan…. unya dili ra ba ko balo mu tuslok.”
” Yang Facebook ang dahilan ng lahat…tapos di pa ako marunong mag pinondot nyan.”
” And Facebook is the cause of it all…and I still do not know what keys to press.”
17. ” Ipang andam na na inyong mga butang sa gabi- i palang aron dili magkarag karag ug dali dali sa buntag nga murag mga wati. “
” Ihanda nyo na yung mga gamit nyo sa gabi pa lang, para hindi na natataranta at magmamadali sa umaga na parang mga bulate. “
” Prepare the things you need the night before so you wont panic and be in a hurry in the morning, just like worms.”
18. ” Mu ingkod mo unya muatubang sa la misa nga wala pay pagkaon naka bayang , mupiyong, manguros ug mangaji? Unya inig abre sa inyong mata, naa nay pagkaon diha sa inyong atubang?
Kung mutabang kaha mo ug bayang?
” Uupo kayo sa harap ng lamesang wala pang laman, nakapikit ang mata, mag ko Krus, magdadasal? Tapos pagbukas ng mga mata nyo , andyan na yung pagkain sa harap nyo?
Eh kung tumulong kaya muna kayo sa paghain ng pagkain sa la mesa?”
” You sit in front of an empty table, close your eyes, make the sign of the cross, pray. And when when you open your eyes , you expect food to appear in front of you?
Shouldn’t you be helping first in setting the table?”
19. ” Ayaw pag palit ug mahal nga dulaan, unya sayangan ka nga gub on sa imong anak, bata na, unya dulaan ra na.
Most of the richest people on this planet are toymakers..kay daghan bata nga magsigeg guba dulaan ug daghan ginikanan sigeg palit dulaan. “
” Wag kang bumili ng mamahalin na laruan at paghihinayangan mo na sinira ng anak mo, bata sya, at laruan lang yan. Most of the richest people on this planet are toymakers..kasi maraming bata ang nakakasira ng laruan at madaming magulang ang bili ng bili.”
” Do not buy expensive toys if you regret having bought it while your child destroys it. Most of the richest people on this planet are toymakers…because many children keep on breaking their toys and lots of parents keep buying toys.”
20. And my personal favorite which my mom says, would be that quote from Elaine Cuneta to her daughter Sharon.
” madami pang mas matalino dyan, madaming mas magaganda dyan, madaming mas magagaling na singer at madaming mas magaling umarte pero ikaw yung naging megastar, kaya tutuong biyaya talaga ng Panginoon and lahat, kaya sabi ko sa kanya (Sharon ) lagi dapat araw araw ka magpasalamat. “
Mom always use this quote on us because she would remind us constantly to keep our feet on the ground.
It is because firstly we are not extremely beautiful, intelligent nor talented nor are our parents wealthy, so it must only be God’s grace that placed us where each of us are now.
So we should always thank Him daily for that.
And some of her favorite quotations that is heard in our household when the need arises:
1.) ” Choose your battles , so you will win your war.” ( my fave to date.)
2.) ” All is well and wisely put.”
3.) ” When it rains, it pours.”
4.) ” Use your head!”
( “Mau na nga gibutang sa Ginoo ang ulo sa pinaka taas sa atong lawas aron dili malimtan nga gamiton.” )
( “That is why God placed it there on top of our bodies, so we will always remember to use it.”)
5.) ” Know your prefix, suffix, root word and usage.”
( ” If you know the beginning, the end, the source and how it was used in the sentence, then you most likely know the meaning of the word without even consulting a dictionary.” )
6.) ” One word is enough for a wise man.”
7.) Nobody dies for you, Johnny!
8.) ” A place for everything and everything in its place”
-She loves using this Benjamin Franklin quote on us.
9.) ” I wasn’t born yesterday.”
This she says when we tell her a fabulous tale to bail ourselves out.
10.) ” Live free or die trying.”
11.) ” When push comes to shove.”
12.) ” Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
( ” So do not even think you will be able to make GREAT things hurriedly and without hardwork.”)
And now that my son is four, I hear myself saying things like,
” Don’t test my patience, Rafa.”
” Help yourself, nobody will do it for you.”
And
” Pick up and pack away your toys or they will truly walk away and find themselves a new owner, who will really take good care of them.”
( of which my son will answer with a look of utter amazement.)
Some things remain the same.
Happy Mother’s Day to our Mom!
HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY TO ALL MOTHERS, MAY OUR WORDS EMPOWER, ENRICH, INFORM AND AMAZE OUR CHILDREN.
AND MAY WE SPEAK ALWAYS OF GOD, LOVE, FAMILY AND HUMOR.
