What Do I Want?

I was at a party recently. I don't normally go to most gatherings that we are invited to, but I always consider a few exceptions.

At the party, one lady was happily sharing with another that she now owns a Louis Vuitton bag. Her son gave it to her. To be honest about it, she asked for it. Hehehe. Well, actually she gave him hints for a long time until he gave in. But honestly, she deserved the gift.

Another woman, sitting nearby, expressed her need to remind her son about a Louis Vuitton bag she had received for her birthday.

I'm not sure if this is typical Filipino culture, but parents strongly suggest that their unmarried adult offspring send their first wage to their parents or even have them build houses.

Some even asked their working children to remit paychecks until they get married. Some just ask for expensive gifts, cruise trips, or an all-expenses-paid vacation abroad.

I was asked, not at this particular party, what I wanted from my daughter since the young lady is earning very well already.

"I'm different than most. I don't want to ask anything that involves spending money. I don't want anything luxurious. I just don't want any of my children to spend on things that honestly aren't a need for me. All I really want from them isn't material. Now that they're older and independent, I just want them to be nicer, to be kinder, to be more considerate and accepting, and to be more giving. I want them to treat all of the people they meet along their journey right. I want them to nurture relationships that matter. I will not be in control of all their actions and decisions outside our home, but I merely want them to embody that they were nurtured by great parents. That is all I want from them. Then for me, even just a stay-at-home mother, and even without having a career, I am genuinely successful."

Mao ra gud pod ang akong gusto. (That's all I really want.) But if the gift is already there, who am I to decline?

But when my kids ask me what I want for my birthday, I honestly do not have an answer. 

Ay! A set of mini cast iron skillets will do. If they insist. 

Ngana lungs! (That's it!)