My mother has always been athletic. She was a volleyball spiker in her teens. A tennis player in her twenties. A golfer in her thirties. A bowler in her forties. And she did not just play for recreation. She religiously trained and played to win in competitions, usually reaching the Championships.
I have often wondered where she got all that energy, when she barely eats! She has no favorite food and her motto is “I only eat inorder to live.” Yup. That is my mother—eating only so she could perform her daily activities. She doesn’t eat junk foods nor drink alcohol. A little rice and lots of veggies used to be her food staple.
When people ask her what is her secret for maintaining her 36-27-36 figure she would answer in jest “I cannot maintain my production so I just maintain my figure”. When interviewed what is her secret for not having any maintenance meds, she would boastfully reply—“I am NOT a car. I don’t need maintenance. Just have enough food, enough sleep, enough exercise, enough rest, enough stress, and enough money to last a lifetime.”
My mother is the epitome of clean, healthy living. Yet she could not escape the illness that flows through the veins of her lineage. Last year, she was medically diagnosed to have Alzheimer’s Disease. (My tears are flowing while I am writing this.)
With her failing memory, she instructed me to invite anyone who was still excited to see her on her 90th birthday. Attended by 120 friends, relatives, former Philamlifers, Marbeleños, villagemates, her birthday bash was a Reunion of sorts. Filled with laughter and tears, it was an event no other.
To be continued . . .
