Mahirap para kay Grace Guinto na salubungin ang Mother's Day. Limang taon ng ganito ang pakiramdam niya.
"We lost our mum to cancer. She had come to visit me in [Los Angeles] when I was still living there and, woke up with what we thought was the onset of a heart attack. But what she eventually got diagnosed with was gall bladder cancer," saad niya
Mabilis ang panahon mula ng diagnosis ng ina niyang si Corazon hanggang siya'y yumao. Hindi pa talaga naiintindihan ni Grace ang sakit ng kanyang ina, ngayo'y kailangan niya ng tanggapin na wala na siya.
"Being the ate, the older sister in the family, a lot was on me to try to navigate through the uncertainty of her having cancer and life without her," aniya.
Ngunit habang kinakailangang maging matatag ni Grace para sa kanyang mga kapatid, naramdaman din niya na kailangan niyang bigyang pugay ang kanyang Corazon, ang kanyang inang yumao.
"Being the ate, the older sister in the family, a lot was on me to try to navigate through the uncertainty of her having cancer and life without her." Source: Grace Guinto
Gamit ang Instagram, gumawa si Grace ng una niyang account na pinangalanan niyang 'Corazon's Kitchen Chronicles'. Dito niya ibinahagi at pinagmalaki ang mga lutuin ng kanyang ina at, ang kanyang sariling kultura bilang Pilipino.
"The first imagery [is] an image of my mother laughing outside in her dirty kitchen which many Filipino households in Australia may have. It’s a kitchen where we cook our tuyo [dried fish] and all other items that kind of smell when we cook it. I think [it was] when I came to visit her from my time in the States and I asked ma, I'm really craving your ukoy [papaya and prawn fritters]. When I captured that moment with her, I never thought that would end up being such an inspiring moment of my life," aniya.
Mula sa pagkakataong ito, nabuo ang 'Corazon's Kitchen Chronicles' at ang 'Sweet Cora Cakes', isang negosyo na pag-aari ni Grace na naka-pokus sa pagmamahal niya para sa kanyang pamilya at para sa pagkaing Pinoy.
"When I captured that moment with her, I never thought that would end up being such an inspiring moment of my life." Source: Grace Guinto
Gamit ang mga proyektong ito, nabubuhay muli ang mga payo sa kanya ng kanyang ina noon.
"[She would always say] don’t worry. I'm only a phone call or email away. And if you need a reminder from me, just cook the recipes that I taught you at the time you were still with me," saad niya.
Kapag wala sa Grace sa kusina, ang nagbibigay ng lakas sa kanya ay ang mga salitang iniwan sa kanya ng kanyang ina.
"She had a little book that she took to chemo where she would write down her thoughts. One of the sentences [she wrote down on a piece of paper] was 'Life is unfair but it’s still good.' When I think about that, it’s everything that she taught me. You know, life is still good. It may not be fair, but it's still good. We're still here,' aniya.
At habang wala na si Corazon, nagpapatuloy ang alaala niya sa mga sulat-kamay na recipe na iniwan niya sa kanyang mga anak, sa pagmamahal ng kanyang pamilya, at sa 2-taong gulang na apo niyang si Stella Cora na ipinangalan sa kanya.
Corazon lives on in the handwritten recipes she left her children. Source: Grace Guinto
"Every time I cook in the kitchen with her now, it evokes the happiness and memories I shared with my mother. What was lost in her passing has now been resurrected in the new experiences I’m able to enjoy with my daughter in the kitchen," saad ni Grace.
Mag-iiba ang pighati at ang kalungkutan ay mababawasan. Magpapatuloy ang buhay; ngunit, hindi mawawala ang pakiramdam ng kawalan. Hindi magbabago ang pagmamahal.
"[My daughter is] named Stella Cora [in memory of mum]. [When] I cook in the kitchen with her, it evokes the happiness and memories I shared with my mother." Source: Grace Guinto
"I’m so thankful that I have this opportunity to just tell people how awesome my mum was. In everything that I do, it’s all for her. She’s inspired me in life and in death. I do hope that everyone who is lucky enough to have their mother here, to take that moment to thank her and give her the massive hug she deserves," aniya.
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