Blogs from Jupiter

I feel terrible today. I have a backache, headache and been moving around. No fever, no flu, just this awful feeling. I was supposed to go to the office this weekend. Good thing it rained coz if not for the rain, I would have gone to the office as I need a lot of catching up with my paper work.   

Called my mama to visit me in the dormitory. And as usual, she was ready with her usual home remedy, which my grandmama passed on to her daughters and granddaughters. She started with the traditional cupping or the "bentusa". Cotton strips inside glasses were set afire and placed on my back. The sucking feeling of the glass was a bit painful but soothing. I could feel cold sweat coming out of my skin pores. After 30 minutes of transferring sets of glasses from one portion of my back to another, my mama started the part, which I dread the most, the traditional massage or "hilot". Undergoing the hilot is no pleasurable experience compared to other forms of massage. It only targets certain portions of the body. Mama massaged that portion of my back that aches the most. So the tendency is to have that problem portion undergo more pain making it feel more bruised.

But the bruised feeling was only for awhile, and my back was already ok. Then she proceeded with massaging my head. She said I had high blood and she advised me to take some more sleep. Surprisingly, there were no herbal concoctions. Instead, she gave me her Calcibloc, and soda for my LBM. After eating lunch, which my baby brother bought, I doze off as mama advised. While asleep, mama cleaned our dormitory, and would check me every now and then.

At around four in the afternoon, mama was done. She has to go coz she still has to pass by her office and go home early as papa was not feeling well as well. She brought with her our dirty clothes, which she will wash this Sunday. She’ll be back to check us again on Monday or early Tuesday, and with her, are our clean laundry.

My mama is one great mama. Juggling home and work, and making both ends meet. Despite the ups and downs, and the things she went through, life is still good and positive. She continues to be a good example to us all.