| ticletext">There was a time when I thought | | | | and proudly handed her my little gift. Funny. |
| flowers were always attached to a romantic | | | | I would always notice an awkward grin in my |
| gesture. But today, apart from my girlfriend, I | | | | mom’s face when I would give her my |
| always give flowers to my mom. My mom | | | | gift. At the time, I never knew what this meant, |
| always used to say that she will always be my | | | | but at an early age of four, a smile the shape of |
| first girlfriend, and no one else can come before | | | | a reversed coat hanger with the words Very |
| her. I can recall a memorable instance when I | | | | good or How thoughtful are words I |
| treated my mom to a big bouquet of flowers. | | | | always received with glee. |
| The first was back when I was four. We had a | | | | A few years passed and I remember my mom |
| family tradition in the house that my father was | | | | bringing up that memory during dinnertime. Later |
| very particular with. To convince us that the value | | | | on, I found out from her that she didn’t |
| of work was equated to how much we did, my | | | | like the idea of me picking the flowers from the |
| father would give a small incentive for picking out | | | | garden because she was trying to cultivate them. |
| the weeds in the garden. I remember it clearly | | | | It was rather funny - she didn’t want to |
| that for every weed pulled out from the garden, | | | | reprimand me for such a kind gesture, thereby |
| my dad would give five cents. | | | | risking my developing a distorted sense of right |
| That was cold hard cash in the Philippines back in | | | | and wrong. But what can a mother do, alas, but |
| the 80’s. I made sure not to pick the | | | | appreciate this innocent gesture of mine? |
| flowers. Or did I really, because after a while, I | | | | Today, I still give my mom flowers and she still |
| had that bright idea to give a bouquet of | | | | has that smile on her face. The only difference is |
| flowers to my mom. And by a bouquet, I mean a | | | | that now, I do not pick flowers from our garden. |
| fistful of small flowers picked from the orchids in | | | | I send them through a flower delivery service. |
| the garden. After making my delivery of weeds | | | | More importantly, I now know the reason for her |
| to my father and collecting my twenty minutes | | | | awkward smile. |
| worth of pay, I made my way to my mother | | | | |