‘How does she do it?’
My siblings and I have a lot of fun with our mom, Vicky Pangilinan. She’s the kind of supermom that can be both intense and hilarious. We love to tease her (secretly, when she’s in intense mode), but that might be the way we balance out how we really feel—that, okay fine, she’s the best there is and we are the luckiest kids in the world to have had her and my dad as parents.
Now that I’m a wife and in charge of my own home, there are so many little things that I appreciate and miss about my mom. I miss our morning conversations over coffee where I mostly listen because I know that as a daughter, that’s my job. And I love that job. These days we mostly get to have those talks on video call and even if it’s not the same and not every day, I cherish those times even more.
I miss her cooking because, my goodness, it was amazing and effortless! She could whip up a three-course meal for 10 people at a moment’s notice. Emergency parties, as my dad likes to call them.
How did she do it? How does she do it? I don’t even have kids yet! But yes, my mom could handle anything and everything. She was everyone’s favorite dentist by day, and for over 15 years while we were growing up, she was a performer by night!
Looking back, I can’t explain how she was able to drive us to school, squeeze in a gym session or breakfast, and then head off to work almost daily. But then again, now in her 60s, I still can’t explain how she can manage to wake up and do her YouTube yoga or dance sessions, enjoy her work in her clinic, manage the home with my dad and brother, spend time with her mom who is turning 90 this month, and keep up with her super booked social calendar!
She has been our pillar of support through every phase of our lives, our reliable go-to person for any and every need, and a source of laughter with all her tech challenges and funny little mishaps (don’t worry mom, I won’t elaborate! Haha!). If our dad is our loudest cheerleader, our mom is our most devoted fan. I will never take for granted the blessing of being able to think back to my childhood with fondness and remember parents who were super fun, over-the-top loving and present, even if I know now how hard they were working to build us a life.
One day, I hope I get to do it, too. I hope I get to do life the way my mom did, the way she does now. Because she’s the best there is, and I’m so proud and grateful to be her daughter.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Dr. Vicky Pangilinan, a dentist at St. Luke’s Medical Center QC, is the mother of artist Kara Pangilinan.
