Message to a Quarter of a Century and a Year Older Mother

The pilot episode of the Level-Up Brotherhood Salutations series of 2011. 

Since you are now officially a quarter of a century and a year older, I thought it would be nice to spruce up my normal birthday greeting to the first 2011 birthday celebrant of the Brotherhood (and since I have nothing going on in my life right now Haha). Forgive me if I have chosen the worst of your pictures, as those are the only pictures I have of you; so I really didn't have much of a choice. You’re always the one taking our photos, ergo kami ang camwhores ikaw ang camera man. Seriously, that’s what we love about you; how you always selflessly put others’ need to become vain first before your own. You were always the silent one in our group, yet without you we wouldn’t feel and be complete. You are, as your name suggests, a wall flower...well a cosplaying, stat-abhoring, well-opinionated wall flower that is.

Forgive my lack of artistic vision. LOL. I never said I was an artist. I thought the perfect gift would be to put your pictures over the years for us and for all people to see how you’ve grown (or not) and matured in a short period of time. It was fun making the collage as I get to laugh at how a few things never changed between us and you. As you can see from the photos, some things about you didn’t change. Like the fact that you haven’t grown an inch vertically, that your eye bags never really went away and that mataba pa din ang pisngi mo. ever. In a span of 7 years, the only thing that grew are your biceps. Well that and your tummy too. Joke. XD

Looking through all of our photos, it was amusing to see how you have progressed from our Take 2 Math 17 classmate (circa 2004) into becoming a working individual, to becoming a full-time mom. A mom to a wonderful baby boy. A lot has in fact changed over the past years. There are times that I still couldn’t believe that the same girl who 7 years ago kept asking me incessantly if she can keep my Ragnarok poster, is now responsible for caring another human life. I myself and the Brotherhood couldn’t be prouder.

Today on your 26^th birthday, I give a toast to all your achievements. Although at times you might feel that you haven’t accomplished enough in your life, I say this: we were all witnesses on how you have triumphed over your father’s disease, family quarrels and crying boyfriends. Our yahoo thread grew witness on how you’ve overcame your battle with your never-ending statistic subjects, your sorrows over DPSM and your (I’m sorry OUR) turbulent academic life. We were there and we saw how you were able to get past the anxiety that you felt when you were first starting out in your career.  We were there when you were able to get up after your heart got broken. And the most important of all your achievements, you gave life to another human being. Another human being, can you imagine how big that was? Although scared and unprepared as you might have been, you faced it head on. And you are still here. You were invincible and you always will be. And now look at what you have, an adorable baby boy that has become dear to everyone in your life. If that’s not the greatest achievement ever then I don't know what is.

There are a lot of adversities that you still have to face in the future, like the unfinished academic endeavours you, I’m sorry we, still have for ourselves. I’m sure we will be able to live our promise of finishing school someday. Remember, we made a commitment na kahit tanders na tayo tatapusin natin ang laban, para kay bebi?  With all confidence I believe in that. There is also the never ending job of being a mom and caring for a kid. I don’t know how that works really (since wala pa akong anak) and I know at this point, everything is still new to you and Paul but eventually you two will be able to figure it out. Never ever for second think that you’re not a good mother, because you are.You have been through so much in the past that you will be able to accomplish anything now. You've been broken numerous times, we know, we saw it, but for everytime you fell down you dusted yourself off, put your glasses back on and got right back on track. Like with all sh*t life threw at you before, you’ll get past everything with calm and grace as you have always done so in the past.

 As cliché as a song lyrics sound, I’d like to remind you that we are always here. XD Maybe not physically but we always have our special YM thread naman. You know you can always share what’s on your mind with us. No matter how stupid you think it is (wag lang programming at math ‘te. Alam mong ikamamatay namin ‘yan), we would gladly listen and make non-sense intellectual ramblings about it, but, at the end of the day we are here to love you. We have always done so in the past 7 years. We’re your friends. It’s in our job descriptions.

So to you Ivy, a toast!

A woman of great compassion.

A resilient and loyal friend.

And a great mother.

Happy happy birthday to you dear brethren.

We love you.

Your intellectual non-sense friends,

The Brotherhood

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Photos credits courtesy of anonymous cell phones, digital cameras and years of camwhoring.

Photo editing care of www.picknik.com. The poor man’s free online adobe photoshop

Collage theme provided by http://www.photovisi.com. The collage maker for the artistically-challenged.
and for hosting the web image of the collage, www.photobucket.com.

Edit: Since the site won't let me upload a bigger version of the picture, the resolution above would do.

If you want to download the collage in full resolution the url is:

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg200/onins15/randomstuffings/HAPPY26THBIRTHDAYIVY.jpg?t=1300821493