Unless you are full, you cannot feed the hungry. Unless you are strong, you cannot help the weak. Unless you are taken care of, you cannot look after the needs of others. You cannot give what you do not have, or so I thought.

Going back to Manila the day after visiting the tombs of my grandparents this recent All Souls Day, one woman sat across my seat in a P2P bus with her two children, a boy that is around three years of age and an infant who is carefully wrapped in her arms. The baby cried immediately the moment they positioned themselves and the little boy was of no help as he displayed fit of anger since he cannot get his own way over something. The woman, who seems like in chaos accidentally dropped the baby bottle’s cap as she hurriedly pulled it from her bag to tame the wailing and the uneasiness of her child. The discomfort of the older one, on the other hand, was stopped in a little while after she handed the biscuit and told him that it’s the last piece they got so he has to cautiously hold it.

Then there was silence. All I heard was the sound of the baby who is getting a good mouthful of milk seconds after the disorder. Not too long, the toddler asked questions to the woman and as she tries to answer the best of what she can, I could not keep myself from eavesdropping despite feeling drowsy and my eyes being half asleep.

In their conversation, I found out that they came from the father’s tomb who just passed away recently. The mother, who seems like talking to an adult, narrated to the little boy the struggles she is facing every single day in coping up with the loss of her husband and the plans she has in mind on how she will raise the two. Her words of assurance to the boy’s good future warmed my heart as all I could hear was an affection of a mother’s love in spite of her sad situation. What I perceived to be a pitiful story ended up to be an inspiring one.

The boy offered the last portion of the biscuit upon hearing her mother’s tummy acting up but the mother told him to finish it and she will eat something later instead. “Isusubo mo na lang, ibibigay mo pa,” this is by far the most selfless act a mother can manifest her endearment to her children. I am grateful I have one.

Unless you are inspired, you cannot give inspiration to others. Unless you are motivated, you cannot motivate others. Unless you are loved, you cannot show love to others. I used to believe in the saying that you cannot give what you do not have until I met this woman and reminded myself that a mother’s love is different: that you can inspire others, motivate others and show some love to others regardless of your circumstances, that you can actually offer something even if you are lacking, that you can actually give even if you do not have.