Women of strength and substance
THIS week, we feature three admirable women who have, at some point in their colorful lives, experienced failed relationships, raising their children all by themselves. One continues to be an inspiration to women who choose to remain single, and two of them eventually found love again, enjoying the bliss and happiness they deserve.
At a time when the world seems to have more unanswered questions, we take our hats off to the likes of Coney Reyes, Tessie Tomas and Joyce Ann Burton who remain kind, faithful, tough, steadfast and irrepressible.
Actress Coney Reyes does not mind if the younger generation would refer to her as “the mother of the cute Pasig City mayor.” “I am really happy that I have raised my children well, with God-centered lives and Christian values that they carry on as they pursue their respective dreams and careers.”
A single mom after a failed marriage to her basketball player husband, Reyes’s second attempt on romance with a popular TV host was also short-lived. But she learned to carry on, with her very strong faith serving as her compass in many of her major life decisions.
Still lovely at 66, Reyes would, from time to time, accept acting jobs. Her television followers are glad to see her again in the GMA daily series Love of My Life. In this soap, she plays an overbearing mom who is both belligerent and pugnacious toward her son’s wife. “I’m not as strict to my own children as I was before, you know, when they were young and growing up. I’d like to think that they have all matured and have become responsible individuals,“she volunteered.
Reyes is aware of the risks involved about working during these dangerous times. “We have to do what we have to do. We should still be productive. We just have to be extra careful. We have to keep fit and healthy, physically and mentally. Of course, I think about my children a lot and when I am feeling anxious, I turn to prayer knowing that God will protect us and keep us safe.”
Thespian Tessie Tomas had to reschedule her flight to Manila early this month because of the lockdown in the UK, where she and her marine biologist husband Roger Pullin relocated two years ago.
Now based in the Isle of Man, Tomas takes two trips back to the Philippines annually to be with her ailing 92-year-old mom, radio icon and actress Laura Hermosa, currently battling renal complications due to her advanced age in Tomas’s Makati condo.
“It breaks my heart that I have to wait a little longer to be with my mother,“she told me in a recent chat. “I miss her so much, and I can’t wait to be with her again. Hopefully, I’ll be back in Manila in mid February.”
Tomas admits that winter in the Isle of Man isn’t helping at all. “We are on a stricter lockdown because of the new variant of the virus. And the number of cases continues to escalate, so it is really is something we cannot help but worry about. Then the freezing temperature doubles the anxiety and sadness. I’m just glad that my dear husband Roger is always by my side, and does little things to cheer me up whenever I feel down. I am thankful for that.”
From time to time, Tomas also worries about her only son Robin, who has been living in New York for many years now, married to his lawyer-hubby John. “I hope the new administration over there would give hope for a safer, healthier United States.”
Tomas turned 70 last November without much fanfare, largely because of the safety and health protocols around the globe. “I would’ve had a big party in Manila but maybe I can celebrate it this year, because I really miss family and friends in the Philippines!” Tomas also keeps busy by doing her weekly vlog, called Tess Tube, to keep abreast with the changing times.
Beauty queen-turned-host and actress Joyce Ann Burton is also one resilient woman. It is not easy to be separated from those she holds dear, especially during these times when global health is being relentlessly challenged.
Burton is based in Manila with her husband Ron Titular with their pack of dogs while her two young adult children Wolf and Diandra are living in the US. Her 80-year-old mother Delia is in a care home in Texas. “I am just thankful that modern technology allows us to communicate clearly with our loved ones despite distance. That’s why I seize every chance I get to do video calls with them.”
A regular host of The 700 Club, Burton is also very active on social media where she posts her long-distance activities with her mom. Her goal is to bring her mom back to the Philippines when travel restrictions are lifted and when there are potent medical solutions to the ongoing pandemic.
Burton was also supposed to travel to the United States in last year to witness the wedding of her daughter but the lockdown prevented that from happening. “There were many cancellations and changes in plans, but we just have to accept and put everyone’s health and safety above everything else.”
A prayerful woman, Burton had her own ups and downs, and most recently a big medical scare when she tested positive for the virus. Already discharged from the hospital, she is regaining back her stamina and strength as each day passes. “I take it a day at a time, and face every challenge that comes my way with faith and prayers.” Burton also experienced flooding in their Marikina abode when Typhoon Ulysses hit hard. But like always, rooted in faith and love, they survived, totally unscathed, with only a few damaged items.