PROUD MOMENT
Ihave a colleague who has six children, three girls and three boys. Marga documents everything her kids do: from a simple dinner they had to more memory-worthy milestones like band recital or a championship match. Every weekend, she takes a mandatory photo of all six kids after Sunday dinner and posts it on social media. Half the time the kids look happy, and half the time they don’t. I constantly tease Marga and call her an annoying mom, because kids don’t want their photo taken all the time. More than that, I never really understood why she spends so much time trying to be a super mom when she can be a normal, steady, cool mom
who lets her kids be. Then I realized, seeing her kids alive on the daily and doing what they love is her proud moment. No explanation needed.
Marga’s son is a straight-A student at a top university, her two daughters are the It-girls in school and are fantastic at dance. Her two boys are starters for the football team, the latter is the team captain of NCR who competed in Palarong Pambansa in Davao, and finally, her youngest child is a multi-hyphenate who excels in sports, school, and is the most sociable eight-year-old I’ve met. If I had these kids, I would be proud every single minute, too.
My friend is an editor by day, a DJ on some nights, and a drag queen once a month. Angelo is great with words and has written some of the most beautiful prose I’ve ever read. If I need someone to write my biography, I would dial his digits right away. To be an excellent writer though, you would need talent, a wealth of experience, wisdom and yes, some peppering of pain or struggle. Angelo is very much the textbook definition of this as a creative and a Gemini. His moods switch faster than a swinging pendulum, he takes eons to reply to messages, he is awake at night when it is silent and asleep on mornings when the world is moving in the forward direction. He doesn’t speak or express himself verbally and prefers the confines of his social media network. Overt, cryptic, direct or discreet, you will get the gamut of words from Angelo on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook on what he is really feeling. Sometimes, I find it hard to be his friend if I’m being honest, because I don’t know if I’ll get Inspired-I’m-Going-To-Be-A-Superstar-Angelo or if I’ll get I’m-A-Debbie-Downer-And-I-Want-TheEarth-To-Swallow-Me-Up-Angelo. No, Angelo is not a bad person, far from it. He is, in fact, someone who is unique. When the LGBTQ+ club in BGC, Nectar, opened its doors to amateur drag queens, Angelo signed up and blossomed into this confident, no-holdsbarred performer. To me, it was a proud moment for a friend who finally could be himself, say anything ,and split anytime he wanted without being ostracized or judged. He didn’t have too be too pretty or too perfect, he just had to be himself. Okurrr Mama Ru, thank you goes to you for inspiring so many gay men to be themselves and have fun.
Have you ever made a decision, but changed your mind because someone gave you their piece of advice? Have you every wanted something, but didn’t go for it because you were scared? Have you ever stayed silent because you were too shy to say what you think even if you know you are right? No matter how big or small, serious or not, stop living in fear. Like my friends, only when you do you, unapologetically, can you have a proud moment every day of your life. Come on, don’t be shy, what is your proud moment?