Friday, November 19, 2004

"the chosen one"

last night, i got a call to be a godmother yet again. this time, it's to mike, the16-year old kid who i brought to thailand this summer for CISV. the invitation to stand as a godmother is always an honor and a flattering one. with this one, i know that the choice was his and not his parents'. that made it all the more flattering. he certainly has put a new meaning to my being his "adult leader."

i've made being a ninang a career of sorts. it's not WHO i am but WHAT i am. it's become my given name, not just by my godchildren, but by their siblings, their caregivers, parents and parents' friends as well. my cabinet is stocked with "instant gifts" for ages 0 to 12 year-round. looks like i'll be needing to widen the age range.

mama aly, in her blog honoring me on my birthday (*blush*) wrote:

The honor of being chosen to be godmother is a serious thing. It is usually reserved for very close relatives, people you look up to, and people of stature...

Why does the ninang name stick to her like second skin? Maybe it's because she can fill in a mom's shoe and do everything a mom needs to do (teach, guide, feed, bathe, hug, kiss, spoil, scold)? Maybe it's because she has a rhyme storehouse to mesmerize kids from zero to twenty-one? Or maybe it's her big heart?

i never question why people get me to stand as a ninang or why the kids want me to be theirs. is it because of my gift-giving abilities? my maternal (and yaya) instincts? because i'm a "part-time kid" myself and being so makes me "cool"? i guess we'll just have to ask the lot of them... some 28+ of them.

mama aly was right... being chosen to be a godmother is a serious thing. now, i've got another person (a teenager at that!) looking up to me. ooooh! an image model! do i have stories to entertain him! hahaha! then again, if they can learn from my life story, why not? i certainly have.

kids, it's time to grow up.

2 comments:

sandygirl said...

Uy! Everything you - and alymama - wrote is true. Maswerte nga si Miguel. But if it were up to me, I would re-lawnch you...and for feng shui purposes call you HOT SEXY NINANG. Can you imagine it in the morning? "An hang asa yo hot sexy ninang!" :)

mama_aly said...

Again? The age range is definitely widening. In no time it will be for couples (hehehe) and you'll have to walk down the aisle with a corsage. Better start saving up for your ninang gowns : )