Saint Marys University

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

School of Education
Creative Writing
Claudine M. Tabora
BSEd English 4
Essay 2

March 7, 2014
Wisdom in Every Gray

Stereotypical, red tape and simply corny, these are the probable comments which will come to
mind when reading essays about parents. The never ending quotations about them being heroes,
paragons of virtue, living, breathing angels and role models are few of the thousands if not millions of
essays, poems and odes written for parents and guardians. This paper is not an argumentative essay to
oppose all those essays. This paper presents a perspective about the essence of grandparents. As they say
parenting does not come with a handbook, manual or directives and becoming a parent is easy, staying a
parent is work and becoming a good parent is a probable miracle. The miracles made by my
grandmother.
My grandmother, lola Librada Nene Tabora, formerly Ms. Batumbakal, is a 90-year-old
widow of Mr. Florentino Tabora. She hailed from Cabanatuan city and was born on October 9, 1923.
Currently, she is living at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya. She has four children namely; Gilda T. Valencia,
Alejandro N. Tabora, Manuel N. Tabora and Jose N. Tabora. My lolo and lola was able to raise four
children through their hardwork and determination. They sent them to school and all their children were
able to complete a degree.
Lola Nene is a quiet, gentle and loving person. She is culinary expert as well as having the
natural talent for gardening, sewing and singing. I learned the meaning of creativity through her as an
example. She had her share of ups and downs life as she did not finish high school because of the
Second World War. However, her interest of reading, writing and the arithmetic was inherent and she
was able to teach herself and fill the lapses. She was the former treasurer of the Senior Citizens
Association, Catholic Womens League and the Good Samaritan. We share the same love for literature as
until this time she still read pocket books, magazines and newspapers. Her resilience, strength and faith
were again strengthened when two of her children died. She did not waver, instead she stood firm in
guiding us.
When my dad died, lola showed me that its okay to show grief but we must be selfless and let
go. Lola once said that her love for her children will never grow old, break down nor waver as with her
love for her grandchildren. She is the type of person wherein everything done for her deserves a thank
you and sorry to be a bother. No matter how big or small the gesture is she never failed to show her
gratitude. She once told us that she could never ask for more since life already gave her more than she
deserves. Her sense of contentment is gift which I would always carry in my heart.
The very essence of grandparents is either unfathomable or writable. Thus, this paper is simply
an attempt to scratch a niche in quantifying their essence for their existence, presence and sacrifices are
beyond words. Theirs are simply a phenomenon.