“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

— Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

When was the last time that sentence accurately described your life?

The best and worst times of my life happened not too long ago. Being in the same room with two of the most important people in my life, the one who brought me into this world and the one who gave me life…just a year ago has now become a bittersweet memory for me. I’ve been looking forward to spending some quality time with my grandmother and mother but not in that way. My mother and I have always had a tumultuous relationship and my grandmother was instrumental in bringing us one step closer to one another. It’s sad that my grandmother had to fell ill for my mother and I to reunite and actually spend some quality time together. Those 27 days were the longest time I’ve ever spent with my mother since she and my father left me in the care of my grandparents when I was only two months old.

I am grateful that we finally had that chance to get to know each other but looking back, I can’t help but feel sad because we thought that my grandmother was well on her way to full recovery only to find out weeks later that her condition worsened. Within just 10 weeks my mother and I flew back to the Philippines and this time to grieve the loss of the person that binds us together. It breaks my heart when I think about the things that happened in the last 12 months but I take comfort in knowing that my grandmother is now in a better place, free from pain and suffering. I can’t thank her enough for everything that she has done for me and my mother. I know that she will always be there for us to guide us both until we find our way back into each other’s heart and to finally be the mother and daughter that we’re supposed to be.

*DP