meet our nanay...

nope, she's not my mom nor jude's. we're not even related by consanguinity nor law. it's just everyone in my old boarding house called her nanay, and so i adapted the same term of endearment for her when i came into the boarding house, and so did jude when he was already our regular patron. hehe.

we paid her a visit last week since we were already in the area and once again, my admiration to this 75 year-old woman was revived as she recounted the many things that have had happened to her since i left her house more than three years ago (i was with them for almost a year before jude and i got married).

she's one of the people who inspires me even until this day. her story is the typical rags-to-riches, but nanay as i know her would vehemently deny that she's rich. okay. she's not rich... she only has a 10-door apartment and several prime lots titles tucked under her belt and yes, she's not rich. it's because nanay, inspite of everything she has, lives a very simple life.

nanay of all =)

here's more on the qualities that i admire, and wish to emulate, about her:

nanay is hardworking. until now, nanay would wash and iron her own clothes. she'd tidy up her "part" of the house as she doesn't employ a househelp. nanay who only finished grade six (she doesn't mind telling this to all people she knows) was already used to a difficult life even during her early years. she stopped schooling and went on vending street foods to support her family; this was her life until she met her husband whom she bore five kids. they put a sari-sari store after the wedding and that was the start of her success.

and i must add... it's probably because of this lifestyle why nanay is still active and healthy until now. except for her hypertension, nanay has a clean bill of health. i read before that our body deteriorates once we started to retire... this i must say is true. =D

nanay is frugal and wise in spending. she's already happy with a tortang talong and rice for lunch. she doesn't have a car and the latest electronic appliances in her two-storey house as according to her, these things are not needed and would only require regular maintenance, which can also deplete savings. she wears daster at home and simple tunic blouses and pencil skirts during sundays. her daily source of amusement is watching wowowee and the mexicanovelas in the afternoon, that is if she's not in the parish church where she actively serves as a commentator.

i must explain: it's not because nanay is living like a miser... she just knows where to put her money.

but nanay knows when and how to be generous... =D i was still with them when nanay treated her family for a boracay trip. even i was inggit! hahaha. she also watches movie from time to time with some of her granddaughters. when birthdays come, nanay would invite all her close friends (most are neighbors) and treat them for dinner. she also helps the poor priests and seminarians in san carlos seminary by way of subsidizing their needs.

nanay has the financial wisdom and skills more than of an mba-graduate. jude was there when nanay recounted her first venture in real-estate business. it was like this: she bought a lot using her savings at 50k and re-sold it at 150k within one month. that was how nanay acquired her wealth. until now, nanay would trade on properties or lots but the value is no longer in thousands, but in millions.

but more than anything else, and inspite of what she already has, nanay remains humble and unassuming. she'd refer to her other neighbors as mayayaman, as if she has no right to say that for herself. when i'd kid her about her status, she'd gently admonish me and refutes the claim that she's rich.

because as she simply puts is, she's nothing but "blessed".