If their mothers spoke

Have you ever wondered what the mothers of the famous historical figures would have said during their younger days? Mothers will be mothers and this funny article seems to remind us that they are no matter who their children turn out to be. Consider the possible words these mothers would have said:

MONA LISA’S MOTHER: “After all that money your father and I spent on braces, that’s the biggest smile you can give us?”

COLUMBUS’ MOTHER: “I don’t care what you’ve discovered, you still could have written!”

MICHELANGELO’S MOTHER: “Can’t you paint on walls like other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?”

NAPOLEON’S MOTHER: “All right, if you aren’t hiding your report card inside your jacket, take your hand out of there and show me.”

ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S  MO-THER: “Again with the stovepipe hat? Can’t you just wear a baseball cap like the other kids?”

MARY’S MOTHER: “I’m not upset that your lamb followed you to school, but I would like to know how he got a better grade than you.”

ALBERT EINSTEIN’S MOTHER: “But it’s your senior picture. Can’t you do something about your hair? Styling gel, mousse, something...?”

GEORGE WASHINGTON’S MOTHER: “The next time I catch you throwing money across the Potomac, you can kiss your allowance good-bye!”

JONAH’S MOTHER: “That’s a nice story. Now tell me where you’ve really been for the last forty years.”

THOMAS EDISON’S MOTHER: “Of course I’m proud that you invented the electric light bulb. Now turn it off and get to bed!”

PAUL REVERE’S MOTHER: “I don’t care where you think you have to go, young man, midnight is past your curfew.”

The Ilocana (a term of endearment I have prescribed for my wife of many years) is a very soft-spoken person. She smiles a lot and she is not in the habit of talking a lot. This is why I tell people that my work entails a lot of public speaking as I give keynotes during business conferences or provide trainings and seminars on a regular basis.

So if you were to consider the two of us, I am a public speaker and the Ilocana is the “speaker of the house.” At home she does speak but on the rare occasion she does, the words are said meaningfully and powerfully.

The Ilocana is very frugal. And I am certain I do not need to expound on this but when it comes to books, seminars, school, training and the likes, she would quietly sacrifice and provide the rest of the family with funds that she has painstakingly managed and invest on everyone’s education.

She loves bargain hunting. The first thing I look at when I enter a store is the beauty of the merchandise. The first thing she looks at is the price tag wanting to buy a good and nice piece of merchandise that would be put on sale.

The Ilocana has set the standard in our family for having a “killer-work-ethics.” You would never see her sitting or lying around doing FB or watching Netflix as she would be doing stuff. The two of us have set the standards. It is not that we are anti-social or anything but birthday celebrations for us mean having a quiet dinner prepared by my son Bryan in the cozy comfort of his condo and taking family photos together.

But the biggest thing about the mother of my children is that she is a very powerful praying woman. She prays for my every engagement and prays for the kids everyday. She encourages all of us when we are going through tough times and as self-serving as it sounds this woman of noble character personifies the standards of the Proverbs 31 woman depicting the qualities and character of the noble wife and mother.

And so, Mother’s Day celebration is done in our family on a regular basis. And on this special Sunday where the day is celebrated upon, she will say, “The restaurant will be crowded, prices of flowers would be high, the malls would be crowded so why don’t we just have a quiet meal in Bryan’s place and let him surprise us with his new dish?”

This is the wife of my youth and the mother of my kids. And now you know why she is called “The Ilocana.”

(Experience two inspiring days with Francis Kong learning leadership and life skills in his widely acclaimed Level Up Leadership on June 5-6, 2018 at Makati Diamond Residences near Greenbelt 1. For further inquiries contact April at +63928-559-1798 or register online at www.levelupleadership.ph)