What makes my Mom special

I’m writing this column at 4:30 a.m. because my taping for Game KNB ran very long. A regular, meaning non-celebrity, non-thematic guest, a player who went through the process of calling up and auditioning on our landline (1-908-1-227-226) went for the car jackpot question and actually won the brand new Honda, as well as P500,000 and a computer showcase for the parish of his uncle, who is actually a priest.

It was a thrill for all of us because for the whole year we’ve been waiting for a studio player to take home either the car or the P4.5 million jackpot. Without pre-empting the episode, let me just say that he was a truly deserving winner because he was obviously smart, analytical, and he never wavered with his answers. In other words, there was no guessing for him. He did not change his answers based on his perception of my facial expression or my vocal intonation.

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I also just finished reading the first draft of the script for my upcoming movie for Regal Films, aptly titled Single Mom. This movie will be directed by Mac Alejandre, and it’s being written by Mel del Rosario who in the past was responsible for all of Regine Velasquez’s biggest hits on the big screen.

The story is simple, with no convoluted plot twists, but it is very real and satisfyingly contemporary. I can’t wait for my shooting to start because this is truly my first role that has really been written for me, with my strengths and weaknesses truly incorporated into the flow of the story. This is also my first movie that will focus on what we women today have become, the challenges we face, and the decisions we have to make, not only with our careers, but more so with our families and our complicated relationships with the men that we allow into our lives. There are all sorts of girl-bonding in the film: mother-daughter bonding, sister-bonding, best friend bonding, best gay friend bonding.

We start filming between the third and last week of May. Hopefully we’ll be in theaters in time for Mother Lily’s birthday, as well as Regal’s anniversary in August.

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It’s Mother’s Day on Sunday. Allow me to pay tribute to my Mom while I close this column. I’ve learned that it truly is the little acts of concern and support, which ultimately matter. And that’s just how my Mom has parented us all these years.

She’s the critic I listen to, and I take note of her observations about my shows, from allowing Korina (Sanchez) to have more questions and not drown her out with my incessant chatter on Morning Girls, to not wearing clothes that are too revealing on The Buzz, to correcting that we have Aquino relatives in Tarlac and Pampanga, but not in Pangasinan as I had incorrectly stated on Game KNB.

I’ve never really doubted how proud my Mom is of all that I’ve achieved in my professional life. Just the other day my Ate (Ballsy, our eldest) related to me that my Mom was in Tarlac a few days ago and she was in a meeting with a women’s group. They were headed to a Jollibee, and my Mom told them that she’d prefer that they didn’t hold their merienda there because I’m now endorsing McDonald’s! She was that concerned about me that she avoided being seen patronizing McDonald’s main rival! At her house, she also makes sure that Chona, our housekeeper of more than 40 years, buys Greenex.

That’s what makes my Mom so special. She cares about what’s happening to me, and she does her share to help me even without my asking for it, or even my knowing it.

Yes, Josh and I do have nice gifts for my Mom. Nothing ostentatious, it’s just jewelry that’s pretty, a bit colorful since she really likes color now, and wearable for everyday.

We’ll have lunch at a Japanese restaurant on Sunday, and we’ll celebrate the fact that we’ve been blessed by the Almighty with an exceptionally compassionate, generous, and supportive Mom!