The sisterhood of S's

Have you heard of the word “gang mates”? In the ’60s, that was how we called each other. When one belongs to a gang, you participate in harmless dreams and schemes and enjoy doing things together, mostly dreaming about the future, love and career. It’s clean fun with no death-defying knots and plots.

The word has never left our vocabulary even if we all grew up and had families and children of our own. These same children, in fact, now roll their eyes when they hear the word escape our lips.

My gang mates and I have all retired from the workforce, which brings up the next question, “How do you fill the extra time on your hands?” Plenty. But not in any fixed order. When I made a tally of what activity seems to be the most popular in my gang, majority make time to go to daily Mass for spiritual growth and well-being. They also lend their talent and energy as volunteers in churches and community projects. Having been there, done that and got nothing else to prove, why not give back the best way you can but without raising any fuss?

Ego trips are finito, replaced by a sense of gratefulness for the opportunities and trials that made us stronger and wiser. No matter how twisted the road was and through all the hairpin turns, the detours and bends in our lives, we still can be hot and cold, high and low — a study in dichotomy — and be described in the following words that begin with the letter S:

• Sungit – (crabby) due to lack of patience. We get frazzled by anybody who’s a “tango” (a contraction for “tanga na, gago pa” or being dumb and stupid and vice-versa). What causes this? “Time should not be wasted so we fill each day with results,” says one.

But losing one’s temper is absolutely inexcusable and that’s why we must be quick to apologize and make amends. In some cases, we resort to lining the pockets of the offended with bills and tingling coins.  “Hah! That’s buying apologies and regrets,” remarks someone. “And what’s wrong with that?” snaps the famous comic character Maxine.

• Sumpong — irritable when we wake up on the wrong side of the bed. No matter how sunny and clear the day may be, we couldn’t seem to shake off that grouchy mood. “It’s a loose screw up the cranium,” says my niece, and one that needs tightening, right?

More like going “stir crazy” due to high intake of sugar and salt so it’s best not to take us seriously when this happens because it will pass.

• Sedentary — we sit every chance we get but when I see some elderly being pushed in a wheelchair, I stretch my limbs and make a point to walk and climb the stairs instead of taking the lift. Those bone density tests have become an annual nightmare. I know my bones are getting rusty when they crack and make noise like hinges that need lubrication. But nothing can top crooked, scrawny and sinewy fingers that remind one of cackling witches — which we’re not.

• Savvy, sassy —Yes, when it comes to dancing and bonding with friends, but we need more work on being computer/cyber-sharp and being high-tech informed.

• Slow — to eat, to dress, to think but definitely not “speed-bagal” when reacting to a grandchild’s hugs and kisses. No pushing and rushing anymore. We have time on our side and we can therefore take it easy. It’s best that you leave us this way and adapt to our pace because someday you will reach this age, too.

• Songbird — we have this “name the tune” game played by texting the right tune, a fun way to test our memory of the big hits of the ’60s and ’70s. So far, the score is even. Makes you want to whirl and twirl and dance the boogie.

• Silver — is the color of our crowning glory, if we don’t dye or color it. But turning silver or platinum or sporting salt-and-pepper hair is so avant-garde and chic these days. Just look at all the handsome men and how more handsome they become if they don’t dye their hair. Being a baldhead isn’t a major crisis with wigs and hair extenders that come in all styles and colors.

• Scandalosa — (scandalous) when we can’t keep our mouth zipped. We tell it as it is and woe to the person who would dare us to say it. It’s like drinking the truth “serum” and children (even if fully grown adults) squirm and hide their faces when we can’t keep mum.

• Sensuous — Oops. Here is an amusing anecdote. A well-traveled wife was weaving tales of her many adventures with her equally peripatetic husband. A young curious niece posed this question, “Auntie, do you still make love with Uncle?” The aunt replied vehemently, “Of course not.” The young niece continued, “Is that so? When was the last time you did it?” The aunt replied with a wink, “Last night.”

Another niece dismissed all these S words claiming that it reminded her of the movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. “Of course not,” came my reply. “We could not conceive of the idea of sharing one pair of pants to be posted and mailed to gang mates and wait for things to happen. It was not possible and you know why? Our waist sizes ranges from 28” to 42”. One pair of jeans can never, repeat never, stretch and expand that much to keep our stomachs in.”

Saving the best for last, S stands for the sunflower.

Watch the movie Calendar Girls and you’ll understand. Actress Helen Mirren stood before her peer of elderly women and made a remark: “Women in every stage of their growth have their own beauty but the last phase is always the most glorious.”

She continued, “I don’t think there’s any flower in this planet that more trumpets life than the sunflower. For me, that’s because of the reason behind its name, not because it looks like the sun but that it follows the sun.  During the course of the day, the head tracks the journey of the sun across the sky, (like) a satellite dish for sunshine.  Wherever life is, no matter how weak, this flower will find it and that’s such an admirable thing and such a lesson in life.”

Sweet, s’marvelous thought, don’t you think? 

So what say you? Shall we samba and swing and spread sunshine, sistah?