My heart bled upon watching on YouTube the burial of the late Cadet Fourth Class Darwin Dormitorio, who died from hazing in the hands of his fellow cadets in the Philippine Military Academy. It was a painful scenario that could tear the hearts of those who witnessed the burial, especially of those of the family and friends. I could not help but shed a tear, and heaved a deep sigh of sadness and pain, as his coffin was lowered to the ground. I whispered to my inner self, “What a waste of a young life that is nipped in the bud.” He could have become a good soldier to defend our country in times of danger!
As I watched the burial I could feel the excruciating pain felt by his parents, especially the mother. It was not easy to carry the baby in the womb for nine months with all the discomforts, though at the same time it was a great joy to be blessed with a child. A mother would do everything within her power to protect the child from all dangers in life.
Perhaps not in the mother’s wildest dream did she have a hint that Darwin would meet his end in that manner. Darwin’s death was a devastating blow her own dream to have a soldier son. His death rocked the family with the highest degree and scale of pain and sadness – all out of losing him. The pain of his death is shared by every mother, including myself.
Being a mother, I am very protective of my children. If only I had the power to protect them from all the ‘demons’ of life, I would have done so with opened arms.
As Fay Ngina of Lifestyle website puts it: “The pain of a mother is first evident when she gives birth to a child. Some say the pain can be compared to being burned alive. It is this pain that forms a unique bond between the mother and the child. Mothers do all they can to protect their children from any harm. When children were young, they made sure they did not sleep hungry and tried as much as possible to give them a comfortable life.”
The pain of a mother is the point of a poem by Marsha M. Martinez at family friend website: