My grandmother, Rosario, was born on Valentine’s day in 1913.

She was the fourth child among a brood of seven with the eldest child having passed away from pneumonia at the tender age of four.  My grandmother grew up in a household where what the elders said was the law, where the children’s future and occupation were already mapped out for them. Her father, my great grandfather, was born a modest farmer’s son whose parents and siblings did not have the opportunity to have an education. My great grandfather had a dream to become a doctor so he worked hard for his own education. He then raised his own family and made sure that his children knew the value of hard work.

It was a time when men were known to be the “padre de familia”, the breadwinners of the family, and women stayed home to care for their children.

My grandmother’s brothers studied to be lawyers, doctors and engineers without being given the option to choose which path was their calling. My great grandfather was intent on seeing his children get careers in highly respected professions. But my grandmother knew what she wanted and she never let anything hold her back. She knew that getting an education was important. She had the insatiable thirst to learn.

She pursued a college education in B.S. Pharmacy and a Master’s degree in Pharmacy, graduating summa cum laude. After earning her masters degree, she went on to become a respected professor.

My grandmother had a winning combination of beauty and intellect. In fact, she had a long line of suitors that clamored for her attention. A doctor named Jose Ma. Piccio, who was 10 years older than her, finally won her heart. They had a grand marriage that was featured in almost every society magazine. Soon after, she left her flourishing career to be with her husband in the sugar haciendas of Negros Occidental.

They lived a happy and contented life. They made it through the horrors of WWII and in 1947, the couple welcomed their youngest child, Jose Jr. (my father). But 6 short months later, my grandfather died of a heart attack. This is where my grandmother’s trials truly began. She had to raise three children on her own and she was also summoned back to her parents’ home. It was not considered respectable for a widow to be alone in a home without a man. She was left with hardly anything, and having three children to raise was a daunting task. She could not go back to teaching in Manila because it would mean she would have to leave her children most of the time with her parents in Pampanga, which was more than an hour away. My grandmother opened a pharmacy and took to mixing the medicines my great grandfather prescribed to his patients. She supported her children that way. She was able to have my father and his siblings attend the best schools in Manila through her hard work. Eventually, she also started a business in supplying gravel and sand for construction companies. She even put up her own furniture store. Though the demands were never ending as the children grew, she kept on being a strong-willed woman. She instilled in her children the same values she grew up with, such as the value of education, of making something of yourself, and the importance of family and God.

I was named after my grandmother. I carry in me the same values that were inspired by her. I have been through my own trials in life.

People say I grew up spoiled and that my dad gave me everything I wanted. My father’s business prospered well when I was young. As a child, I had the opportunity to travel and have all the toys I wanted. But like all businesses, my father’s business went through a very rough time and he went bankrupt. I was in my twenties when we lost everything. From being chauffeured, I now had to literally walk to be where I needed to be. We also lost our home to the bank. It was a humiliating, and at the same time, humbling experience. “Be strong, hold your head up high,” is what my grandmother said. Though already in her late 80’s, she helped my father get back on his feet.

My grandmother just turned 98 this year. She still has a clear mind. She can recall her youth and will tell you stories about it for hours. I love listening to them. Though at times her stories tend to be repetitive, I can never grow tired of hearing them. She instilled in me the meaning of family. No matter how tough the challenges in life may be, you can never be too proud enough to run to your family, they will always help you through whatever adversities you may encounter.

My grandmother always told me that no one can help me make something of myself but me alone. She taught me how to pray and trust in God. She was the reason I studied hard. She made me want to achieve so many things in life. She also often told me that I should always look good and dress well. She always said that vanity and intelligence make a perfect match as long as you know how to be humble. She is the quintessential example that best represents the parable of the bamboo: pliant yet strong. She bends with the wind yet remains unyielding to the trials of life. I am so proud to be her namesake and I am always humbled to be in her presence. She is my role model, a vision of strength, a true woman.

Update:
Grandmother Rosario passed away on May 21, 2011.