Soldiers are Mothers, too
As a tribute to all military and OFW readers, and the love ones that they leave behind, I have decided to repost here on Barrio Siete two of my most personal videos from 5 years ago. These videos illustrate the anxieties of saying goodbye, the struggles of separation and the joys and confusions of reconnection.
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Soldiers are Mothers, too
War is not like a hollywood blockbuster.
A soldier is not an action hero. Outside the statistics and the news-worthy portrayals, there are deeply personal issues that most of us don’t see.
Filmed on Mother’s Day 2005, the video shows a mother’s farewell as she returns to the Middle East after a brief R&R with her family. Note the only time Elijah refused to give his mother a kiss—a ”goodbye” kiss; for the last time we said goodbye, our lives became engulfed with loneliness, anxieties, anger, and nightmares for my children. I couldn’t imagine how especially hard it was for my wife to leave her children whom she, just months ago, were carrying in her womb for nine months…
…but whatever it is that doesn’t kill us, will make us stronger.
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Soldier is Coming Home
Being a stay-home father was the easy part. Not being able to share the special holidays, milestones, and the daily joys of life and not having the support you needed when you needed it were the hard part. Combine all of them with separation anxiety and the terrors of war, life for us was like a bad dream during, and even years after, the deployment of my wife. Truly, a big part of me went with her when she left.
Having two babies was not helpul, I thought. I never really did get a chance to rest and take care of myself. Then again, I’m glad they didn’t give me chance to feel sorry for myself too much either. In the end, with the difficulties we had in our relationship during and after, I realized that it was my sons who reminded us what a family is really about. They are the ones who saved us.
Here is a collection of videos that I made to keep my wife connected with our lives back home and to help me keep my sanity. Here is a glimpse of that period.
The family that prays together stays together.
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MrNonsense is Jesse. He was born and raised by two solid parents in Tondo, Manila. He came to Iowa when he was 17 and is now raising a family in Washington, where a group of Filipinos adopted them as their own.
Mr. Nonsense can often be seen in the Tacoma-Seattle area carrying a camcorder, accompanied by his two sons and his personal chauffeur, his wife. He uses his Tondo upbringing to nurture his children and to survive in a mental institution, where he currently works. He enjoys basketball, cooking, singing, cartooning, producing short movies, and making his own furniture out of junked wood because he's so cheap. He is a self-proclaimed "Man of the House,"...when his wife is not home.
Wow! We keep the faith, ganyan ang pinoy. You’re doing just great pare ko. Thanks sa video and all.
thanks to all who support military and OFW families.
very touching jesse!
hehe…did warm up your fallopian tubes?
it did especially that Phillies shutdown Dodgers on the 9th hehehe! pero ang ginaw pa rin sa Philly! waaa! ba’t ang aga nang lecheng winter!!! grrr!
haha…60 degrees dito sa amin. si reese eh narito sa seattle. meet ko sana kaya lang may trangkaso anak ko. kabwisit. sayang. tour ko sana sya. kaya ikaw, wag kang mabuntis!
brought tears to my eyes. thank you for sharing these videos dude. inulit-ulit ko sya.
i adore you and your wifey and your 2 little boys.
i dont doubt it. ako nga eh hanggang ngayon eh medyo apektado pa rin ako tuwing mapapanood ko….even 5 years later…
That was so touching. I can really feel what your wife must have felt when she had to leave you and your boys. Ako nga isa lang, the pain.
geesh! Ito yung sinasabi nilang, you have to do what you have to do. I salute all the mothers who have sacrificed to work far far from thir children (and husbands too). And to husbands who, like Mr. Nonesense who filled in the shoes for his partner.
Great Job! (may kambal ka ba? pakilala mo naman kami)
being a mother and father at the same time was not a piece of cake. i had to get a boob job to fill in that motherly role
It’s very touching, i can relate to that, i’m a mother too and very far away from my children, kudos to you and your wife, nakakaiyak kasi naalala ko ang mga anak ko back home
hats off and god bless sa inyong family. i wish u guys the best
kala ko yung tungkol sa mga recently released pictures ng Abu Ghiraib. hehehe.
valentines and anniversary pictures yun…