zen thoughts

Disney SM.mpg

SM is a magical time during the holidays. Sharing happy moments with Angela from year to year, builds up a cache of nostalgia.

Moms On the Ramp at SM City Bacolod

http://smcitybacolod.blogspot.com/

May 17, 2007
Last Saturday, six Moms including myself pulled off the biggest caper of our lives. We sashayed like the world’s next top model with the audience entirely clueless that before this moment we were just a bunch of nerves disguised in designer clothes. It was an illuminating discovery that I could find confidence anew in the spanking new SM City Bacolod Mall after wallowing in motherhood and hiding behind the laptop for far longer than I care to remember! Others find their zen in spas but strangely we mothers of the shopaholic kind found our defining moment at the mall. Best of all, we developed close friendships with each other after the show. The camaraderie, tips and laughter we shared will always be treasured with fond amusement because we had all forgotten that there is an inner diva in each one of us. Thank you SM for reminding us that the motto "laugh, love, live" applies as well to us girls of a certain age bracket. We do mellow like wine.

I went an extra mile by purchasing a body girdle at Watson's that guaranteed to shape me two sizes less when worn in a non-breathing state. I thought that turning blue from hypoxia was a bit unattractive but nothing that a great make-up artist would not be able to camouflage. Concealers these days are so high-tech, they could make Houdini disappear easily. And did I mention that I bought stilts that passed for shoes at Celine? It didn’t have a warning stating “Your Chiropractor General…” so I snapped up that one too.

24 hours to D-day : One Mommy bailed out – I suppose, she was smarter than all the rest of us who stayed for the mental torture. I keep saying to myself, “Will my body finally betray me with its ragged (but original) parts screaming MAKEOVER or in the worst days with bad fluorescent lighting a compelling, SURGICAL LIFT?” I scan the room and wonder whether all the other Moms shared the same thought: … this show is about 30 years too late … should I smile my widest and play-up my frown lines, laugh lines to exude character confidence? I nix the thought because only Clint Eastwood looks good craggy. I will simply look like a prune in a plum’s body. … if I put up my hair in a ponytail and use dozens of hairpins, will my face get stretched to its less crumpled state of say, 5 years ago? … bunions don’t look too good with summer sandals … when I laugh, will my false teeth fall out? … can I yoga myself to thinking this is a blissful experience? I must watch America’s Top Model, Project Runway etc. – nothing like a bit of research to build up that confidence. Go Girl I tell myself!

D-day: I choke on a chicken bone, an inch-long sliver that had me gagging like a cat choking on a giant hairball. Bad premonition? Make-up guru worked on me until I lost any bit of resemblance to my old self – except for the wrinkles. Like fingerprints they annoyingly betray your identity. False eyelashes that were enticingly mysterious on ads make me look like a holdover from the sixties! How could I look so Bardot when I feel more like a Hepburn!?! Angela, my four-year old daughter who shared the ramp with me was a delight! Hair in an updo, she was the ultimate icon of cool! I must say that the show was a smash. The audience (I suspect composed of our families and friends) cheered even if we had two left feet and seemed in a general dazed state as we mixed-up our entrance and exits. Lest I forget, some Moms took a swig of Vodka while some like me, opted for caffeine for that extra boost.

After the show came the real treat - we exchanged hugs, phone numbers and took pictures of the cast and our families. Mine had a fun celebration at Max's (incidentally one the reasons I used to miss Manila) to celebrate my act of courage and I capped today by sending off this blog.

To all Mothers, bask in the warmth of your family's love, pick some daisies, wear pink-colored glasses - you deserve it for taking care of them so well and giving just about every part of you. Until next year, HAPPY MOTHER’s DAY!