Nancy Mommy Naging SingleD

By Nancy D. Galang, MA "You are not alone, and you don't have to suffer alone" - Tess Holliday I have been dealing with my kids’ depression since 2018. And I think any parent who has watched a child battle depression would understand when I say that the struggle is not theirs alone. You go through it with them - the worrying, the watching, the wondering what to say, what not to say, when to step in, and when to simply sit beside them. As a single mom, I’ve often felt that weight twice as much. There was no one beside me to whisper,  “Anong gagawin natin?”  No one to take over when I was tired, scared, or simply didn’t know what to do anymore. I had to be the parent who stayed strong while quietly trying to understand something I was also learning about along the way. It's been eight years and I still don’t have all the answers. But I have learned a lot - not only about depression, but about my children, about being a mother, and about the kind of presence our kids so...

By Nancy David Galang, MA “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” — A. A. Milne , Winnie-the-Pooh There are sunsets you watch with someone, and there are sunsets you learn to enjoy on your own. (I took this photo when I drove up to Tanay, Rizal) Bago ako naging mag-isa, meron munang “kami.” Kami na mag-schoolmates. Kami na magkapitbahay. Kami na magkaibigan. Kami na naging mag-jowa. 😂😂😂 Kami na nagkatuluyan...at kami na nagkaroon ng limang anak (one in heaven). I first heard about him from my high school classmates at Maryknoll College High School (MCHS). He seemed popular and was a "crush ng bayan", as we would call it during those days. But I did not take interest, I was not into boys yet (ang alam ko lang, masugid na fan ako ni Gabby Concepcion at Nonoy Zuniga!) How did we meet?  We met when I was 16 and he was 21. I was in 4th year high school. Siya, bagong graduate ng college. We were schoolmates at Maryknoll College (now Miriam) Yes, at...

By Nancy David Galang, MA “The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn I am a few years away from getting that 20% discount and VAT exemption for some purchases and services. Yes, I am talking about "seniorhood", mga Nan-sis. As much as we don't want it, the inevitable will come! I am at that point when I would forget scheduled meetings at work, go to a room in my house and not remember why, or misplace things - most of the time intentionally keeping them somewhere “safe” so they won't get lost, only to forget where I kept them! Lalo na ang mga susi - susi sa kotse, susi sa opisina, susi sa gate. Relate ba kayo, mga Nan-sis? But then I realized that one of the easiest things to lose in life is not our keys, our wallet, or even our schedule - it is ourselves. We spend years taking care of other people, meeting expectations, solving problems, and showing up for everyone who needs us. We become wives, mothers, grandmothers, executives, f...

  By Nancy David Galang, MA                                                                   Most of us celebrate birthdays and special occasions surrounded by the people we love. We gather with family, meet up with friends, and create memories with those who matter most. But when you're a single mom juggling countless responsibilities, a part of you quietly longs for something different. Not another gathering. Not another plan to organize. Just a little space to breathe. Because when life feels like an endless cycle of taking care of everyone else, solitude starts to feel less like loneliness and more like a gift. Quiet time becomes a luxury and something you rarely have and deeply crave. And sometimes, the best way to celebrate another year of life is not by being surrounded by people, but by finally giving you...