Today is the first Mother’s Day without my mommy. There will be no more calls, no more conversations and no more flowers to send.
My mom, Marietta Cartagena Alfon Jambora, “Baby” to family and friends, was the strongest woman I knew. She had a determined mind and the grit and tenacity to follow through anything she set her heart on. “Impossible” was not an option for her. She was fiercely independent, a formidable force—perhaps stirring mild irritation in those intimidated—such that even military generals could not say no to her (including her eldest son, who’s a general).
Last year, for example, when she collapsed in her home from a stroke—she was always in goo…
Keep on reading: My mom was also mom to street kids