Nanay Lumie celebrating her 71st birthday.
CEBU CITY, Philippines– 30 long years.
That’s how many years Iluminada Servilla spent with a family she was just planning to serve at first, but learned to love like her own as time passed.
Servilla, 71, from Boljoon town in southern Cebu, dedicated her life to serve a family she loved so she, too, could feed her own family miles away from her.
Nanay Lumie, as what they fondly call her, cooks delicious meals, cleans, and from time to time sews clothes for the family she serves.
She has been in their home since May 1990 when she decided to be the family’s house help.
She became more than just a house help as years passed. She became part of the family.
What’s amazing about Nanay Lumie is that she actually took care of two families for a long time.
As she served and cared for a big family here, she also constantly took care of her family back home, which consists of her three kids and 11 grandchildren.
Nanay Lumie (right) and Kenya, one of her grandchildren.
She took care of her family for quite some time as she was widowed at a young age. This prompted her to try her luck in the city.
Nanay Lumie starts her day by drinking her cup of coffee before heading out to water the plants after she cooks breakfast for the family.
After lunch, she settles down and reads the newspaper, or watches TV before she takes her nap.
This has been her routine for years.
For three decades she has seen a lot of the family members go after better opportunities in life. All she ever said when one left the nest was “pag amping didto ha?” She always shed a tear when this happens.
In every family video call meeting, everyone near or far always looks for Nanay Lumie. “Asa man si Nanay?” “Kumusta man ka ‘nay?” “Ayaw luya-luya, ‘nay.” (Where is Nanay? How are you ‘nay? Don’t be weak, ‘nay.)
Her reply? “Okay rako diri, kamo diha?” (I’m okay here, how about you there?) still worrying about the people she took care of for years.
Now that she is older, everyone in the family makes sure she gets the best things in life. Sometimes they even have to argue with her just to make her rest because as they say, a mother can never just rest.
Nanay Lumie has been one of the strongest pillars of the family she took care of. The family now helps her take care of her children and herself.
In life, we rarely meet a person who is genuine in taking care of a family that is not their own. But this family is blessed to have a Nanay Lumie, who shows nothing but love and support. Someone who will never get tired of saying, “kaon na lage mo, ma pasmohan mo.”
Nanay Lumie is a mother a big family never knew they needed.
Happy Mother’s Day, to all the Nanay Lumie’s out there!
/bmjo
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