?She loved me falling off a swing set. She loved me stepping on her floors with muddy shoes. She loved me through vomit and snot and bloody knees. She loved me coming and going, at my worst and at my best. She had a bottomless well of love for me.? ? Mitch Albom

A mother will prepare you breakfast and force you to eat it if you don?t want to. She will comb your hair and smother you with kisses. And she will always, always believe in you. A mother, I believe, will do anything for her child. She will at times be hard on you but she will forever shower you with unconditional love.

I got used to the fact that each day when I went home from school my mother would be in their room cross-stitching. But that lasted only until I was 10 years old. Then our parents separated and we were left with our father.

It is one thing when a loved one passes away, and it?s another thing when you know that that person is just out there but you cannot always be with him or her.

My closest friends know me as the girl with the impossible drama. The challenges are never-ending, and they come in waves. But if I were to be asked what moment in my life, among all the moments that I had been tested, was life-changing for me, my parent?s separation would be on top of my list.

I believe that people have a selective memory. I think that when something horrible happens to you, your brain compensates with your heart and shuts the bad memories out.

I don?t remember the day my mom left. I have tried to think about it over and over again, but nothing could jog my memory. It?s as if I just woke up one day and she was gone.

One night, I was sleeping in my parents? bedroom. My dad was in the shower and I was sleeping beside my mom?or so she thought. She held my hand. I thought I could hear her crying. I didn?t want to open my eyes so I pretended to be asleep. Then she kissed my hand very tenderly, and that same night I knew something bad was about to happen.

One day remains vivid in my memory. On that day, my mom confronted my brother and me. She told us that she and dad were separating, but assured us everything would be all right. She even mentioned some benefits the separation would bring us, like having two gifts for Christmas instead of one. I was staring at her as she struggled to make us understand.

To this day I admire her for being so brave and for trying her best to prepare us for what was to come. My brother was crying hard while I was trying to think of what to say (he is a mama?s boy and I am the strong one). When I spoke up, I told mom that I agreed with their decision. At the tender age of 10, I knew they were doing the right thing.

As the years rolled by, I felt that with each day that I didn?t get to see my mother, a barrier was growing between us. I always thought she knew my brother better than she knew me. I always thought that she loved him better than she loved me. I always thought my brother belonged to her and I belonged to my father. I hated Sundays because I thought it would be another occasion for me to watch my mother and my brother bond and get closer to each other, and to isolate me.

There was this particular Sunday when I wanted a pair of elephant pants badly. Almost everyone in school had them so I also wanted a pair. I was strolling in the mall with my mom, my brother, a cousin and a couple of other people. I was throwing a tantrum because I could not find the kind of pants that was for me the most important thing in life then.

My mom asked me what kind I wanted. I wasn?t a big fan of hers at that time so I told her to mind her own business. I will never forget this episode because it?s not something I am proud of. I raised my voice in front of everybody and told her something like, ?Don?t bother. You won?t know what it is anyway.? (I hurt her then and I?m really sorry for doing that. No child should disrespect a mother even if one is hurting.)

When Christmas came that year, my mom gave us gifts. Lo and behold, I got the exact pair of pants I wanted a few months earlier. I don?t know up to this day how my mother knew what kind of pants I wanted, but she did. I was so touched, and greatly embarrassed by my earlier behavior.

From that day, I looked at my mother the same way I had looked at her every time I went home from school?with love and respect. My mom has sacrificed a lot for us and I don?t hate her for leaving. I think my parents made a good decision. I don?t blame any of them. I think it?s just the way things are supposed to be.

Of course, there are some days when I wonder what my life would have been if my mother were at home. But then I snap back to reality and just thank God for the life He has given us. I have a great life, it?s not ?normal? as others define it, but I love it.

My parents? separation taught me a lot of things. It made me a better person. While some people think that children from ?broken? families are troubled, I think otherwise. How children turn out depends on how their parents bring them up, and my parents are doing a very good job even if they are not together. Honestly, I don?t even think we are broken, we are just in a different setup.

My relationship with my parents is great. I still believe they did the right thing?for themselves and for us.

Regine Malicsi, 20, is a Communication Arts student at De La Salle University, Manila.