What I learned writing a book (I learned from motherhood)

Photo from Stesha.org

Last year, my friend Kit invited me to speak at her coffee house 55Square Café’s Kwento at Kape series (in partnership with When in Manila). The talk was last February 26, and here’s what I shared: on writing the #ChickenNuggetProject and motherhood and doing my best not to panic (spoiler: I still did).

Hi, everyone! Good afternoon, and thanks for being here today.

When my son was two, we kicked back on the beanbag and loaded Bambi in the DVD player.

I hadn’t seen Bambi in a while but I do remember the (spoiler!) gunshot and the dead mother deer. Would my little baby be able to handle it? Was this a good idea? I wasn’t sure.

But I figured I’d be around if he needed any hugs or questions answered, like, “What happened?” or “Why is Bambi sad?” or —

“Mommy who’s that?”

That being The Great Prince of the Forest.

“That’s Bambi’s dad.”

“… Dad?”

It was then I realized that he had never before heard or said the word “dad,” and his first ever encounter with it was in reference to a deer. There’s been no reason for him to hear it; even at home, my own dad is “popop.”

So yes, my son, that’s Bambi’s dad. He’s kind of like a mom, except he’s a boy.

Some kids have a mom and dad. Some just have a mom, and some just have a dad. Some have two mommies, some have two daddies; some have two daddies and a mom, some have two mommies and a dad! There are so many different kids of families.

Like ours: you have Mommy. And you also have Manang Oa, Manong Ethan, Momom, and Popop. Your ninangs and ninongs! And all your titos and titas.

We all love you so much — and not just because you’re unbelievably cute. You’re a sweetheart who has and deserves all the love in the world.

And I think that’s pretty cool.

But not as cool as you are. Of course.

Hi, I’m Mikli.

Motherhood came as a surprise. I went from little girl, to little girl with a little boy. At 20, I was leaking breastmilk from under my PE shirt and rushing to pump before my neuropsychology class!

Last year, I wrote the #ChickenNuggetProject, or “I Love You.” “I Love Chicken Nuggets!” & Other Tales of Motherhood. It’s a compilation of stories on parenting while still growing up myself, and finding I’m learning a lot more from my son than I’m teaching him.

Continue reading at Stesha.org.