Monday, October 26, 2009

Family Album



Imelda Guevara Gerodias Carrillo

October 21, 1965, on the island of the Philippines, in a small province called San Pedro Laguna, Melchor Gerodias and Rosa Guevara gave birth to a beautiful girl named Imelda Carrillo, my mom. My grandparents named her after the wife of the former President Ferdinand Marcos. Imelda Marcos was also known for her gigantic shoe collection. My mom is the ninth child among ten kids in her family, making her the youngest girl. As a little girl, her older brothers and sisters began to start their own family, so she grew up with my older cousins and treated them like her younger siblings. She would baby sit them when their parents were gone. She would even take them to school and out with her friends.

I have not yet heard of stories during my mom’s childhood and elementary years. However, her high school stories are greatly known. I have met a lot of her high school friends and would always tell me about their high school years. My mom and her high school girl friends created a group called “the Eyeliner” group. They would wear thick, black eyeliner everyday and if they did not wear it for a day, they would not be in the group. My mom’s group, her being the leader, was the most popular group in their class. According to the stories my mom’s friends have told me, everyone wanted to be just like my mom. My mom was even their high school prom queen! Her friends also told me how many guys were romantically going after her. She was the eye candy for all guys because she had the looks and the personality of a goddess I have never heard any stories about her boyfriends, as if she is trying to hide something. I do not know.

My mom attended a college called Makati Medical Center. At first, she wanted to be a
flight attendant because she wanted to be able to see the United States. She eventually fell in love
with nursing and studied to become a nurse. She would wear a white, button up shirt with a
matching skirt and opaque stockings along with her white shoes. She also had to wear a hairnet
with a white hat to keep her hair away from her face. My mom told me that she never studied.
All her teachers were guys, who had crushes on her so she would help correct papers and give
her a passing grades. It seems a little unfair! Actually, my mom is a pretty intelligent woman.

During nursing school was when my mom and dad met. I do not actually know when
they met, but I remember my mom telling me that my dad was head over heels about her. He
would do many things to get her attention and eventually she allowed herself to go on a date with him. My dad would pick her up everyday from school in his motorcycle. He was studying to
become a dentist and went to school around there too. I never really got the full story of their
relationship but I will always remember the story of how they decided to get married.

It was 1987 and my mom’s oldest sister was already a citizen of the United States. My
Aunt decided to petition my grandparents, my mom, and some of their other brothers and sisters. My mom told my dad she was going to America to live there with her family. I do not really know if she told him, she wanted to end their relationship. I just know that when she told him, my dad found a way to get himself to America. Lucky for him, his uncle was also a citizen of the United States and was willing to petition him. My dad was almost done with his dentistry
school, but discontinued his studies to come to America. In fact, he came to America before my
mom did. My dad quit his dream of becoming a dentist to follow my mom. That is what I call
true love. Two years later, October 28, 1989, to be exact, was when they got married.

My mom had an interesting career path. She did not use her LVN (Licensed Vocational
Nursing) license immediately, rather she did other careers, along the same field. When she first
came to America, she worked with my grandma at a nursing home. My mom also worked at USF
(University of San Francisco), as a research associate until she gave birth to me and got
tendonitis. When I started school, she actually took time off. She was able to pick me up from
school, make my costumes for my dance recitals, and even obtain an esthetician license. Not
only is she a nurse but she can do facials too! She finally realized she had to go back to work.
Her first job as a nurse was at San Mateo County Union. She was helping people in all kinds of
fields like in the main medical center and gynecology. She was working there until my sister was
born in 2000. Eventually she moved and started working in Allergy clinics. One of her patients
was J.T. Snow, a former SF Giants, baseball player. She even got tickets for baseball games from
him. After a few years of working at different allergy clinics, she needed a change. She switched
to VA Medical Center, where she still works today. Just last year, my mom received her Registered Nurse license.

My mom has accomplished many things in her life. She works hard for the money, but
has always told me that money cannot buy you happiness. The reason for becoming a
nurse is because she has the opportunity to help other people and make a difference in their life.
Of course she is working to help pay for our education and other needs, but money is not the
reason for her great working ability. My mom has taught me great lessons in life. She has always
been there for me when never I need her. I can tell her anything and everything and I must say,
she gives the best advice. She has taught me to be the woman I am today. My mom is my best
friend and I have learned that trust and love is what brings us closer together. She has always told me, “ Education is the best gift I can give you.”, and everyday I think about that. That saying
pushes me to do well in school and to be thankful that I have the opportunity to go to college, as
well as put my parents money into good use. I hope to follow into the footsteps of my mom and
be a great role model to my children, as she is to my sister and I.

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