KWENTO NI NANAY By Anita Sasaki

“Hindi mo kailangan maging mayaman o mataas na pinag-aralan upang makatulong sa kapwa Pilipino.” – Nanay Anita

My journey in Japan started when I arrived March 7, 1995. It was a BIG question to myself: Why and what will I be doing in Japan? I knew nobody. Before, if you come to Japan, it’s because you’re an entertainer. But OMG, at my age 47 years and with 10 grandchildren… I was fat and had no talent in either singing nor dancing. I couldn’t even speak Nihongo.

Nanay Anita Sasaki / Jeepney Press

What will I be doing here? Wow! It was a big question. But God has plans for me.

I started to listen to woos of our Filipino mothers. Problems like their Japanese partner left them with a baby or children. They have no money to support their children or they were battered wives and more. As for the children, they had problems with their stepfathers. Ganito more or less po ang mga problema.

So being a mother and a grandmother, I cannot just turn my back or be deaf to all these problems. Ang masasabi ko ay hinding hindi malilimutan sa pamamalagi ko dito sa bansa ng Hapon. Hindi po pera ang aking kinita kundi ang yaman na kaligayahan kong naramdaman sa tuwing may mga kababayan kong natutulungan kahit na sa maliit na mga bagay lamang. Hindi po sa pera o bagay. Pero tulong para maibsan ng maski konti o bahagya ang kanilang mga suliranin.

Hindi mababayaran ang kaligayahan mong mararamdaman. Ang mahalaga ay hindi ang dami o lawak ng iyong naibigay kundi kung ano itinuro mo at natutuhan ng iba dahil sa iyo. Hindi mahalaga kung gaano karaming tao ang kilala mo, kundi gaano karami ang makaramdam ng iyong init ng tulong at pagmamahal.

Ang mahalaga ay hindi ang iyong mga alaala kundi ang mga alaalang maiwan mo sa mga nagmamahal sa iyo. Hindi mo kailangan ang parangalan ka o palakpakan ka sa iyong ginawa. You don’t have to be applauded for things you have done.

You don’t have to tell the right hand what the left hand is doing. “ EVERY GISING A BLESSING “... has always been my slogan. Just waking up in the morning is already a blessing. It’s so nice to wake up realizing God has given us another day to live, an opportunity to help, serve and living with a purpose.

The only thing I can leave my children and grandchildren is the legacy I will leave. The 2014 Presidential Award given to me. Giving back the Glory to God and to all my mentors who were tireless in giving their help and support. This is for all of us specially the youth. Someday, someone will look at me and say... “ because of you I didn’t give up.”

To those distressed kababayans whom I have shared my love and knowledge, salamat po. It was a privilege serving them. To JEEPNEY PRESS, WHOM GOD USED TO REACH OUR KABABAYANS IN JAPAN TO SHARE THE EXPERIENCES I HAVE HAD... HAPPY 100th ISSUE! I am so blessed to be among your contributors!

SAKAY NA PO KAYO SA JEEPNEY PRESS !