Happy Birthday Puring

To Mama, On The Occasion of Her 80th Birthday

We're the Vargas 8, could've been nine if Mama's first seed survived,
I became the first-born, stronger and I was told already had a will when birthed
Four other girls in between and the last, of three boys he's named Mike, he surprised us all when he arrived long after it was thought Mama's years of birthing was past.

Then came Nancy, who had been first a nurse, then flew the world wearing Eastern's badge now Eastern's no more, she went to the University of Maryland, She aced calculus and got herself a CPA, 2 girls named Lara and Maya, and a witty hubby, good ol’e boy Barry

Hazel, fancified, we renamed Anneteele
Has Sara by her side
While Minda, a souvenir from Mindanao
Has Zak carrying the hopes of our youth now past
Bonnie bones, no longer as shy the youngest and last of the dames, can't get a word in edgewise among us, now thrives among her flowers in her garden of dreams

Juan, Jr., Ivanhoe, Banong, or Ban
Carried on his shoulders the expectations of a clan, the first-born male, after 5 tries
Why do you think we grew to eight?
But as these things go, two more came after, So there were three to carry the name in the generation after. Juan, Lemuel, Miguel, the charmed brothers, all have wives but none have sons, it remains for Mike to bear one with Pilar for as of now Zak stands alone to carry the hopes of the clan

We’re the Vargas 8
We sprung from Pasacao, then Mindanao
We were children and adolescents in Panganiban, Naga and Manila are where we saw the possibilities of how big the world can be but not without Mama’s imagination, for it was her dreams and hopes that we carried
When we crossed the big Pacific Ocean, To the other side of the earth, Ahh, the USA
We became grown-ups in America
We grew wings in America
We grew horns in America
That’s what Mama would say
When we begin to act too big for our britches And forget briefly where we came from

So here we are, all graying, what you see now is what you get, we hope we make our Mama proud, we hope we helped fulfill her dreams, it is such a small thing she asks, to be here on her 80th birthday, and remember the times when we Were children at her feet, with Papa at her side, smiling and believing that life will be beautiful and fulfilling for us all

To Mama on her 80th birthday
We can never count the ways we love you
And thank you for all you do for us
Happy Birthday!