Our Dancing Queen 👑

 

Young and sweet. Only seventeen. That is our dancing queen, our sweet and beautiful mother. She can dance, she can jive... Having the time of her life...

Our mother was born on May 3rd, 1954. She was originally named "Maria Cruz Venus Mapusao" but our lola changed her mind when our mum kept falling sick. The name sounded ominous as it reminded them of the "cross" so she was renamed "Nancy," a name that sounds simple and easy-breezy.

Excited for her first dancing party after the pandemic.
February 2021

Our mother is celebrating her seventeenth birthday today somewhere in Japan so she is not dancing with her friends and buddies as she would usually do on Saturdays.

As you can see, our mum loves dancing, and "Dancing Queen" is one of her all-time favorite songs. She would always sing this song on Karaoke or Magic Sing. All the time. I don't get tired of listening because she has a beautiful voice.

Mama Sarah joined one of our mum's dancing parties.
May 2023

But her dancing parties are not complete without dressing up. She has a good taste in fashion but knows how to choose dresses well both in terms of quality as well as costs. Most of her dresses are elegant while others would emphasize her curves. She doesn't have a perfect body and is not even slim at all, but she carries her dresses well.

All black with red shoes as a surprise.
October 2023

Preparing for ballroom often takes one to two hours. Of course, when a dress makes her happy, a few shots should be taken. Good thing, I love taking photos and she knows how to pose like a real model (she used to have so many "tagahanga" during her campus days in UP). When everything's all set and done, she would ride my honda civic and I will drive her to the hotel. My mum prefers my car as it is the sleekest and most comfortable.

Pretty in Jazzy Pink.
October 2023  
    

On the dancing floor, she glides like a real queen. She would take risks here and there, do the seemingly impossible just to try. There, she would show her graceful moves. She's the perfect definition of "elegance and grace." One of our cousins remember that when our mum was still young, she was already a good dancer. Up to now, she still is.

This is one of her most elegant dresses.
May 2022

Up close

This is her exercise, her entertainment, her age-defying secret. And as a loving son, I would want to write an article about my mum and her hobby. Of course, I want her to be happy and smile on her very birthday, which is today.

Caveat though, I couldn't have made these all in one go. It took me about a week to select her best photos and maybe an hour or two to write all these up few nights before her birthday. But here it is, for all of you to see, in all its glory.

Good tidings during the Advent Season.
December 2024

Now, I don't want you to think that my mum is all about dancing only. Aside from being a good dancer, she has also been a good wife, mother, and sister too. As a wife, my father is the best person to ask, but I bet, he wouldn't say a word but agree with me regardless.

Our father kissing our mum during her 65th birthday.
May 2019

Happy Couple during Papa's 76th birthday.
March 2024

But seriously, I do notice that she and our father had good partnership. They've had plenty of accomplishments as a couple. My father won three elections from Kagawad to Vice Mayor to Mayor. He wouldn't have made it without the help of our mother and without having a good relationship with her.

But perhaps, the better accomplishment was their run-from-behind success. Even after leaving politics more than two decades ago, they were able to grow their wealth together.

Like a 17th-Century Diego Velazquez painting.
November 2024

As a mother, I would say that she is caring, sweet, and super-tidy. I guess we're very fortunate that both of them are so tidy and organized, our family home is clean and comfortable. Her sweetness is incomparable. She has a soothing voice that blows all stressors and toxins away. In all her ways, she is nurturing and relaxing. I am very blessed to have her as a mother.

Gliding smoothly through the dancefloor.

Her dress follows every step she makes.

From one to the other side with finesse and grace.

A climactic moment during her birthday. Rest in peace, Tito Radem.
May 2023

I would say that, like every family, we have our own share of imperfections. Absolutely no one is blameless or impeccable. But, in all honesty, I would say that ours is a happy home. Yes, I mention "home" not family, because for me, our home includes all the memories and all the pets we've ever had. Our family is already happy as it is, but it is not complete without our pets. And all of these things wouldn't have been possible without our mother and our father.

During our mum's 69th birthday.
May 2023

Welcoming the Year of the Green Dragon.
January 2024

During our brother's wedding.
July 2024

So today is not only a day to celebrate my mother's birthday but also an opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to the sweetest mother in the entire world... my mum!

Happy 17th Birthday, Dra. Nancy Mapusao Andes!!!