Mother's Guide

Chapter 2: I Entered His World - The Bike and The Cars

After that night when I found out, I didn't know what to do. I cried all night. I wanted to shout, to ask why. But I remembered Lola's advice: "If you want to understand your child, you must enter his world." So the next morning, I woke up at 5:30 AM. I took my old bike. I said to my son, "Anak, bike tayo?" He looked shocked. He said, "Sige, Ma." We biked around the town. At first, no talking. Just biking. Just the sound of our bikes. On the second day, he started to talk." Ma, alam mo po ba yung limited edition cars? Yung isa lang sa buong mundo?"I said, "Hindi anak, kwento mo sa akin."His eyes lit up. He talked for 20 minutes about limited-edition cars, hybrid cars, horsepower, engines. I didn't understand everything, but I listened. I asked, "Ano yung hybrid, anak? Bakit tipid yun?" he explained patiently. For the first time in months, I saw my son smile. A real smile. I realized something. Teenagers are not quiet because they have nothing to say. They are quiet because they think no one is interested in their world. That bike became our safe space. No phone. No judgment. Just me, him, and the road. That was when I started to TALK and UNDERSTAND. To all mothers reading this: What is your child's world? Is it basketball? Mobile games? Drawing? K-pop? Enter it. Even if you don't understand it at first. Ask questions. Listen. That is the start of respect. That is the start of healing.