Because ‘women can choose and create their own destinies’
Motherhood is a lifetime journey that is full of surprises. And probably one of the most nerve-wracking parts of this journey is when our children start to create their own path and eventually fall in love.
How does a single mother handle situations like these? During the recently held Silka event where celebrity-mom Sunshine Cruz and her daughter Angelina were introduced as its newest brand ambassadors, the mommy-daughter duo, answered.
According to Sunshine, she built a strong relationship with her three beautiful daughters by letting them know that she is their best friend. She also shares her wisdom, reminding the importance of self-love.
“I tell them that as a woman, I am not powerless. We can take over our lives. Women can choose and create their own destinies,” she says.
She also shared that she always reminds Angelina and all of her daughters that they shouldn’t be in rush in getting into a romantic relationship.
“Sinasabi ko naman talaga sa kanila na hindi porque niligawan kayo kailangan crush nyo na rin, hindi porque niligawan kayo sasagutin nyo na (I tell them that they are not obligated to commit to a man who is courting them),” she says. “I always remind them to be careful in choosing a partner, that this is not something rush. Minsan akala mo yun na talaga, hindi pa pala (Sometimes you will think that you finally found the one, then you’ll realize that it’s not).
Sunshine was married to actor Cesar Montano for 13 years until they decided to file for annulment. “I always remind them and tell them to enjoy yourself and their youth. Enjoy with your friends,” she says.
And Angelina, Sunshine’s eldest daughter listens to her mom. She proudly admits that her mom is her role model.
“I always look up to my mom every time and never stopped looking up to her. And I'm proud of how far she's gone despite the challenges she's faced. And I know she's facing as a single mother,” 19-year-old Angelina says. "I've seen how strong of a woman she is. She will always want what's the best for me. The world may turn its back on me but I'll always have her by my side. She's like my best friend.”
Shen then shared the best lessons she got from Sunshine. “An advice that she's given me would be always love myself and to always know my worth as a person and as woman. Ang babae laging my mahalaga, and we should never lose ourselves and our value,” she says. “Don’t get swayed by sweet words and false promises, and find a guy like Silka, true to its promise.”