Summary

In the introduction, Garbes describes her mother as “a natural-born caretaker” (1). As a child “growing up in Mandaluyong,” she showed care for living things (1). As an adult, she pursued a nursing career, training at Philippine General Hospital “before immigrating” to the States (1). In the States, she worked in hospice care, fostering relationships with her patients and their families.

When Garbes became a mother, she began to realize the power of her mother’s caregiving (2). Now with two children, Garbes often wonders how her mother did so much.

Throughout her life, Garbes has been curious about her Filipina identity. She has two older brothers, both of whom know Tagalog, a language her parents did not teach her to protect her from discrimination.

After meeting at the University of the Philippines, Garbes’s parents moved to the States. Because they both worked...