LGBTQ mom gets her simple wish

LGBTQ mom gets her simple wish | Daily Tribune

For the “differently gendered,” mothering a child does not have to mean bearing a baby but, all the same, unconditional love that sometimes exceeds that with a biological link flows.

Being a mom is a herculean task but toiling endlessly to see her stepchildren through school and molding them into responsible adults are heroic acts.

Adoracion Relox, fondly called Auntie Inday by her friends, is the epitome of a mother’s unconditional love, having raised not only Christoper and Christian but also supported them through school in whatever way possible.

Auntie Inday is a member of the LGBTQ+ community who in 1989 met her love partner, Carol, who had two children.

They vowed to love and be there for each other in a symbolic marriage in front of St. Jude Church months after their paths intertwined.

A “Jane of all trades,” Auntie Inday went through life’s gauntlet to earn a living and put food on the table. There was also the need to sustain the education of Carol’s sons from earlier failed relationships.

Inday became a “jueteng bet collector,” earning small commissions, and tagged along as a coordinator during election campaigns to make ends meet.

Handicapped in society

“I couldn’t get a decent job as I am only an elementary graduate. As they say, just earn enough to tend to your family. Although I was getting commissions from illegal gambling, I was not ashamed of it,” she said.

Carol is as industrious as Auntie Inday, taking multiple jobs, and their income together provided for the family’s upkeep.

Life became tougher in the latter part of the 1990s when Auntie Inday had an accident where she was pinned by a dump truck, which resulted in the breaking of her tibia that was replaced with a titanium steel.

Carol took up more responsibilities then, but when Auntie Inday regained her strength she again engaged in “rackets” to augment their income.

Time to breathe

After years of a difficult journey, both of their sons completed their college education.

Christopher finished Customs Administration at the Lyceum of the Philippines, while Christian made it to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

Auntie Inday is approaching 75 and she is now enjoying life with Carol, as their two sons are giving them the life that they missed during their early years as a family.

Asked how she feels after going through life’s challenges, Auntie Inday said she is thankful to be considered the best mom by her two sons.

“I feel their love for me and I love them in return for calling me Mama Inday. That is my source of satisfaction,” she said.

Thus, Carol and Inday cherish Mother’s Day which is also a special occasion for Christopher and Christian, as they have two moms to celebrate it with, believing in the saying that “a mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take.”

The life story of Auntie Inday needed to be told, as this writer is a living witness to her memorable journey.