I have so much respect for people who planted trees. There’s no guarantee they’ll even get to taste the fruits of their labor. It's such a selfless act.
That’s exactly what my mama did when she was still with us. She planted fruit trees along every edge of our land. My papa would shake his head and say, ‘Why waste your time on these? You won’t be around when they bear fruit. Plant kamote or cassava instead, at least you’ll eat what you grow.’ But my mama? Nothing could stop her. She just kept planting... as if she could see something the rest of us couldn’t.

And it’s true, she passed away without ever tasting a single fruit from the trees she planted. But now, every time we go back to the province, my kids run straight to Lola's trees. You should see how their faces light up once they find some fruit to pick. It's like mama is still feeding us.