Mariel Rodriguez and her mom April. Image: Instagram/@marieltpadilla
Mariel Rodriguez was emotional as she expressed her love for her mother April, who died a few days before Christmas, through a heartfelt letter detailing some of their favorite memories together.
Rodriguez looked back at some of her unforgettable moments with her mom through a letter during the latter’s interment, while noting she couldn’t bear to give a eulogy, as seen in a video on her Instagram account on New Year’s Eve.
“I want to thank you for many things. Thank you for all the summers in Japan. It taught us how to travel independently. You taught us how to ski and fear no rollercoasters. You rode them all with us, and that’s why I rode them with my kids. Summers in my Japan were my most favorite memory. Thank you for coming home to visit,” she said.
“I always had nice things because of you. One time, I was in the hospital and you came home for me. Thank you for doing that. Thank you for always being fun. Thank you for the movies you introduced to us,” she added.
The TV host also shared that “food is [her mother’s] love language,” while sharing that omurice and miso soup were her favorite meals of hers. “Thank you for all the omurice, she would always put a heart or smiling face using ketchup. The miso soup always felt like a warm hug.”
“I was eight when you first let me try raw oysters. The canned peaches and canned cream tasted better with you. A lot of my favorites are introduced through you,” she continued.
With her voice shaking, Rodriguez said there would come a time when she would grow old with a “beautiful” face, as her mother is the “most beautiful” person for her.
“Thank you for always being proud of me. To you, I was the best at what I did,” she said. “Thank you for loving my children. Thank you for all the sacrifices and understanding. You were never scared to give. Thank you for everything.”
Rodriguez, who broke down in tears at this moment, said the “most important thing” she wanted to tell her mother was “sorry” because of “all the pain [she] caused.” And for her, she’s looking forward to the moment when she’ll see her mother again.
“The most important thing I want to tell you is, ‘I’m sorry.’ I’m sorry for all the times I hurt you, for all the pain I’ve caused you. I’m really sorry that you didn’t get to hear me say this when you’re alive,” she said. “I love you. I will miss you. And I’m happy for you, because I know your prayers have been answered. I look forward to reuniting with you again.”
Fellow celebrities Toni Gonzaga, Alex Gonzaga, Claudine Barretto, Carla Abellana, Barbie Imperial and Vina Morales paid their respects to Rodriguez’s mother, as seen in the comments of her post.
Image: Screengrab from Instagram/@marieltpadilla
The former “Pinoy Big Brother” host confirmed her mom’s death last Dec. 23 on a separate Instagram post, but no further details were given.