Brokenness

The only people who can hurt us the most are those we loved most. We get tamed and get used to thinking that they will stay until the end. But then we get hurt and broken because life is not a straight plain road after all. There are curves and zigzags, and we know it too well.

Elizabeth Beray, 48, said, “brokenness is a stage where a person felt helpless and hopeless. When I felt that, all I know is the pain inside me. When my husband and I decided to end our relationship, I was totally broken. The only thing that kept me going are my children”.

Elizabeth resides in Cabadbaran City her whole life. In that place she came across the face of love, but in that very place too, she lost a part of her.

She has been the kind of mother who will do anything for her children. Under the scorching heat of the sun, she worked as an insurance agent. She later on became an office clerk while selling various products. She went through a lot before she decided to open a business of her own in 2008.

The motorcycle spare parts business, however, did not go well due to high competition so she later on shifted to appliance center business. In 2014, she joined Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD), Inc. (A Microfinance NGO), an institution that offers microloans to support the livelihood activities of the socio-economically challenged women and families. She started with a PHP 3,000-loan as an additional capital to her new business.

“I am very much thankful to CARD for the financial support all throughout the times I felt alone. From PHP 3,000-loan, I can now avail up to PHP 50,000 and I am planning to use it for renovation of the store,” she said.

At present, Elizabeth is devoting all her time to managing her business and being a mother to her four kids. She had raised them well and they proceed to making their dreams a reality. One is working as a seaman in an international cargo ship, another is a fresh graduate Electrical Engineer, and the other one is also a fresh graduate of Aeronautics.

“They have their own lives now, sooner or later, they will settle down with someone they will promise a lifetime with. I only pray that they will choose well because marriage is a matter of commitment of two persons,” Elizabeth said.

Moreover, she said that her pain strengthened her. Her struggles made her see the best version of herself by putting in positive perspective her economic condition and with assistance from CARD, she made herself whole again.

Life taught us to be stronger, mistakes help us understand the deep purpose of our existence. All things indeed worked together for good to those who love sincerely and genuinely.