Celebrities, Pinoy Showbiz News
The Other Side of ZsaZsa Padilla
By Valerie Tort
ZsaZsa Padilla proved that there was such thing as spiritual healing and recovery. After filming the movie ZsaZsa Zaturnah Za Moveeh in 2006, the former model turned actress faced a lifelong spiritual journey that strengthened her faith in God Almighty.
ZsaZsa Padilla’s emotional roller coaster combusted as soon as another surgery must be done to correct her critical condition. With numerous commitments she must attend to alongside with her serious condition, everything seemed to be so difficult and demanding. Her overflowing emotions reached its peak even during lunch hour, said the crew of ZsaZsa Zaturnah Za Moveeh. Yet, she continued to hold on to God’s saving grace and mercy as she struggled with every step she made.
“I was born with a narrow urethra which got swollen through the years because the urine back flowed. Instead of coming out, it would go back to my kidney. My kidney got swollen. Last year I was treated in the States, I was opened up. Then, I started feeling the pain again, so the surgery. To make sure that everything is working, I have to be tested every six months. I do not know if I have to bear with this condition for the rest of my life,” the singer, actress, and television host recalled.
This is the time when she sought God for strength and power to overcome her fears and agitations towards the approaching surgery. “There was stress because you do not know what was going to happen in the next weeks,” she said. Prayers were her resort to gain emotional stability while fighting the battle between deadlines of tapings and other commitments and her life-threatening illness.
She began to recognize how powerful prayers were and how visible God was in her life. “I just thank God that I’m still alive,” ZsaZsa Padilla said. Her second surgery became a test of her faith I God. “That kind of experience can really bring you closer to God. I now read the Bible every morning and that became a new thing for me,” she elaborated.
With all the rumors and being labeled as an anorexic, ZsaZsa Padilla managed to surpass all the criticisms. She took good care of herself through exercising, and eating right. Though she knew that she continued living a healthy life, the rumors heightened the public’s attention. “It was painful for me to be branded something else because I am really fit,” she confessed. She continued to prove to the public that being anorexic was just a rumor. She walked her way to gain weight not only to disprove gossips but also for her speedy recovery.
ZsaZsa Padilla never imagined herself going through a near-death experience. “You know, when you go through a life-threatening experience, you begin to look at life from a different point of view. I have to live life a bit more; I have to enjoy life! So as soon as I was well enough, I traveled to Australia with my daughters. I realized that I shouldn’t be mad about the intrigues that I’m anorexic. There is so much intrigue then and I was sick, so I’m extremely under pressure,” she added.
With a second life to be thankful for, ZsaZsa Padilla understood the importance of family and the sense of togetherness. She reflected how she raised her kids and the precious time she spent with them. Being a mother for ZsaZsa Padilla was more than being a plain wife taking care of the children.
“I’m not a hands-on mom in the sense that I had my career so early. I was 18 when I had Karylle and I had explained it so many times, I couldn’t have done it better. When I had Zia and Nicole, I realized, that should have been the time when I had my first child, it was really too soon for me. I’m always there for my kids but, sometimes, they would complain that I don’t have time in the real essence of the word.
“It’s just that a lot of my time is in work, but no regrets because when they were younger, I’ve given them enough time. It’s not just really who I am. Before, parang nahihiya kang sabihin na your mom is just a plain housewife. Only when I became a mom myself that I realized that it’s a lifetime career. The dedication and all, I realized, mahirap pala talaga.”
“When I look at our photos so happy bonding together, I say that no amount of money could buy all those beautiful memories,” she recalled. The essence of having her family beside her was a blessing. “Too many times, I have gone against the normal flow of things just to realize that it simply would not work. The more I push, the stronger the resistance,” ZsaZsa Padilla pertained to the earthly deeds without expressing gratefulness for God’s blessings.
As much as possible, she committed herself in reaching out to her daughters. “Traveling was the best time to bond with your family especially for working individuals like us. So, I’m thinking of traveling more often with my family.”
With all these trials she encountered, ZsaZsa Padilla never missed experiencing mid-life crisis. “Yes, like everybody else. After I turned 40, I got depressed. I gained weight and I could not explain it. I experienced hot flashes. Suddenly, I became acutely aware of my looks,” she described.
“At forty, it’s good because I realized that it’s just up to you to make the change—that the power was mine; I can choose to feel miserable or to feel better about myself. I know all this is superficial, but along with it also came a lot of healing because I was going through so much. I was in mid-life crisis sort of thing.”
Going through these life’s challenges contributed to the singer, actress, and television host’s devotion to God. It was her secret power. She may never be a superhero in real life, but the Almighty Creator transformed her into a super woman—as she handled life’s ups and downs with the needed reinforcement from above.
“It’s true that life is short. You just have to enjoy it. It’s okay to work hard but you should give yourself a break every now and then,” ZsaZsa Padilla said as she continued her newfound life.
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About Valerie Tort: .
10 Apr 2007 Valerie Tort