Happy Daddy's Day!

They say that any man can be a father but it takes a special person to be a dad. My dad is not perfect, but to me and to my two siblings, he is certainly special.

He and I have never been that close ever since but I know that he is greatly responsible for who I am and for what I have become.

I know that I took after him when it comes to vanity because like me, my dad is super vain. But aside from that, I know that I grew up with his values engraved deep in my heart. Like me, dad is also laid-back but he has provided well for his family, with the help of mom of course, and is generous to all us.

He never fails to make us feel protected and sheltered by his care and his love. He always makes sure to pass on words of wisdom to guide us through life. And even if we often disagree, he and I, he has never been controlling and has never made unfair and unreasonable demands from me.

That’s why I want to thank him for the love, support, guidance and the friendship. I thank him for being the rock that gives me a secure foundation and for being the wings that enable me to soar high.

I may seldom say this, but I am truly grateful that God has sent us a hero whom we call dad. And I pray that he will be blessed with more strength and faith to withstand the tests of life. I especially pray for good health and peace of mind. I pray the he will be blessed with a lot more time to be with us, his grandchildren and his friends!

We Love you, Daddy! Happy Father’s Day!

To Mommy With Love

We are not exactly the best of friends, my Mom and I. In fact we often disagree on almost everything. And she's not my number one fan either. She often disapproves of anything I do. But don't get me wrong. She isn't so bad. Not at all. You see, I am the black Sheep. That's why.

We seldom have a "moment" between us. I am pretty much independent, thus I am most of the time on my own. And to her, I always seem so distant and withdrawn. I must admit that I am. The only moment we had that I can remember was during my first day in college. I wanted to study at a university but she insisted that I go to an all-girls school. I was heartbroken. She came with me to Manila and stayed with me for like a month until I got myself familiar with everything. She brought me to school on my first day. I was really so shy then, being a promdi and all so she sat with me all through out the orientation thing. When it was over and time to enter the classrooms, she approached the kindest and nice looking girl in my class and introduced me to her. She asked the girl to show me around and to be with me. She practically asked her to be my friend! It was touching. And for the next few months of my college life I would always miss her and could not help but cry while walking down the hallways of St.Paul.

My Mom never runs out of wise words to say to me. And she would always nag me about everything too. From the food I eat to the little things I do. The only thing that she doesn't have a say to is the clothes I wear. And thank God for that! But she would constantly nag me about praying the Rosary or reading the Bible (she just reminded me to bring the Bible on my way back here but I forgot to do so). She would always nag me about buying a blender (which I finally just did) and make either a carrot or apple juice everyday. She would always nag me to hear Mass every Sunday too. She would always tell me to do some exercise to keep fit (aside from yoga) and to cut on sugar and junk food. And the long list goes on...

But despite the absence of the usual best friend relationship between my Mom and I, like most of the mothers and daughters have, she remains to be the only person who never fails to pray for me (and maybe the other one is my best friend of four years). She is very prayerful and I know deep down that she always prays that I may find what I have been looking for and what I have come here to achieve, so that soon I will fly home and stay near her and my whole family for good.

I know I seldom say this and I will say it now. Thank you, Mom for your never ending support and the endless prayers. Sometimes I wonder why things always turn out well and better for me. And I realize, it's because God always listens to prayers of mothers like you when daughters like me sometimes forget to pray and allow themselves to be caught in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! I pray that you always find joy in your life and peace in your heart. And I thank God for blessing me and my sisters with a person like you to be our Mother! We love you!

April's Birthday Girls

To my mommy who will be celebrating her birthday on April 23, I wish you more love, more peace, more strength, more faith and good health. Thank you for your prayers.

To my sisters Pax and Lei who will be celebrating their birthdays on April 10 (yes, they have the same birthday!), I wish you both inner peace, joy and good health.

Family Bonding

Our Bonding Moments

Missing Kay

I decided to ring Kay, my niece, around 8:00p.m. today. It's her birthday after all. The girl just turned seven years old and as I remember, she sometimes is bratty and would not take my calls especially if she's in one of her not-so-good moods. But today should be a happy day so decided to give it a shot.

I called up her mom's mobile phone, since she's not allowed to own one yet. Her mom, my sister, whom I call Pax, answered the phone right away. I asked if I could speak with Kayla. While Pax was shouting to Kayla to hurry and take my call, I was crossing my fingers and silently praying that she's in a good mood and that she'd take my call. I was calling from overseas after all, which could cost a lot if it takes a while for her to answer, especially that it's off peak. And besides I have not talked to her for seven months now and I really would love to hear her voice!

She was in a really good mood and took the call. Thank God for that!

I said " Hi, Kayla! Happy Birthday!"

She was silent for a moment trying to put a name and a face to the voice on the other end of the line. Then she suddenly recognized me and blurted out:

" Hey Tita, I miss you! Could you come home now?"

Isn't that sweet? Anyway, I told her:

"I miss you too but I could not go home just yet. Will see you in a week's time though."

She sounded sad upon hearing this and replied:

"No, next week is still far off. Just come home now."

See how bratty she can be sometimes? But I must say that she often reminds me of myself. I was a brat too when I was her age.

To please her, I told her that it would not be long until I get home. It'll just be a mere week after all. She was skeptical. To brighten her up, I asked her what birthday gift would she want to receive from me and she said something about a play money. I wonder what that is. But I am glad it is not "real money" she was asking...ha ha. I told her that I will buy her one as soon as I get home. But she did not seem thrilled about that. She just wanted me to go home for her birthday.

And then unfortunately the line went bad and I could not hear her anymore. I know she's still on the other end but I just could not make out what she was saying. I kept barking my "hellos" and "are you still there?" but sadly the line just went dead on me.

I am so glad we had the chance to talk even for just a while but I must admit that I also feel this terrible longing to see her after talking to her. I can't wait to fly home.