Fatherhood
My dad is celebrating his 69th birthday on Monday, 7 August. I will go to mass tomorrow and give thanksgiving for the gift of a wonderful man for a father (and with an equally superb mom to boot!).
I will continue to wax poetic about my Pingping. In this lifetime there is just not enough words to put together to describe how he has influenced my life and my siblings to what we have become. No man I know has the patience, love and tolerance for his brood like he does.
He rarely got angry and when he did we knew we had crossed the line. Of the few instances that I remember when he lost his cool it had been about work, or traffic or anything else. He was very protective - not just of the family name but specially of his kids. He never got used to having my sister and I being away from home. Whenever he can, he would still find a way to press us to come home for the holidays (and I always end up flying home in time for noche buena). When we were in high school and had to go to a bivouac as part of our military training requirement, he'd drive to our campsite on our last day away with my mom to fetch us. They would pack a warm meal, fresh clothes and stuff that totally embarrassed us being in high school and smothered. Of course it didn't come across as very endearing to us back then specially for my sister who happened to be the corps commander.
Nicole will always be his favorite girl. Now in her senior year in college, my dad still insists on driving up to her dorm to fetch her in the weekends. He finds it unacceptable for his grand daughter to take the bus and commute. And then he makes sure there is a pillow for her so she can nap on the long drive home. Seems to him we will forever be his babies, regardless how old we get.
When Nicole had to go through her emergency surgery in June, Francis, Gigi and I tried to keep things under wraps from my parents until the last minute when we had all the facts and the arrangements to minimize their worry time. And during that moment when I was a wreck, I made sure that I had composed myself well before I talked to my parents to not burden them emotionally of my distance. But as soon as my father came to the phone and I heard his voice, it was goodbye composure and I was instantly bawling. His voice so comforting felt like the warm embrace I always long for when things go wrong and I am far away. The kind of love that is unspoken but is genuinely felt and is a constant presence.
Not many have been blessed with parents like mine. I thank God everyday for them and their gift of unconditional love. And I pray everyday still that they continue to stay healthy and that they may be gifted with many more years to share with us and in the successes of our lives to which they had given so much.
Happy Birthday, Pingping!!!
I will continue to wax poetic about my Pingping. In this lifetime there is just not enough words to put together to describe how he has influenced my life and my siblings to what we have become. No man I know has the patience, love and tolerance for his brood like he does.
He rarely got angry and when he did we knew we had crossed the line. Of the few instances that I remember when he lost his cool it had been about work, or traffic or anything else. He was very protective - not just of the family name but specially of his kids. He never got used to having my sister and I being away from home. Whenever he can, he would still find a way to press us to come home for the holidays (and I always end up flying home in time for noche buena). When we were in high school and had to go to a bivouac as part of our military training requirement, he'd drive to our campsite on our last day away with my mom to fetch us. They would pack a warm meal, fresh clothes and stuff that totally embarrassed us being in high school and smothered. Of course it didn't come across as very endearing to us back then specially for my sister who happened to be the corps commander.
Nicole will always be his favorite girl. Now in her senior year in college, my dad still insists on driving up to her dorm to fetch her in the weekends. He finds it unacceptable for his grand daughter to take the bus and commute. And then he makes sure there is a pillow for her so she can nap on the long drive home. Seems to him we will forever be his babies, regardless how old we get.
When Nicole had to go through her emergency surgery in June, Francis, Gigi and I tried to keep things under wraps from my parents until the last minute when we had all the facts and the arrangements to minimize their worry time. And during that moment when I was a wreck, I made sure that I had composed myself well before I talked to my parents to not burden them emotionally of my distance. But as soon as my father came to the phone and I heard his voice, it was goodbye composure and I was instantly bawling. His voice so comforting felt like the warm embrace I always long for when things go wrong and I am far away. The kind of love that is unspoken but is genuinely felt and is a constant presence.
Not many have been blessed with parents like mine. I thank God everyday for them and their gift of unconditional love. And I pray everyday still that they continue to stay healthy and that they may be gifted with many more years to share with us and in the successes of our lives to which they had given so much.
Happy Birthday, Pingping!!!