Happy Father's Day!

This is something personal… I just want to honor a very special person who is responsible for what I have become… my father. I used to think that he favored my elder brother but now I’m not sure. The sure thing is we have our own share of misunderstandings and differences. Our minds often clash. His beliefs are very traditional and mine is progressive which have resulted in heated arguments and debates on even seemingly trivial issue as politics. And would you believe that in every election, we support opposing candidates and we race to influence other family members to side with either of us.

Yes, one thing that we have in common… we are both stubborn and we steadfastly clings to our principles in life.

I don’t know where it all started, I mean our differences. Of course, we don’t fight and I always end up obeying his rules but there’s that unmistakable difference in opinion. I have a very high respect for the man. What I can only recall is I grew up without him by my side. He worked abroad for a couple of years and those were my formative years.

Yes, he is not perfect and neither am I. I can even list a full page of his shortcomings but I know that I can also list twice more of my own fault as a child. To think that most people would consider me a good son is ironic.

Undoubtedly, whatever I have become I owe it to my father. The fact that I’m rational enough to stand by my principles and beliefs is a great indication that I was raised well. He let me think and do things my way. And I know that even with our differences in opinion, he is always there to support me in his own ways.

When I visited our house in the province a couple of years ago, I saw my novels and short stories neatly stacked under our center table for every visitor to see.

He never told me about this but I know that somehow, he is proud of what I have become. I never told him about this either, but I love the old man.

Happy father's day, Tatay!