PAPA

I had a beautiful chat this morning with an old friend that stated about his visit to his father in a far place Naga to see him after 22 years. This aspect of his life when we were classmates in the Graduate school at XU was part of the discussions that we had which he related to have culminated last week in the visit. The experience did not really move him a bit to tears during the encounter but was slowly eating him from the inside and broke in a bucket of tears on his bus ride back to Manila.

He also related how his father's absence had paved way to a financial concern of the family but made them leap higher to strive to finish studies, get married, employed with XU and now he is about to defend his thesis in his masters degree in Guidance and Counseling.

The meeting with his father has been the most awaited and unexpected part of his life. He was hinted by a friend that gave him the address. And so when he was joining a seminar in Manila, he intentionally traveled 14 hours to meet his father. This though came as a big surprise to his father who is now old and suffering from some illness.

The situation according to him made him more confident to face his responsibilities as a father which to this day, he makes it his top priority. He also focuses his thesis study on students with broken homes and the latter's effect to their academic performance. His findings according to him are really indicative of the situation that they are into such that there is high level of anxiety and lack of confidence from these students based on the survey he conducted.

While listening, i felt like breaking down but held up to continue with the story. (At this point i would say...this is how it is with me when i listen to life's breaking stories).

Making family as top priority. This is something that is presented to my face this morning. I have not seen too, my father for months already. I don't know what has transpired at his end but i have not really grown to be attached to him except with my mother. Though i find my father a friend other than being that of a father but i admit i lack that special attachment with him. Perhaps because i have not really felt the warmth or perhaps series of painful encounters in the past led me farther emotionally.

If my friend was desperately searching for his own father for 22 years, my very own father is at my reach ...just in Bukidnon...and i am like feeling all along that he will just always be there when i need him...but talking with my friend early this morning made that difference...i have to reach out to my own father...I feel even blessed to just have him near. I should not wait though, for certain illness or whatever incident to happen to push me to pay him the visit. I love my father and i know in my heart that this situation is leading me to do something to be with him... If i had not felt that warmth...maybe perhaps, i only saw that i needed to be filled and satisfied by that love...but i missed the real point...TO SIMPLY LOVE HIM.

I LOVE YOU PAPA. SEE YOU SOON..:-)