Parenthood

I would like to pay tribute to my parents and to myself. Nothing earth shattering happened this week that inspired me to write this. I just feel like it.

I remember my childhood with fondness. There are lots of experiences when I was a child that hurts me but upon retrospect, I finally understand it now.

My parents did not come from a rich family. My father is a welder and my mother is a plain housewife and despite my father's low income, he was able to send all six of his children, us, to school. My mother is a superwoman in budgeting.

When I was a kid, when all I know in life is playing - I clean our front porch and I was happy to get a 25 centavos. Yup, it was a lot way back then. I would buy candies and toys for beinte singko.

I would know that it is a special occasion in our house if there will be a coke litro during dinner. And because we seldom drink softdrinks, we kids would line up all our glasses just to make sure that the coke is equally distributed among the eight glasses.

It was a big deal for my mother to buy a tang orange then or sunny orange. That is usually reserved for birthdays. Sunny orange or ritchie (where are those now?).

I am not ashamed that we were poor because during my childhood, I didn't know we were. New clothes during Christmas. Hand-me-downs is usual because I have four older brothers. New toys only after we have made the rounds of our ninongs and ninangs.

I am proud of my father and my mother. Because despite the economic difficulty, they were able to buy a lot in Cainta.

I remember then that our house is made up of yero, kahoy that during typhoons, you could hear the roof almost flying and in summer, you cannot really sleep indoors because the yero were so hot. I remember our floor, made up of dirt that every afternoon, we have to water so that the dust would settle down.

I remember our water pump that when I was a kid, my brothers and I would take turns in filling up the drum for our water needs. I remember our backyard then with kangkong, talbos ng kamote, kamoteng kahoy and aratiles. We used to have a chicken coop, and ducks, and dogs then.

And I felt then that I was lucky.

I was never envious of my rich classmates, maybe because I was innocent then. Money has really not much value for a young kid. As long as there is sampalok or aratiles, as long as we can play until night falls - patintero, tumbang preso, piko...

I never really liked vegetables except togue, squash and potato. As long as I can mash it and mix it with my food, then it's good. the broth is just fine. Sinangag is my fave breakfast but not tuyo or galunggong. Kamatis, that I like.

Things moved on dramatically after those simple yesteryears.

I don't envy the kids today na hindi na marunong magsaing, mag-igib ng tubig or maghugas ng pinggan. Spoiled na nga talaga ang generation today.

And in all of these things, my parents has remained constant. I only realized and appreciate their hardship nowadays. I hope it's not too late for me to give them something back, to make their lives a little bit easier compared to before.

They have taught me the discipline and the value of money...

TBC