Let me tell you about the most important guy in my life: My dad.
I can honestly say that I never really know my Dad that well. Bits and pieces of his life would just come from conversation with with relatives. He enjoys talking but does not talk much about his life. So I would just share some things about him through my own experiences.
My dad came from a big family. During the Japanese time, it wasn't such a great idea. He had a difficult time as a kid but learned to make the most of it. He did odd jobs to help him finish school and get a decent job.
I was very attached to my dad when I was young. I would recall crying every morning when I wake up and he's already on his way out of the house. So the helper would make it a point that I wake up a little later to avoid that kind of drama.
He's very attentive to our studies. I even got used to asking him every question in my homework and writing his responses verbatim. Sometimes I would complain that he has very lengthy responses to very short and simple questions.
He is a patient man. I can only recall a few times that I got spanked or even scolded by him (hmm.. probably my mom did that most of the time). As a silent moral teacher, we siblings learned to be responsible for our own actions.
Like most fathers, he is a good provider to his family. At some point, I even misconstrued that his work was more important than his own family. But the truth is, he spends most of his time at work in order to provide us with a comfortable life.
My father experienced some rough times before retirement. Because of some problems at work, he got into a phase of depression. I got a call from a hospital near our home that our father was there, injured. When we rushed in to get him, I was surprised that he was drunk. He was holding on to me, crying and apologizing over and over. I have never seen my dad in such low spirit. I realized that he too also needs us, the way we need him.
As a retired government employee, my dad is already enjoying the fruits of his labor. He enjoys spending time at home: doing some gardening, carpentry, looking after our pets, browsing the internet. He has the tendency to be makulit at times for lack of something to do. Since all his children are already living in separate homes, he would always anticipate weekends as a time for us to be together again.
Whenever I feel sad about not having everything I want, my home would always remind me that I have everything I ever needed. My dad included.
Happy Father's Day!!!
