A Daughter's Achievement - Her Father's Pride

Last April 5, my eldest daughter Winchell graduated from Davao Doctor's College with a B.S. Biology Degree! The hardships she went through to get the diploma makes this achievement not only memorable but truly, one which every father can be proud of!

With the rest of the family having migrated to the main island to look for greener pastures, Sheng, as we fondly call her, decided to stay to finish her studies. She was on her senior year and her last semester so she refused to bow down to the heavy financial pressures besetting the whole family. She simply didn't want to let the family's effort through the years to just go to waste! Left with barely enough to keep her going, she rented a small room in a boarding house near her school so she need not take a ride. She would often skip lunch and dinner just to get by, saving whatever money she has for transportation to and pro Davao's Crocodile Farm where she was doing a required research on reptiles as a pre-requisite to her graduation. Fortunately, she had some kind-hearted friends and classmates who willingly shared with her whatever they can. She would even swallow her pride and do some tasks for her classmates like do their reports and finish some research in exchange for them shouldering some research expenses for her.

Sheng spent Christmas 2008 all by her lonely self. She asked me to call her then which
I promptly did - but we both could hardly talk as we both were choking in tears! In between sobs, sighs, and flowing tears, she managed to tell me she won't quit despite the seemingly endless difficulties she was going through. she was hell bent to finish her studies! I could feel the pain and suffering she was going through then and I just found myself telling her to just follow her mom and her siblings back to the main island. But stubborn as she is, she refused. I could no longer go on with the conversations at that time because my tears were pouring like rain.

Her own siblings stopped schooling to find work in the main island to help her finish college. Fortunately, they were able to find work immediately as call center agents. In the next few weeks after that, Sheng's burden lightened. Her two sisters and brother started sending her money to pay off her school obligations and other graduation expenses. They sent her money for her food too and even bought her a dress and a new pair of shoes for graduation.

Finally, graduation day, April 5, 2009, came. She wanted her mom to be with her during this memorable event in her life! But alas, the airfare was too expensive and the family had no more money after paying off all her school dues and graduation expenses. So, I called up my cousin Ramon's daughter who also lives in Davao to stand up for us on her graduation day. She got more than what we wanted. No less than my cousin Ramon himself accompanied Sheng to her graduation - and even prepared a party for her at their house.

Today, Sheng is with the rest of the family in the main island! Her dream is really to proceed to medical school but we just won't be able to afford it. For now, Sheng will start to look for work and this time to help out her two sisters

finish college.

I am so proud of her for having the guts and the temerity to finish schooling despite the seemingly insurmountable difficulties. I am proud of her siblings for making sacrifices too. I am proud of my wife for holding the family together during those trying times. I am proud of this family which others thought will never succeed!

 

Sheng with Cousin Ramon's Family After Her Graduation

  

Sheng with her classmates inside the crocodile cage

TAKAYUKI -A JEWEL IN THE EYES OF MY WIFE AND 3 DAUGHTERS

Yes! That is his name - Takayuki. My wife and my three daughters fondly call him Taka. His parents moved in to our neighborhood while his mother was still pregnant with him barely a year ago. His father is a Japanese national while his mother is a Filipina. Yuki was born a month before I left for the U.S. I still remember seeing him being taken out in the mornings by her mom for his daily sunning sessions. What I never expected was this slinky eyed baby will be the jewel of the eyes of my wife and my three daughters.

My own daughters are grown ups now although all three are still attending college. Having grown up together with barely a year each in between them, they never really had the joy and the experience of taking care of a kid brother or sister. So all three have always been fond of babies. They, including my wife never really mind babysitting for neighbors. In fact they love it. There is a different joy and excitement in the house when there is a baby around.

At one time when one of my daughters came home from school, she chanced upon Taka crying so hard in the hands of his mom. My daughter, a nursing student, offered to help. The mom without hesitation, handed over the crying Taka to her and lo and behold the baby stopped crying. My daughter was allowed to bring Taka home to the delight of everyone in my house. From then on, Taka became a regular in the house. And lately, I heard that the baby Taka sleeps over frequently with my daughters. There is not a day that Taka won't be at our house after my daughters come home from school because whoever among them comes home first will pass by our neighbor's house and borrow the baby.

Today, a certain sadness is felt by everyone in the house. Taka is going home to Japan with his family on October 9. All that will be left will be the fond memories of this adorable, slinky eyed Takayuki. My daughters and my wife know that baby Taka is too young to ever remember the 3 young misses who adorably love him so much and the misses's mother who Taka has also learned to call mom. For posterity's sake, and to at least perpetuate the memory of my family's lovely experience with baby Taka, I am posting their pictures together in my blog.

Our Lives by Wallace Waldo Williams

Ahhh! How fast time flies! Because of my preoccupation to give my family a good life, I simply did not notice the time go by so quickly. It’s so shocking to suddenly wake up to the reality that what used to be my four adorable babies are now four grown up “ghoulies’ (what I fondly called my kids) who’d leave me anytime to seek their own destinies in this world. This poem by Wallace Waldo Williams captures the swirling thoughts rising within the depths of my inner self as I try to grapple with the thought that I have now grown old and have wasted so much precious time which otherwise I should have spent enjoying the days of their growing up years.


Our Lives

When they are a baby, can’t wait for them to grow up
From diapers and a bottle, to drinking from a cup
First they say some words, and then they start to talk
Take the first few steps, and then they start to walk
They were just a baby, it seems just like last year
Where has time gone to, rolling down a tear

Pictures tell their story, each one a different age
You can’t get time back, their memories on every page
Every time you turn around, they’re into something new
And suddenly you realize, how fast they really grew
There was kindergarten, helped overcome their fear
Where has time gone to, rolling down a tear

Still get into trouble, they may get out on a limb
Every time you see them, you see yourself in them
Can’t help but love them, to you they are the best
Made you proud, when they got an A on any given test
You wanted to slow down, they shift it up a gear
Where has time gone to, rolling down a tear

The time in the school play, when they were the star
Taught them to ride a bike, now they drive a car
Each day they grow older, now you become older too
You want your babies back, but there’s nothing you can do
Used to want to play, now they’re planning a career
Where has time gone to, it’s rolling down a tear

Wallace Waldo Williams

Wasted Time (Inspirational Poem From http://www.lovefromtheheart.com/)

Wasted Time

A deep sorry filled my heart last night

I tried to review the recent events of my life.

I couldn’t recall but a few.

I was saddened to think that the few

memories I’ve had during recent days,

Would all soon just fade away to nothing.

Today, I have no unusual plans to think of.

How sad it is to think that this moment right now,

Will never be thought of again.

Today, very soon, today will be forever lost.

It is as if life has been just a series of significant memories

and all the time passed in between has never even existed at all.

Years of life held in a handful of dust.

Maybe today I’ll do something great that I will NEVER forget.

I feel better now. Today will not be forgotten!