Sunday, November 14, 2004

Viva Los Padres

A few days ago, a lightning suddenly struck my head while I was complaining to my boyfriend on how tiring my new job was. Not the job, but more of the distance that I have to get through daily, back and forth.
All this time, I've always managed to arranged my schedule and also, my previous job was mainly part time. I still had time to go out and about and just 'enjoy' life.
But this job that I have right now is the real thing. My real real, full time job.
And I was toasted.
Then reality slapped me on the face, real hard: My dad has been doing this, you know,.. working... for oh, I don't know how long. Too long!
Don't you think that most of you attached more to your mom than dad?
Not in all cases but most of you might have more bonding with your mom simply because she's around more.
But weirdly enough, some fast flashes scenarios in my head showed how my dad (this time, not my mom) worked late, went out of town for some business, etc, etc.
But I always managed to get new dresses, new watch, new cellphone, big teddy bear, etc, etc,... who paid for that? And when I'm sick, he called my mom like a thousand times a day and brought me nice stuffs back to home.
Sigh... though it's only been a week, but now I can emphatize more to how hard it is being a dad and the burden to be a bread winner & how they have to divide their time between work, kids, wife, (and their mom maybe?). When do they have time to relax? Pursue a hobby? Coz not everybody is born rich. Not all dads have all the money in the world.
So I emailed my dad. And I thanked him. Officially thanked him for all the years he spent busting his a** to be the provider. And he emailed me back, touched by my gesture and thanked me back for acknowledging that.
Sigh...
Oprah said (or maybe Oprah quoted someone) : " All the children have a hole in their heart, the shape of their fathers."
It's a tough world for dads who live on a 24-hour-a-day world and I found a whole new profound respect for them. Though it might seem like they're never around. Look around you and think of how your tuition, car, gym shoes, or nose job were paid. From whose account was that?
See...?
Then all repeat after me: Viva Los Padres.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Randomly reading on the blogspot, I was stuck on your writing, and I can't help to say this: Where have you been all this time? I also can't help myself to laugh out loud...you must be from a rich family, all you know is everything around you and not knowing 'how' it came from....or you must be very naive. You should open your eyes wider from the beginning to see that money and things are not miracle, and a lot of fathers (actually, not only fathers, a thousand of thousand working mothers out there) still couldn't afford their family even though they are working very hard. You must be very lucky to have a father who still can support your needs (dresses, watches, cellphones?). Hopefully now since you know how to make money, you can be wiser in your life, knowing that a lot of times, you can't just enjoy the luxury in life. You have to work on it. You can't just depend to someone else all the times. Definitely I don't know you, but I hope you are a not a spoil rich girl, but if you do, maybe it's time for you to change.

Mrs. Blue Cactus said...

Wow,
For someone who read my blog for only a few hundred characters, you sure have formed such shallow prejudice against me, Mr/Ms. Anonymous.
I’m not from a rich family. Just a middle class girl who is not spoiled but just realizing that we may see dad as someone that is rarely around, though I know there are many working moms in the world, my mom is a full-time mom and I have her around all the time.
And of course I know ‘how’ it came from. Duh,…. Use your common sense. Even Forrest Gump knows.
I’m just saying that it seems like dads work on the back-end of the family, and also sacrificing many things, including time for himself, including the bonding time for the children.
And, sweetie, I do work and paid a half of my tuition and have been independent quite for quite a while. Not from daddy’s ‘account’. But there were times in the past when I was younger, he paid for all and yes yes, he bought me nice stuffs, but so what? Does that make me ‘clueless’? And I am even more grateful now that I know that this cycle of everyday life has been his for tens of years. I never verbalize my ‘thank you’ for him. And I finally did.
Anyhooooow,… :) Mr./Ms. Prejudice should relax a bit. Because you're missing my point.
Yes, I think you don’t know me well enough to post those long lovely ‘advice’. Though by those lovely words, I think I can sense what kind of person you are a little bit.
Maybe next time, so I don’t have to call you Mr./ Ms. Prejudice, you might want to post your name / blog link?
Happy Monday, people! Rise and shine, 4 more days till weekend!