The D Spot

Today the 3rd Sunday of June is Father’s Day—a day meant to complement Mother’s Day celebrated on the 2nd Sunday of May. Both may be Hallmark Holidays—blame the commercialization to Anna Jarvis who helped found both days, but still mothers and fathers deserve to be honored in their special day, at least once a year.

No one father is perfect—this is a given, in the same way that no one person is perfect (except of course Our Father and His Son) here on earth.

The father of my 4 sons and 3 daughters is not perfect either. He has his flaws, he has his moments, he has his habits, he has his moods, he has his angry moments, his quiet moments, his memory lapses for forgetting birthdays (it happened just recently) and many more. But I would digress on this. Despite all of the flaws, the imperfections, the moods, the habits, the angry moments, the quiet moments, forgetfulness and more, my kids respect and love their father for what he is—no matter what.

And this is the real essence of Father’s Day. That is why I would rather speak of the beautiful moments that he has shared and continues to share with his children.

He also has his loving moments (despite his not being physical and showy), he has his caring moments (despite being busy at work and his business trips), he has his open moments (despite his being a very private person and quiet most times). He has his fatherly moments (when he scolds a child and says his piece even if it hurts and even if he turns out to be the “kontrabida”). He has his proud moments (when he talks proudly of the achievements of his sons and daughters).

He has his selfless moments

•    when he spends P50 for his lunch when money runs out just to give his last P500 to a kid who needs to buy a book;
•    when he takes the cab to church when a kid needs to take a car to school on a Saturday;
•    when he fetches a kid from a party at 12 midnight just to be asked to please come back at 1 am, then go to another kid to fetch her to find out that she has gone home with some friends who offered a ride then back to the other kid;
•    when he runs errands in between work for a daughter who is in law school who has to catch up on sleep instead of personally doing the tasks herself;
•    when he joins the family to dinners and gigs that run till past midnight when his sleeping hours really start at 10pm the latest;
•    when he does not spend so much for his trips abroad just to save up for the kids;
•    when he tells stories about his childhood just so he could connect;
•    when he buys the little things for the kids that I personally would not buy, like umbrellas, cell phone casings when their phones were the old models, alcohol/alcogel, citronella candles for the mosquitoes, etc.;
•    when he would go to Mini Stop for an emergency purchase of feminine napkins;
•    when he would religiously lead the prayers every night even if most of us are already too sleepy to recite the prayers;
•    when he would give his MRT card to anyone who needs it for an unexpected MRT ride, and he ends up falling in line to buy one;
•    and so many more of the small things that sometimes one fails to appreciate.

Yes, the real essence of Father’s Day is seeing the best in our fathers, loving them and respecting them—no matter what. Treating them well, too, after all—we would not be here on earth had it not been one half because of our fathers (mothers being the other half). It would be a cliché to say—make everyday a Father’s Day, but I am saying it just the same.

To the father of my 4 boys and 3 girls—HAPPY FATHER’S DAY! To my son, Angelo, to my father (bless his soul!), to my brothers, to my brothers-in-law, to my dear friends, and to all you fathers our there—Happy Father’s Day. May your sons and daughters love, respect and treat you well, no matter what!

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