A Father Like No Other

One of the few pictures
I have with papa
when I was a baby :)

I grew up not spending a lot of time with my father. When I was a kid, my uncles were the ones who stood as my father for papa is working abroad.

I was grade 2 at that time, it was my first year to study in Libya.
My Father is the one who received the award with me.

When I reach 7 years old, my mother brought me to Libya (where they're both working) so we could be together as a family.  But even in Libya, we still couldn't spend more time with him due to his crazy schedule at work, until came the time he stayed in there company on weekdays and went home only during weekends.

My mom would always tell me,
"Ako lagi nyong kasama,si papa nyo minsan lang,
kaya sya sasama sa'yo paakyat ng stage."

When we returned here in the Philippines for good, we left papa in Libya. They've decided that he'd work and mama will stay with us and guide as a we grow.  My father would have his vacations here once every two years, then it became once a year, until he had his vacation every 6 months.  When their company closed during the great recession last 2008/2009, that's the time we were able to see and talk to him everyday.  But even if papa is with us, my brother and I would approach our mother more than him simply because my father is type of person who doesn't talk much.

It was my last year in college where I got to talk and bond with my father more. Since he was the one who gives my allowance, he's the one who accompanies me to visit the hospitals/clinics where I'll have my duty every month. He'd teach me the different route going to those hospitals/clinics. My father loves PBA as well as I do, so when I had a patient who's a PBA player during my internship, we'd talk about basketball and other stuff about PBA everytime I went home after duty. We'd watch PBA with my brother (who's also a PBA fan) and we'd cheer for our favorite team/s.

Ginebra vs. Talk n Text PBA Commissioner's Cup 2011

My father, he hadn't have much time to give us when we were little but still we never felt that he is far or that he is not with us. And now my father as well my brother and I are filling those years we weren't together. We don't go out to watch movies or to eat at restaurants, but we don't need those things, being home with our father is enough.

I thank the Lord for giving us a father like no other.
Happy Father's day to all dads, papas, and tatays out there!