Father’s Day in Spain is celebrated on March 19th but both in USA and the Philippines, this year it was celebrated on June 19.
It seems that we start agreeing with our father and giving him credit (and actually paying attention to his long sermons) after we get older ourselves and start living what he lived before. There’s a reason for the saying “voice of experience”. Fathers actively participate and are highly involved in our lives. They protect, support and love us all the way!
Nowadays symbolically, we show our gratitude and what he means to us with a gift once a year to remember our Dad on Father’s Day . As for me, with my Dad, all that remain are my fond memories of him. Gone as he may be his quotes remain in my mind and my favorite is:
"Learn to live the ways of a poor man, because you do not need practice to live a rich man's life". Thoughts and memories, even when we are gone they remain as a legacy.
The following are gathered family's fond memories of our Dad.
He loved order but according to his ways to make it easy for him to find things, and not for us to merely get things out of the way.
He was a continuous support and an inspiration to lead us to obtain our dreams. And I never heard harsh words from him, whatever he had to say, he said it in a way that did not hurt but served to encourage.
He was really a 'voice of experience' and perhaps during our younger times, we didn't believe him sometimes but now we realize that there was wisdom in what he was telling us!!!
He used to play the violin to calm down Mommy when she was angry or to put me to sleep when I could not sleep.
He delighted himself watching my brother play tennis but when he was told that it made my brother nervous he would tell him he won't see him play but he would watch him from afar!
When he punished us for bad deeds he would hit himself with his belt and when it hurt him he would not proceed
.
He started from the low ranks until he became an Accounting Manager in a multinational sugar producing company in the Visayan region of Negros Occidental.
After he retired he read the bible everyday.
From Arnel:
I agree with Ivy and Kuya Kit. Integrity is one of Daddy's values that is why when he was given one sack of rice while in term of office in Central, he had it returned.
Daddy was so excited to watch me play tennis during tournaments hoping for me to win but I always lost at that time. I did not have the maturity yet to conquer my nervousness during the tournaments and I ended up playing lousy most of the times. I am sure he is proud now to watch his son on the sidelines kick all the opponents' asses. "yes, yan ang sina sabi ko". All my trophies won are for you Daddy.
I also did not remember getting any "belt" spanking from him. He loved to play with his violin "La Cumparsita" and Blue Daneuve.
When I asked him money to buy things, he would give me a hard time but at the end he would also hand it over.
After retirement, he had to work part time in some accounting firms but we always asked him to resign because it was too much pressure on him. Daddy was always a "straight guy" and he always wanted to make the accounts tally down to the last cent.
Thank you Daddy for all the good things that you have imparted on me and to your children.
I love u Daddy. I am sure you are in eternal peace right now.
Arnel
