Every year, my parents also subtly celebrate their wedding anniversary during our fiesta. I actually grew up not knowing that November 30 is also their anniv. But now that I know, I never once forget it.

I know I don’t say it as much as I should, but I love my parents with all my heart. I’m sadly not as affectionate as my father. I’m more like my mother who finds it uncomfortable to be sweet. Nevertheless, I still want to say how much I love my parents and how blessed I am to be their daughter. It was my proudest moment when my mother told me that I have never been a sakit ng ulo. It’s flattering to hear my mother say that I didn’t cause them much problem. Because I know they have enough worries already, I do not want to add to the problem.

My parents taught me a lot about the value of family. And though I’m still learning more about it, I can gladly say that if I’d have a family of my own, I plan to make my parents proud. They have raised me in a way that makes me know that I am more than privileged, but they also make sure that I know how to give more value to people than things. They continue to influence every decision I make but they have gave me enough room to grow and think for myself.

We may be at the opposing ends of many arguments, but my parents will always be a great driving force of every choice I’ll make. I do hope to make their lives a little bit better, because they have made mine quite special.

My parents taught me a lot of things about life and love. I have learned from them that relationships won’t be perfect. You won’t always be thinking along the lines of your partner and there will be misunderstandings. If you’ll get these little mishaps get the better of you two, then you won’t be able to fix the problem. But if you’ll focus on finding ways to mend it up, then no problem or worry can end your relationship. My parents have gone through so much and all I can think of is I want to have a relationship like theirs. Things aren’t always smooth-sailing, but they manage, and they make their marriage stronger brick by brick.

I learn strength from my parents. As a woman, I must be steadfast in any trials and learn to face problems upfront. And of course, my mother never fails to remind me to keep on praying and to trust in the Lord no matter what circumstances I’m in.

I have so much to be thankful for to my parents. I’m pretty sure that I’m still lacking as a daughter but I do hope that in time, I can make them proud. I also hope that I’ll never disappoint them.

Happy anniversary, mommy and daddy. Too bad you can’t have a date every anniversary since you’re always too busy with the fiesta. But I’m pretty sure you find ways to celebrate it together. I love you both. And that’s not enough to express how much you two mean to me.

Whoever said that technology is evil probably doesn’t have family thousands of miles away.

I happen to have tons of loved ones living in another country, and technology is oftentimes the only thing that connects me to them. My father worked in Italy for almost a decade and he lived with my mother’s siblings. My father decided last year to stay in the Philippines for good but more of my relatives are moving to Italy. My grandparents went to Italy last week. Though they’re coming back in March, some of my cousins who will go there in the next few months are staying there for good.

I sometimes think that only my sister and I will be the ones left in the Philippines. We both want to stay here, and when people asked us before why we didn’t move to Italy with our father, we just shrugged our shoulder. I just really don’t see any point in going there right now. Maybe for vacation, but not to stay there. I do not have the heart to leave the country, not yet, anyway. But I really think it’ll be nice to visit my cousins!

I digress. I digress, too much.

Anyway, Facebook, for a couple of months now, has the video call function and my cousins are using it all the time. It was only this weekend that I tried it by myself, though! I just used to go to my lola’s house whenever a video call is going on. It’s always such a riot! When we do videocalls, we don’t just talk to one person. Sometimes we end up talking to all the family members over there! Like this last sunday, my tita’s house was full of people. Oldies (heh) and youngsters alike hogged a little screentime. [Read more…]