Foot and Fire

 My Nanay is enjoying her grand vacation in the wonderful place  filled with nature's beauty called El Nido, Palawan! Top things I learned from my MOTHER*  (that her grandsons should know) She raised five loud children, put up with a moody husband and handled different familial and spousal problems in the society as a dedicated government social worker. Here are my cheers to a happy positive woman I dearly call Nanay. Labor is honor. That's it. Never say no to learning skills. Learn skills such as haircutting, crocheting and sewing; they can give quick money somewhere out there! Be industrious. If you are industrious, you will thrive as everyone loves to welcome in their homes a busy bee over a lazy babe. Make friends. Talk to your neighbors, roommates and friends. They are your support group. How will they know that your stomach aches when you are not telling them. Of course, she meant more than stomach aches. Never borrow personal ...

  My Tatay here is not posing as The Thinker; He is just admiring the karsts of El Nido, Palawan. Top things I learned from my FATHER* (that his grandsons should know) I bet that one epic lesson in life that every child has learned to live by as he grows up is "Follow what I say but do not follow what I do," referring altogether to the parent's advices and parent's misdeeds. But this one lesson is not the sum of everything there is, of course, because there are gems along the path considering one cannot live by the words of our parents only but also by what they do without their knowing that they are giving their best. Actually, to sketch my father's personality, I will be talking about his equal love for the spirits (his damnation), for the education (his redemption) and for his kitchen (his charm). So what can be learned from a father who is the center of this love triangle? A lot. As one family friend unsolicitedly whispered to me, “Eversince your ...