Catanduanes…the pearl of the orient seas. This is the beautiful island where I grew up. The place marked deeply in my heart. Bato is the tiny town where I spent my delicate years. From the little know- nothing -at -all -yet girl to the the woman I am now. My hometown shaped my perspectives in life. It is the very first place that embraced me and watched me grow each day. It witnessed my witty charms and naughty escapades. I left this place right after I finished my highschool and move on to the bigger city world. As everyone believes that in the city, it is where thousand oppurtunities and possibilities rest. It gets smaller and smaller upon my eyes as I drift and sail away to find what my heart desires. I said to myself what a big big world to see and experience. Which I truly proved that it is. And that this Island is just one spec of dot. However, no matter how big the world is, and how little my Island had become, it always has a strong force thats pulling me back. Memories from yesterday in the place that brought me up are sealed in my heart. It is the magnet that pulls me back to its ports. Where ever I may be, whatever accomplishments I’ll achieve, I would always give credit to this place. I am happy to leave this place but I’ll be happiest having to be back again. Someday soon I will.. I’m pretty sure I will…

The family is the basic unit of the community. It is the molding place of our character. What we are outside our homes reflects the kind of parents and upbringing we have. The rules and beliefs our parents implement at home affect the way we perceive things outside our homes. Our parents are our first role models. We look up to them with respect and love. Everything that they do is right for us. They are our strong walls so we could lean on to them when times are tough. They are our wings that fly us through the highest clouds so we may be able to see the bigger view of the things below.

I’ve seen children who came from broken families. It is labeled as broken homes because the father and the mother expected to be helping out each other through thick and thin, are no longer together. It has become a trend this days. I dont know if people are just getting liberated about it. Day after day, sad to know, the number of families torn apart are getting higher. And the number of children pushed to do unnecessary things are also laddering up. Why? because they are left with no choice at all. They are vulnerable enough to realize and understand some reasons why their parents had stopped caring for each other and for them. They would take the blame and then try to find answers that are nowhere to find that only parents can answer. I hate to see families breaking down as if burned by fire till what’s left are ashes. It is heartbreaking seeing only smokes and ashes everywhere.

This world is made up of all the families. My family, your family, their family. Isn’t it a million times better place if our families live together in harmony? This is like one huge community that strives to reach wellness in general. It lies in the hands of every parent, the accomplishment of our goals to make this world a harmonoius place to live in. And it all must start in our homes… in our families..

Among the people that I terribly miss is my grandfather, and not only that I miss him, he has been my idol. He is a man you would care to listen to. I’m writing this so as to express how much I love him and of course to give him credit for being the best father and grandfather I’ve ever had.

My grandmother used to tell me about him. How she admires and loves her husband. I could say how proud she was when she tells me his stories mmm over and over again. Through the years of listening, I have memorized and imagined line after line how he had lived his life.

Papa that’s how I call him, would let me ride on his back, when I am too lazy to walk. I was so skinny back then, so most probably he could feel my bones against his back. We would stay in the tiny hut in the middle of the field guarding the rice grains that are almost ready to be harvested, from the eager sparrows. Then my grandmother would be there to bring us some food for lunch. Papa made this scarecrow and poled it in the middle of the field so that I wont be running to cast the sparrows away, because I always end up tripping over in the mud.

People in the neighborhood come to him whenever they needed some advice. My Papa welcomes and sits with them for a while. He became the captain of the tiny village where I grew up. Well this is part of my Mama’s story. I wasn’t born yet during that time. He was a good leader and after some terms of serving his fellow villagers, he then became one of the town’s counselor’s. he even got the highest votes which made him hold the position of the mayor when the mayor’s away. Well so much about politics.

My Papa loves social gatherings and he’s always in his best suits. Shiny shoes, carefully picked polo shirt and pants. My Mama would spent hours ironing them. I clearly remember she was using the coal-powered iron.. hehehe I don’t know how its called. I used it a long long time ago to iron my uniforms but I only got achy arms and muscles. It isn’t a joke for my Mama. But of course she loves doing things for him. That’s why he loves her so.

He is a potential man. Such a hardworking husband and father. He traveled to some regions to trade goods and many times encountered accidents along the way. Many times my Mama cried, all she had was a strong faith that he would be safe in his journey. Then he’s back home. New clothes for his kids, new bag for Mama, then he’ll throw a little party. I haven’t witnessed all those grandiosity he gave his family. When I was very little, my head doesn’t even reach the edge of our dining table, he would read me stories. Same story every night ’cause I like hearing it. He’d set up the hammock in our backyard tied in two guava trees and lull me till I fall asleep. I still get a vision of that from time to time.

He’d buy me new dress and a pair of new shoes every recognition day at school. Regardless of any occasion, he would still buy me something that I ask, bag, clothes, fancy hair ribbons, pins as long as I’ll do good in class. So that’s the reason why I was in the honor roll in my elementary days. hehehe…

In the year 1992, he was hit by a stroke and paralyzed half of his body. He continued his therapy and later on recovered though the signs were still present and were totally obvious. However, Papa continued his fight against his disease. I quoted his line, “I have a strong spirit”. This is what he always tells his friends and relatives who come to visit. “I have a strong spirit”.. Which I truly apply in my life this time. He was able to beat his stroke and continued living his life normally, with my Mama at his side. After 10 years of battling his stroke and living and inspiring people, his time had come to say goodbye. 3 days after my Mama’s burial, well he just sent her off first., How amazing true love is. They’d been married for more than 60 years. A marriage filled with bittersweet times which just made it to last till their dying day. 10 o’clock May 10th in the year 2002, he passed away.

How my heart ached and cried. But since he left me his principle, “I have a strong spirit”, I think I could be able to endure even the hardest of life’s challenges. He made it till his last breath. I’ll make it as well.