(This is something I wrote back in 1998, for my father, on father’s day. It was somehow filed in one of the folders at the office and I found this while preparing the folders for warehousing. Ito’y para na rin sa lahat ng mga Tatay.)
having you as my father
is a blessing i could never thank enough.
or is it a burden,
haunting me with the thought,
“what kind of father will i be?”
will i be as strong,
to smile through
the harsh realities of life
and strive for the best?
will i be as wise,
to instill in my children,
not fear,
but love and respect?
will i be as brave,
to accept
my failures and weaknesses,
as well as theirs?
will i be as humble,
to think more
of their needs,
than mine?
will i be as blessed,
to have a loving
wife and kids?
will i be a father,
just like my father is?
too many doubts, too many fears,
but one thing is crystal clear -
i thank God for every ordinary day,
and not only on a father’s day,
that i may behold and see,
special people, like you, my Father,
and say -
“that’s the kind of father I will be.”
