and Carl Brashear (Men of Honor’s Master Chief Diver) were some of the illustrations discussed. (c.) IMPART- once you have created or remembered a good legacy, it is your duty to pass it on to the next generation.
Then, there was also an illustration about a busy dad and son. The father was a politician & took a day off to spend it with his son. They went fishing but caught none. The boy has a diary and wrote about his day as the best day of his life. The father on the other hand, also kept a diary and wrote about that day as a waste of time. When you ask a kid to define LOVE, their definition would be t.i.m.e- TIME.
Now, what about the kids of OFWs who would only be with their parents for a month every year or every 2 years? For some kids, they seem ok with it as long as they get their ‘pasalubongs’ & allowances. But then, deep inside there will always be the longing of being together as a family. Mr. Randy David, a columnist in the Phil. Inquirer talked about the OFW family and its present situation . Let me quote the last few paragraphs from his article, Love in the time of migration:
In the age of absentee parenting, the communication of love has taken the form of a steady stream of gift-giving. This however cannot compensate for the erosion of intimacy. As the sociologist Luhmann nicely put it: “Roughly speaking, one loves not because one wants gifts, but because one wants their meaning.”
We expect those we love to show us, by their actions, the depth and complexity of their inner world, not the broad practicalities of their material situation. This is true not only for lovers and spouses in long distance relationships; it applies as well to children and parents torn apart by migration.
It has been very easy to measure the economic benefits from overseas work. But I doubt if one can ever quantify what the Filipino family has given up in terms of love, or what it is doing to recover it.
I’ve been in an OFW family ever since birth and I know the pains & sacrifices my parents went through during the times we’re apart. But, my parents prayed and did everything so that they can witness our developmental/growing years. So despite the fact that my parents are OFWs, they never failed to give their quality time for us. And we know, it is not the material things that define their love for us, it will always be beyond that.
Thanks Dad & Mom. Love you =)
Happy Father’s Day Daddy =) mwah *hugs*
