How I was reared (and how thankful I am for it)

I live in a nuclear family, with my mother, my father and three older siblings. According to our residence, we are a neolocal family since we live away from my grandparents’ hometowns. With regards to the authority in the house, we have a patriarchal family where the authority belongs to my father or my oldest brother when he is absent.

Ever since I was little, I was already accustomed to being raised by my mother most of the time. This is because my father works as a seaman abroad, so he spends most of his time working and we just see each other for like a couple of times in a year only. My mother has always been a very good parent to us, and what I can only say is that she was able to raise the four of us just as much as any other mother and father could do, or even greater. She was able to play the role of both a mother and a father. She cooks, cleans our house and washes our clothes; and when the need comes, she can even do some electric and mechanical repairs in our house. She can do almost everything. Until now, she is the one who manages and balances all the matters at home.

Though he was not able to see the four of us siblings grow through the years, my father still makes an effort to show us his love and concern. He earns for a living, and he needs to offer a lot of sacrifice. The times spent working abroad could have also been the times he will be spending with us. Yet, distance did not overcome us and we were still able to communicate with him since he makes a lot of effort to write and call us. I appreciate all the effort he makes just to provide for us and send us to good schools. We also respect him for being the head of the family. Whatever rule he gives, we follow.

My parents showed me a very good example on how it is to live a life with God as the center. They have instilled in us Christian-like values ever since we were little, until now. They taught us how to pray the Rosary, and they are the ones who introduced us to the Lord.

They also taught us the importance of humility, courtesy and honesty. They showed us how it is to respect and be respected. They treated us fairly and played no favorites; and we learned how it is to be fair and just in dealing with other people. We were not deprived of our own needs, and were most of the times granted with our wants in life. They also taught us how to be independent and responsible individuals. Each of us knows how to do the household chores most especially the essential and practical ones like cleaning the house, cooking and washing our clothes. We were also accustomed to having a healthy lifestyle with their great influence of having a nutritious diet and active exercise. We were also taught how to value money, and they were able to show how each centavo counts. In that way, we were able to learn how to save up for the future. Most of all; they have drawn us closer to the Lord.

I am very thankful for how my parents have reared me to the person I have become today. It gives me so much joy to recall the past memories I had with them when I was only trying to learn and familiarize the things around me. If it were not for their guidance and care, I wouldn’t be the kind of person I am today. And with that, I am in most gratitude of them. Thank you Lord for giving me such wonderful parents. I love them so much.