A KISS IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

A KISS IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

On the 2 or 3 days a week that I have to work at night, I usually get home at around 4 a.m. Upon getting up to our room, I creep up to each of my sweet darlings, and kiss them one by one. I start with my beautiful wife, Dinah, then my baby Lizzie, my son Niccolo and my princess, Nicole. The problem is I sometimes get the urge to not just kiss them, but to hug them, as well. Dinah always wakes up to smile at me, the problem is that Lizzie would wake up occasionally too, then ask me to read to her, at 4 a.m. So instead of getting at least an hour's sleep, I end up reading to Lizzie and just waiting for the time when my other kids would wake up so that I could bring them to school. Dinah then asked me to just forego with kissing the kids, so that I wouldn't wake them up and get at least an hour of sleep for myself. I pondered on that idea for a while.

When I kiss my kids at night, I just don't do it absent-mindedly. I stare at each of them, and several things or words go through my mind :

I'd like to apologize to them for not giving them a better financial life, one wherein, they could travel and see new and exotic locales; so sorry I couldn't afford to buy them the latest in technology that their classmates have; and so sorry I couldn't take them shopping or malling as often as we used to. Just so sorry I couldn't be as financially well-off as the other fathers out there. I often find myself so guilty about this.

Then I also find myself, thanking them for making my days brighter and my nights calmer and sweeter-with their laughter, with their stories, with their questions, with their sincere hugs and kisses. I am a better person because of them.

I also find myself thanking the Lord and praising Him even more for giving me my wife and my kids. They are my greatest proof of how much He loves me and believes in me.

Then I find myself promising to the Lord and to my precious treasures, to do everything in my power to make life better for all of them. I also promise to love them even more, though they are naughty or nice, though they get good grades or not, though I'm called to the stage for an honor they get, or called to the office for an offense they may make - I will love them. We may always be a family deficient in travel, lacking in new technology, wanting in expensive things; But we will always be a family with an abundance of understanding, thoughtfulness, concern and deep, sincere love for each other. For as long as I live, I promise to love them more and more each day.

Then I go to my bed and pray to the Lord. I ask Him to give me the patience, the strength and the fortitude to go on trying, because my wife and my babies, and my parents, and my brother, are depending on me. I then make an oath to the Lord, Our God, to do everything I can to make sure that my kids grow up adoring Him, praising Him, and believing Him, with all their hearts. Then I end up asking the Lord to always watch over my loved ones.

Should I not kiss them anymore when I get home, I ponder no more. The answer is quite obvious, I still do and I will continue to do so. I will kiss them and hug them and stare at them and talk to them and whisper to them how much I love them. I will also bless them.

Then I go to sleep or take a nap, whether it be an hour or thirty minutes or ten minutes-it's a peaceful one, and that is what matters.

"LOVE MAKES A HOUSE A HOME."

"GOD HAS GIVEN ME MY CHILDREN, THAT THE SIGHT OF THEM, MIGHT REMIND ME OF HIS GOODNESS, AND INDUCE ME TO PRAISE HIM WITH FILIAL REVERENCE."

JONATHAN LIM DE GUZMAN, MD