I WILL ALWAYS NEED THEM

I WILL ALWAYS NEED THEM....

Today my daughter Nikki, together with her 3rd year High School batch mates will go on their 3rd campus tour, to help them decide which college or University to go to....It is the last trip on a series of campus tours......I believe they will be going to U.P., Ateneo, De La Salle, UST, College of St. Benilde...and perhaps other universities.....My and my daughter's personal preference is U.P of course, my alma mater.

I know that this is a big step for all of them....before we left, I saw my daughter kneeling down to pray....I advised her to pray also for enlightenment....to be able to choose rightly the course that will lead her to the vocation she desires...then we left for school, where they will be brought by a bus, today, to some of the colleges or universities I mentioned.

As we were walking along the pathway to SJCS, I kidded her and said, "What if I join your campus tour and hold your hand to make sure nothing happens to you?" ....she looked at me as if to say..."What?".....Then when we got inside the school, she politely pointed out to me, that I was the only parent there....so I kissed her, hugged her, said, "Goodbye, God Bless!" and turned around to leave.

As I was walking back to my car...I realized that my princess, my first baby was a grown-up lady...she is going to choose her course depending on what she wants to be, with very little help from dad....pretty soon she will make all her decisions without my advice....pretty soon...she will survive, she will live and she will love...without dad.

I will be very proud when that moment comes.....but what Nikki and my other kids, when they also grow up, may fail to realize.....is that dad, I, will always need them!

To this day...I have not found a better cure for a bad day, for heartaches, even for headaches and ulcers...than my kids' hugs, their kisses....their stories, their laughter....their love.

I will always pray that God helps my kids to become independent of me...that they become successful on their own, with God's help of course....but at the back of my mind, and in a chamber of my heart....I will always have that small wish...that they might still need me for simple things....like a hug, a kiss, a funny story...and to be able to give love and express love, when they most need it....because I, their daddy, will always be here just waiting....and I will always need them!

God bless the SJCS 3rd year students....May the Good Lord protect you and may the Good Lord enlighten you.
God bless all children!
God bless all parents!