My Biggest Treasure In Life.

The subject of my second piece will be the person who gave me life. He is the only person who loves me despite my obstinacy. He was always there for me, even when I was always on the wrong track. I switched from being a thankful daughter to being ungrateful. I was in such a bad place in my life at the time, yet that person accepts me completely.

That person is my father.

He did not complete college because he grew up in a poor home. He will always remind us that life is difficult and that he was unable to complete his education due to their financial problems. His parents are unable to meet their needs. Then, at an early age, he began working and became a "kargador boy" in Metro Manila. He met his first wife there, and they married because of the strict family culture. They have five sons. For him, life grew more difficult. He now supports two families.

He opted to go abroad since he was having trouble supporting his family. Saudi Arabia was the first country he went to work. It was especially difficult for him because he was alone and didn't have anyone to help him. But because of his hard work and perseverance, he is now able to meet the needs of his family.

When he returned to the Philippines, however, his first wife would always start a fight and demand money. When he was on vacation leave here in the country, they will always fight. As a result, they made the decision to just split up. My father decided to just stay here in the Philippines to just work here. He applied on a construction site and work there.

There, he met my mother, who works as their boss's assistant. My mum is a gentle, modest lady. He fell in love with my mother, and despite the fact that he already has a family, my mother accepts him wholeheartedly. They shared a home until my eldest brother, me, their sole daughter, and my two younger brothers were born.

My father has decided to work in another country. In Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, he applied for a culinary position. Until he was recruited as a construction laborer there. He was quite fortunate to work for such considerate supervisors. He worked there for several years before being promoted to supervisor. We can't express how ecstatic we are about his promotions.

Our lovely family, however, had a horrible event. Breast cancer took my mother's life. That moment, I was completely heartbroken. I lost myself in the process of repairing my inner essence. My brother was arrested and charged with using illicit narcotics, which made our situation even worse. I'd already lost a lot of myself by that point.

I chose to be a rebellious child rather of caring for my younger siblings. I'm always inebriated, and I'll always hang out with my friends. It was my way of feeling good and coping with my turmoil, I reasoned.

My father called me one day. He was reprimanding me for my recent behavior. I was no longer paying attention to him. Our once-joyous family has devolved into a nightmare.

My behavior stayed unchanged until my father informed me that he believes his health has gone to its worst point. He explained that he was only doing his utmost to fulfill our needs. That day, we were video chatting, and I was sobbing uncontrollably. I'm really worried about my father. I then observed his face, which had aged significantly and was beginning to show wrinkles.

He advised me to change my ways and try to assist him with my younger siblings. My eyes were welling up with tears as I bowed my head. I promised myself and my siblings that I would change for the better from then on.

My father didn't give up on me even though I was going through a rough patch. I realize the damage has been done and cannot be undone, but I still want to rebuild my happy home. My mother may have passed away, but I still have my father. I still have the biggest treasure in life.

Everyone needs a house to live in, but a supportive family is what builds a home.

– Anthony Liccione

© 2 0 2 2 F R U S T R A T E D . W R I T E R