My Father's Role in The Family

Growing up we didn't really have a father figure because our father was an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) which is a seaman, he only comes back after 6 or 11 months from work and then goes back to work after a month or two. I really liked that when he always arrived home he would give us gifts like chocolates, perfumes, toys and other souvenirs where they went but all the time that he goes home I get shy, it's like I always meet a different person because he hasn't really been with us physically on growing up. He was actually a responsible father to us that he helps us financially, didn't cheat on my mom, religious and generous ✧ʕ̢̣̣̣̣̩̩̩̩·͡˔·ོɁ̡̣̣̣̣̩̩̩̩✧

I could say that I was lucky that I have a responsible father even though we didn't really got together much. I've always missed him whenever he is far away and I'd always want piggyback rides or make him carry me when he is home with us because I wanted to spend some time with him. I remember a time at school where some of my classmates were comparing their dads to one another and I'd be so proud on telling them about my dad but I guess I would then get jealous that they have their dads with them. I actually then noticed that most people at our neighborhood would wait for my dad to come home because my dad is actually a really generous guy and would always help other people, there was a time that I actually witnessed that someone came to the house to borrow some money very early in the morning and even though some people didn't really pay him back he just let it go and still kept being generous. He actually helped some of the neighbors kids graduate from school and get stable jobs.

When I was in second year highschool he stopped on going to work because he already got a heart and lung condition but he already got his retirement funds and we told him to just rest at the house but he didn't wanted to just sit at the house, he wanted to work so he could fulfill his role as a father. He then wanted to be a tricycle driver to gain some cash every week (he used our tricycle). I always saw how tired he always gets when he comes home. He always works just to make us happy but I actually wanted him to stop working and let us take care of him. When his condition got worse where he then always get those maintenance medicines we would always worry about him. We then decided to buy a mini nebulizer for him when he needs it.

On third year highschool, I think this is then the time where a family friend of ours introduced Bitcoin to him where the person told him to invest at their "company" and his money will multiple. When he told us this me and my mom were actually really suspicious about it and my mom didn't let him on investing his hard earned money on something that doesn't seem legit. My dad didn't really listened to her and he investment his retirement funds which is PHP 100k on this "company". He always then brings me to those meetings on how to convert and withdraw the money and I would actually gained some knowledge about it. I then thought that maybe it isn't a scam because by the year that he had died from his condition in his heart we had withdrawed PHP 16k from the "company". There was then actually a problem after that first withdrawal because their website stopped giving money and then I connected the dots and concluded that the "company" that our family friend introduced to him was actually a ponzi scheme, most of his hard earned money gone. We didn't blame our family friend for it because she was actually a victim of it too. From when he was still a alive he's mostly the one that handles us financially, that was always his role in our family.

When my father is now gone the neighbors ignored us but when he was still alive they'd always come for a visit at our house. They just came to us for material things, they didn't care at all that my father died, the one who had always helped them when they were in need. Not even a single thank you or visit at my father's grave did those selfish people do. That's when I realized that what my mom told me was true which is "most people only be friend you when you have something but when you now have nothing only a few will be with you".

Even though that my father is gone I still want to make him and mom proud on what I will achieve. I will graduate because I know that all his working when he was still alive, he wanted us to be motivated in school and help us achieve our dreams. I guess he is now looking after us in the afterlife. I will always love and be proud of my father because he is still one of the people that influenced me to become a better person. In growing up he didn't really give any other lessons but to be generous (not too generous), kind and be positive in life even though there are challenge.

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I wanna greet an advanced Happy father's day to my dad in heaven and to all the fathers out there because you are always loved by your families.