The Bravest Man I Know

My father is not perfect but he is a brave man. The year was 1990. I was 7 years old back then. The strongest typhoon (Typhoon Ruping) in the Philippines hit our place in Cebu. That was the time when I saw how brave and courageous my father was.

We were inside our nipa hut which was being tossed up and down by the typhoon. I have witnessed how my father exhausted all efforts just to save us from the impending danger. To prevent our house from being flown, he removed the roof barehanded, clenching his fist and punching its frame. He endured the pain. I knew it hurts but he endured it. I have witnessed how courageous he was in dealing with the situation. His courage radiated to me and it calmed the storm of fear inside me.

The storm subsided but the lesson of how he surmounted that seemingly impervious challenge remained engraved in my heart and it always ignite the bravery in me everytime I am confronted with challenges in life.

Yesterday was my father's 60th birthday. I wasn't around with him during the celebration because I am now residing miles away from them. But despite the distance I know that he knows how much I appreciated his sacrifices for the family.