My Family

Family is the most precious and important relationship in this world. It's true that no family is perfect. There are misunderstandings between the members of the family but once a family will always be a family. And no one could ever break that relationship.

I remember those days when I was just a kid, my parents were so workaholic that they didn't give me some of their precious time. My parents were both teachers in a public elementary school in Nueva Ecija and they were too involved in their teaching job. I have seen them teaching other kids whole-heartedly while I was doing all of my homeworks on my own. I was jealous with other kids because my parents teach them and I wished that I had become one of their students so that they will also teach me the different subjects that I was struggling to learn. But instead of teaching me, I always hear them telling me that I can do it by myself, just keep on reading and learning.

I had spent my childhood days with the material things that my parents gave me. I had my educational toys, puzzles, and story books. And I also had my little toy piano with a small guide book for begginer pianists. I still remember the days when I started to play using my cute piano, that was 13 years ago and I was only a 7-year old that time. I was watching video tutorials to make me learn. And I also remember what I played in my piano for the first time. I played "Happy birthday" and I was singing "happy birthday to me". 😄

Whenever my birthday comes, they were just giving me some birthday greeting cards, sweet greeting cakes and whatsoever. But, I was unhappy.

I was looking for something more. This is not what I want. I know that something was missing. I was seeking for love, attention, and most importantly, I was seeking for time which is the most precious thing that every family in this world should have. What is the point of being alive without family time? I was so lonely and I wished I had someone with me to comfort me, to dry my tears when I'm crying, to read bedtime stories for me before I fall into sleep, to teach me my homeworks, to explain and unlock my difficulties in my study. I only wished.

As I grow up to my teenage years, I always had that curiosity on my mind.

That I don't want to live my life like this with full of regrets, loneliness, love and attention seeking. I want to have a happy life that I will be grateful for.

And then I got to realized some important things. Why was I looking for something? Why was I acting so immature? My parents love me very much so why was I seeking for love? And I had my parents' full attention that's why they were abusing theirselves to work all day and all night so why was I seeking for their attention? I realized that they were just doing their responsibilties as my parents and all I had to do was to study hard, do well everyday. I should be a responsible daughter.

I turned my loneliness into happiness. How? What did I do?

Life gives us different situations and it is all up to us to make these situations an opportunity to do something better.

My parents gave me gifts so I used them all to make me learn. They bought me piano, okay fine, and so I learned how to play it. They bought me educational books so I learned what are the knowledge to be learned from it. They bought me puzzle toys so I learned to arrange them. They always wish my birthday happy by sending gifts so I let myself be happy on my birthday by sending them my appreciation.

I choose to be happy and grateful for everything, instead of spending my whole life crying at the corner and seeking for love, time and attention.

There are many more beautiful reasons to be happy and contented in life instead of thinking about negative things.

I know that my parents love me so much. They were just being busy and too involved on their works but they don't forget me. They are doing great.

Growing up, I learned to do all things by myself. I learned to explore things on my own and in that way, I learned a lot on how to be an independent person. But being an independent does not mean that I do not need them, of course I need them because I love my parents so much. Some people says that love will be seen only by giving and sharing time with each other. That was what I did not get from my parents, but I understand clearly what my parents want for me. They want to earn money, to buy whatever I need and to send me to school, to have education, and that's a clear form of parents's love for their child/children.

Parents love their children more than themselves, they just have different ways to show their love. Some parents show their love by giving their children so much of their time even without giving financial support, while some parents show their love by giving their children so much of financial support but don't have enough time for family bonding. No matter what their ways of showing their love, the important is we have them, we have parents, we have a family. We just need to be understanding.

I always remind myself to be happy, contented and be grateful for what I have and for who I have in this life. Life gives us challeges and it is really up to us to turn these challeges into good opportunities.

I can't get any of my parents' precious time, so I will study hard, I will finish my study and find a stable job and I will make them stop in their teaching job so we will finally have time for family bond.

Life is what we make it.