Sunday, June 18, 2006
Not so happy Father's Day
It's Father's Day today.
My sister and I gave Papa a card and a whole box of sugar-free chocolates. We had a lovely breakfast as a family. We all went to church together. We stuffed ourselves silly at my dad's fave resto,
Italianni's, for lunch. We headed straight for the mall right after eating to buy him a gift. We had a delectable late afternoon snack at our newest heaven on earth--a cafe called
SugarNot, which serves a variety of the most delicious yet guilt-free sweets for the health consious.
It was an enjoyable day spent with Papa, but I couldn't keep my mind off another father I love so dearly--my
lolo. It was impossible to keep my mind off the sad state which my grandfather's currently in. He's still in the hospital, and worse, his health seems to be deteriorating by the day. I've seen God's miracle at work in him so many times before when we thought he was as good as gone, but then he'd manage to recover by some unexplainable reason. Now, though, it's different. It's more real. Much as I would like to hope in another miraculous recovery, I know I have to prepare myself for the innevitability of him leaving this world and going home to God.
When we visited my
lolo at the hospital tonight, I was so happy to see how his face lit up when I held his hand and greeted him, "
Happy Father's Day po, Lolo." We chatted a bit, though he struggled with his speech. And when he was too tired to talk any further, he mumbled these words: "
Masaya ako pag nandito kayo (I'm happy whenever you're around.)" I just smiled with a huge lump forming in my throat. You know that feeling when you're trying so hard not to cry, you hold back your tears, but they end up coming out of your nose? Gross, but that's what happened with me right there. I managed to hide it, but it was Niagara Falls in the car all the way home.
I don't know why I try to hide that I'm hurting. Maybe I just don't want my
lolo to see me sad for fear that it may cause him to get even more depressed about his current condition. Or perhaps I just didn't want to be a wet blanket on this almost perfect day.
posted by mari_elle at
21:23
