CHILDHOOD MEMORIES, HARSH REALITIES We live in a small subdivision in a northern part of a big city. We wanted to reside in a place where there is a community spirit. We prayed hard for a safe and friendly village, full of young children, where we can raise our little kids. We were so blessed to have found a neighborhood where our three kids have their own CHILDHOOD FRIENDS. We really wanted our boys to enjoy a FULL CHILDHOOD and experience having CHILDHOOD PLAYMATES or close KABABATA with whom they can share their games, toys, fun, antics, follies, innocent hopes and dreams. Urban living is a bit of a challenge. City life does not necessarily mean community life. Not all families residing in a subdivision enjoy the luxury of a friendly neighborhood full of YOUNG CHILDREN. Not all couples will have the opportunity to live in a subdivision where they can allow their kids to play with the children residing within their neighborhood. There are those who live within the safe confines of their compounds or their gated village and who do not even know their next-door neighbors. There are families who showered their kids with toys, computers and gadgets, but who failed to let them experience growing with childhood friends. When we were blessed with our eldest son, Ja-im, in 2000, Yayet and I vowed to let him grow in a NEIGHBORHOOD full of CHILDREN. We really committed to let our children live in a friendly, safe and amiable neighborhood and EXPERIENCE a FULL CHILDHOOD with childhood playmates and KABABATA around. Thus, we live in a humble village of 40 houses where we can muster the presence of not less than TWENTY (20) childhood friends of our kids in one BIRTHDAY PARTY. We personally know these children and we have seen them grow up together with our three boys. One day is not enough for me to hear the stories of my wife about how she and her siblings happily spent their childhood days with close neighborhood friends in Mandug and when they transferred in Matina Aplaya. Her eyes will always GLOW when she will share her unforgettable experiences with their childhood chums. I have my own share of a FULL CHILDHOOD LIFE in our town. I grew up in PUROK SIYETE where I had the best memories with my KABABATA and childhood BARKADAS. I can still vividly recall how we owned the whole stretch of a neighborhood road as our BIG PLAYGROUND and how we poured all our young energies in playing tumba-lata, tigso, holenay, dakpanay, syatong, balay-balay, baraha, luthang, tabanog, tagoanay, gerahanay and tarak-tarak and the night favorites of tubig-tubig, bulan-bulan, and biros. Aside from their childhood friends within our village, our youngest Jimmu, 8 years old, has his own circle of CHILDHOOD BUDDIES. He has close sidekicks, who are almost of the same age with him. He and his friends usually gather and play after coming from school. They have a basketball court and two small roads as their playground. However, he enjoys the best company of Cyp, RB, Jian and Zij, who is the most loyal and kind to him. One day, Jimmu went home with a gloomy face and a heavy heart. He told his Mom that he just learned from his bestfriend Zij about a SAD NEWS - that their father had not returned home for several months. The family of Zij is already very worried since they have not received any financial support from their father and their mother is just a plain housewife. His father is a construction worker who have to go to different construction sites for work. Just recently, they found out that their father is already living with another woman and has no intention to go back to their home. Zijs mother had to make a drastic decision of distributing her kids to different relatives because she could no longer feed them. This REALITY of a FAMILY BREAKING UP is so hard for our youngest. Much more, the prospect of his bestfriend leaving his childhood friends and of going to another family whom he is not familiar with is just too heavy for Jimmu. He can not grasp the idea that a FATHER could just leave a family without giving any reasons or that a MOTHER could decide to distribute his children to another relative for them to survive. He cannot understand why a PARENT COULD JUST FORGET ABOUT THEIR YOUNG CHILDREN and live with another family. What did you do when you heard about what happened to the family of Zij?, I inquired from Jimmu. He said that he really could not do anything but to just treat his friend in a computer game at an internet station and for Zij to laugh, laugh and laugh. Perhaps, it was his little way of easing the burden of a young friend. But, he kept all his questions to his heart and poured it to us when he arrived home. On the other hand, our Kuya Ja-im shared a SAD STORY about his friend, Phil, who is a battered child. He learned that his friend had to stay in a neighbors house each time his stepfather becomes drunk. He is used as a punching bag of his stepfather who is angry of him and of everything. It is very sad that his mother could not really control his stepfather and would just advise his son to stay outside their home. Kuya Ja-im could not really believe that one of his friends is a VICTIM of CHILD ABUSE and that CHILD ABUSE is something REAL. Can we let my friend - Phil - stay in our house during those times when he is advised by his mother not to return home?, our eldest raised his humble plea. These are HARSH REALITIES for our YOUNG CHILDREN. These are happening in our midst. When FAMILIES broke up, it is usually the CHILDREN WHO WILL SUFFER THE MOST. When a MAN decides to break his marriage vow with his wife, he is actually BREAKING THE HEARTS OF HIS CHILDREN. When spouses can no longer hold on to their commitment to live as husband and wife, they must find the courage on HOW TO STAND as a FATHER or as a MOTHER to their children. Children are the sweetest GIFTS from the Almighty Creator. They deserve LOVE, RESPECT and UNDERSTANDING. But, the CRUEL REALITY is that since they are young, helpless and vulnerable, children always suffer the brunt of PHYSICAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE from their abusive parents, guardians o relatives. Yet, the victims of CHILD ABUSE suffer in SILENCE, but the agonies will not stop while they are young. They will carry the burden and scars throughout their lifetime. How I wish I could wipe all the tears of the young friends of my children. How I wish I could protect all their friends from lifes misfortunes. How I wish I could ease up their friends tribulations and sufferings. How I wish I could erase all their bad memories of family break-ups. How I wish I could lighten up the fears and uncertainties of their friends. HOW I WISH I COULD MUSTER ALL THE LOVE to embrace their friends and comfort them as I usually HUG and KISS all of my children. HOW I WISH I CAN GIVE ALL THE ANSWERS to the QUESTIONS of my young kids about the HARSH REALITIES of life. HOW I WISH I COULD SUMMON ALL THE HEAVENS to SPARE all the children from lifes miseries and cruelties. HOW I WISH I COULD PROVIDE all the FAITH and HOPE to all FAMILIES to FIRMLY HOLD ON TOGETHER and to DEEPLY LOVE and CHERISH EACH OTHER, no matter what will be the challenges in life. How I wish... How I pray... Cheers to the BEST of FAMILY LOVE! Cheers to the BEST and FULL CHILDHOOD for all KIDS! Cheers to the VERY BEST of HAPPY FAMILIES! :)
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 16:30:06 +0000