Padre de Pamilya
Leonard Santiago in Ang Pinoy Stories
Jun 18, 2023 • 2 min Read
They said that fathers are heroes. This Father’s Day, many are planning a spectacular date with their fathers. Many will express gratitude for the love, care, and bond shared with their fathers.
Six months ago after my stepdad’s major hospitalization, we were sitting in the table and eating dinner together, “Ikaw, ang magiging padre de pamilya kapag nawala na ako.” When I heard those words, it made me shiver. Not only it scared me because our dad is aging and has declining health but because those words come with great responsibility.
Six months later, I had to face my fear, and hear the last words of my stepdad, “Keep our family together. Ikaw na ang padre de pamilya. Mahal ko kayong lahat na mga anak ko.”
I never got the chance to express how thankful I am to my stepdad regardless of all the misunderstandings and indifferences between us, but I will always remember him as our padre de pamilya.
Today, my stepdad will be remembered as a padre de pamilya who provided for his family. Even though there are lots of shortcomings, he managed to provide a roof above our heads. He is a padre de pamilya, that teaches you to be brave, follow your passion, and be understanding. He is a padre de pamilya who disciplines and challenges you to be the better person that you can be, even though most of the time, he’ll be pushing you to the limits, as if you’re best is not enough. He sees your abilities and he believes in what you can do. He is a padre de pamilya that loves his family unconditionally but doesn’t know how to express it. He is a padre de pamilya that is patient and willing to wait for his kids to be near him again. A padre de pamilya is someone who did his best to be perfect from his imperfections.
Sitting in that dark, silent, still room across his deathbed, tears slowly flowed down my face, while saying, “You’re my dad. You chose to keep me as your daughter and to love me, even though you didn’t have to. Thank you.” And even though he can no longer hear my words, I know, he knows my heart.
To all of the padre de pamilya, (father, a mother that plays the father’s role, a stepfather, and grandfather) happy Father’s Day! You are celebrated and so loved dearly!
