Tell me your dreams and I will tell you who you are. Well just today my 7 Grade five pupils did told me their dreams. I told them yesterday, as an assignment in Pilipino, to write their dreams or in the vernacular their "Pangarap sa Buhay". And today I told them to pass it. I was expecting them to tell me dreams of toys, clothes, shoes or gadgets. But I was so surprised with what they wrote. Well almost all of them wrote what they want to be when they grow up. Like a Doctor, a chef and even a fashion designer. To a Pilot and a teacher and an accountant. I said those are very good dreams. But one of my pupil touched me so much that it nearly made my tears fall. The pupil was Mariano or Makie for short. He is one of the most malikot and playful of the bunch. He always tease his girl classmates and punch his boy classmates. I never thought he would have a SERIOUS vein in his body until I heard him recite his Pangarap this afternoon in class. Here is his dream. I typed it so you can understand it. Here it is in the photo below. Just click the photo to make it bigger.
What can you say about it? Isn't it touching. All he ever needs is his Father in Japan and his family to be together. So sad that he has to live 6 years of his life away from his father just because his father have to work abroad for a better life. Which reflects most of the Filipino children in the Philippines who has a parent working abroad for greener pastures. Worst, both parents are away while the kids stays here. Lucky for Makie he occassionally sees his father when he goes in a vacation in the Philippines for a month or two. But most OFW parents cannot have the luxury of a regular vacation trip home. So that leaves the kids going through life without their complete parents beside them. How sad. But that is the life they choose and I am sure the kids will understand. But for how long? I do not know.
Thank God we have the internet at least they can talk through it regularly and see each other virtually, at least. But can the internet recreate the touch of the loving hand of a father. it cannot. Can it duplicate the warm hugs? The embrace? The sweet kisses? The playful tickle on the sides? The disciplining hands? The warm pinch on the cheeks? The pat on the back for every success the child makes? The ruffling of the hair? The playtime? The basketball games on the plaza court? The pillow fights in bed? The dinner together? The sleeping on the father's lap while watching TV? The wrestling match in the living room? The reading of stories before they sleep? The gardening on a hot sunny day? The bathing in the cold rain? The cheer on the boy's game day! The presence. The memories. Well no matter how high-tech our gadgets may be they cannot duplicate all that. Everything the child misses. Years went by and they have no dad. Or Mom beside them. So sad. Isn't it?
Makie's dream inspired me to write this blog entry today. Makie's dream, nearly, yes just nearly, moved me into tears. But I did not show my sadness to my class. Because I don't want them to feel sad too. So I just simply wiped the moist in the corner of my eyes and proceeded with today's lesson. I thanked them for a wonderful recitation and I said I hope all their dreams will come true. To dream will not cost you a centavo, I said. So keep on dreaming and praying even if your former dreams and prayers did not come true. Dream more! And pray even some more. Do not stop dreaming. Believe in dreams and the power of God to fulfill it.
