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Friday, October 20, 2017

"The World’s 506th Coolest Dad" by Ma Kyla N


Ever since I was a kid, I always thought my dad was pretty cool. I mean, he isn’t the coolest person on this earth. He’s more like the 506th coolest dad. To me, he’s almost like a superhero that doesn’t have powers. He encouraged me to try a lot of things as a kid, such as play different types of instruments and play different types of sports. He always suggests to me, “Hey Kyla! You should try playing the piano!” or “I saw this little girl play soccer, do you wanna try it?” I always saw the hope in his eyes and the big smile he always had on his face whenever he asked. Of course, I would always agree to try it, but nothing really stuck. I never really understood why he made me go through all those things when in the end, I ended up not having any passion for the things he made me try. Don’t get me wrong, I was grateful that I had the opportunity to try all those things, but I just didn’t know why he was trying so hard to get me to do these activities.
            One day, he sat me down and started talking about his life, starting off with his childhood. Unlike mine, he didn’t have the things I had as a kid, like those Tickle-Me Elmo toys that I used once and never used again, or those small cars I would always lose the day after I bought them. Actually, he didn’t have anything. He lived in poverty with my grandparents and my uncle. He used to play with bottle caps from the beer bottles and used soda cans as soccer balls. He would spend his time after school playing with or bullying the other kids in his neighborhood. My grandma had a little fruit stand at a marketplace, whereas my grandpa worked at an electrical company. My grandparents worked hard to provide for their children and hope that their future was a lot better than theirs. My dad also never really mentioned how my uncle was, but all I know is that their relationship isn’t really great. They lived in a rundown apartment-like complex, but the apartment room was literally a room. That one room was where they slept, ate and cooked. I should also mention that the walls of this apartment were so thin, my dad said, “You can hear people cursing at each other and breaking things all the way from a room at the other side of the complex.”    
            My dad was one of those neighborhood bullies that threw rocks at kids’ heads and fought people just because he felt like it. He was basically those kids who didn’t really care about school, and he is what people would consider a “hooligan” or a “bad influence” to other kids. Despite those names people called him, he was actually a disciplined kid compared to others. At age seven, he was already fetching thirty to forty pounds water from a mile or two away and coming back with it. He hand-washed his family’s clothes, helped my grandma sell fruits at her market and just did the most he could do to help out his family.  Though his family wasn’t well off, they still put him and his brother in a private school due to public schools not being as good as private. He didn’t do very well at school but started getting more serious as high school came along. I mean, he wasn’t top in the top twenty or didn’t have the best grades, but he still managed to graduate but ended up going to a monastery to practice priesthood.
            He stayed at a monastery for 5 years, until they had a retreat to my mom’s hometown: Infanta, Quezon. Due to the circumstance of his future wife being in the same vicinity as him, you already know where this is going. When my dad first met my mom, he said, “She radiated like the sun and I knew I wanted to marry her when I first saw her.” My dad was always a hopeful guy, so he prayed to God, hoping my mom would be the one. Cheesy? I know, kind of cute though. After the Lord answered his prayers, he left the monastery to be with, as he says, “The one and only sunshine in my life that I will always love and cherish.” My mom moved to my dad’s city, where she studied to be a nurse at a university. My dad worked at a company that sold textbooks to colleges across the city as well as three other jobs. They already knew they were going to marry each other, so they saved up money to moved to America. With the jobs my dad was taking on and my mom working at a bank, everything was going as they planned. All of a sudden, my mom became pregnant with yours truly.
            I was born 5 months after my parents’ wedding. My dad described me as a crybaby who always preferred my mom over him. I would always cry whenever he held me and said, “That was the only time I was jealous of your mom.” He definitely put effort as a parent since the day I was born and it touches my heart that he did all of this to show his love to me. Even for my first birthday party, he invited everyone he knew in my mom’s hometown and his family to go. He cooked for hours the night before and made sure everything was perfect. He even made party favors for the kids and hired a photographer. I was too young to thank him, but I definitely would have if I knew how to talk.
            Remember when I said everything was going smoothly? Well, a couple months after my first birthday party, my parents moved to California without me. They wanted to build a foundation for me before I actually moved there with them. As a baby, if my mom wasn’t there, I would know, so I would cry every night looking for my mom for the next two months. Meanwhile, in America, my mom was still training to be a nurse, while my dad worked as a caregiver for a couple of years. My mom also worked with him to earn more money. Two years later, they sent me and my grandma to America and that’s when my dad started suggesting me to do this or doing that. At this point of the story, I knew why he was doing all of this.
            My dad didn’t have a lot of things growing up. He never got the opportunity to do things kids usually do. He didn’t have a house as nice as the one we currently live in or had money to buy the things he wanted. He basically sugarcoated all the things he told me and made it seem like it was okay, but for the 45 years he’s lived on this earth, it’s been hard for him. A smile is always plastered on his face whenever he’s with his family and it hits me hard that he went through a lot to make that smile possible. I realized that him pushing these activities was a way for him to prove that he did it; that he’s giving his child a life that he never had.
Right now, he’s back in the Philippines, building an apartment in a city where poverty is pretty high. He’s also planning to bring me there as well, so I can experience life the Philippines, minus the poverty part. He’s been going back and forth from the Philippines for the past 4 years and whenever he leaves, it feels empty. My mom and I get all sad, whereas my brother hasn’t realized how hard he’s working. He’s even sacrificing things up to this day and I think that’s pretty cool. Like I said, my dad’s like a superhero to me and I hope he knows I love him as much as he loves me.

16 comments:

  1. This story is so touching and so inspirational. I can feel the love you hold for your dad radiate from the words you used to write this piece. It is incredible how hardworking your dad was and still is and the amount of love he holds for you and your family. I was surprised and touched when you mentioned that your dad was studying to become a priest but left to be with your mom. This piece is beautifully written and its immense detail captivated me the whole time. Great job!

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  2. From the way that you described him, I feel like I personally know your dad. This was a heart-warming piece and inspiring that your dad has worked so hard all of his life and sacrificed so much to give your family a good life. Great job!

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  3. I really enjoyed this. I love how it was descriptive enough from me to create this image in my head. It really felt like I was able to experience the events as well. I found it really thoughtful how you dedicated this entry to your Dad. It makes me stop and think that we should show more appreciation to what our parents do for us.

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  4. I really loved your piece. I realized that my dad is really similar to yours. He would always tell me stories of how he was a troublemaker growing up. It makes me realize that even our strict parents had a rebellious side. I really felt the love you have for him through your narrative. Nice work!

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  5. If he is the 506th coolest dad in the world out of 7.4 billion people who live here, that must mean that he is pretty cool. The story of how he grew up in poverty, and had to grow out of his circumstance is something that's very inspirational. My Uncle is from the Philippines, and he was in a similar situation to your father, which helped to to sympathize a little more. From what you described in your story your dad is a really cool person, and is representative of what a dad should be. I hope your life is good when you move to the Philippines, and you truly can experience what it is like, without having to worry about poverty.

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  6. I already told you in person how good this was, but I have to tell you again! I loved reading it and your style of writing drew me in! I can see you have a strong bond with your dad and how much he was willing to give up for you. From your description, your dad is very laudable and great to spend time with! I would say that the only problem that irks me is the title! Though I don't know the significance of the number, I would argue that it is unnecessary and should be removed. :)

    - Travis Ly

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  7. Your dad is a really cool guy! He deserves his stories and the sacrifices he makes to be sung by a bard in an old tavern! Your dad also seems to have a similar my father also had and it really does make you grateful for the easy life we have! Great story, loved it!

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  8. This was a wonderful read. From the very first moments, i could tell how much you cared for you dad. Explaining the extents to all he has done for you has been amazing. i felt like i was also apart of the journey. Thank you for this! - Jennifer Kirksey

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  9. This was a beautiful and well-written story. This makes me stop and realize the hard work my parents have done in order for my siblings and I to have great life. Thank you for sharing this amazing story!

    Stephanie Valdovinos
    p.1

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  10. That was a beautiful and heart-warming little biography. I love how you talk about your father in such a loving yet playful way. It's amazing to think about all that our parents do to ensure that we live the relatively easy lives that we have. But why the number 506 specifically? Anyway, I enjoyed it, great job.

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  11. The thing that caused me to choose to read your piece was the title. I think everyone throws around the word "best" too often these days, everyone has the best dad, the best mom, even the best mashed potato recipe. You showed originality by saying your father was the "506th coolest" and after reading your piece I was not disappointed with your work. I applaud the fact that you told an extremely personal story, which for many is tough to do. Your piece had a lot of character to it and I think it did an excellent job highlighting your own personal voice as well as your deep love and admiration for your father.

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  12. This was so heartwarming to read, I admire the way you described everything and made your piece flow so perfectly!

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  13. I was completely drawn to your story because of the title, it was so interesting so I had to read it. Comparing your childhood to your dad's shows how much he has worked to provide a plentiful life for you and that is incredibly heartwarming. I appreciate how your story felt like we were having a conversation because you left yourself vulnerable by sharing a personal story. Great job!
    -Elizabeth Rivera

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  14. This anecdote of your father was both eye-catching and heart-warming. I applaud your style of writing; it's as if we were in a conversation that turned deep. I also found it interesting that in the beginning and toward the end, your diction ironically suggests that you didn't think much of your father. However, that clearly isn't the case, and it's touching that you use a semi-casual tone to express that.

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  15. Wow, this story is so heartwarming and sweet, I really feel as if I knew your dad all throughout his life just by reading your story! Your dad seems like a very genuine dude, and I absolutely love how you chose to write about him. Great work! :)
    -Carianne Lefebvre

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  16. The title is definitely a winner when it comes to hooks (I was immediately intrigued when I saw it). I feel the story is very (as many other people have already said) heartwarming mainly because of your great detail when it comes to describing your father. There are some stylistic preferences that I wish you would've done (oxford commas are amazing), but you did an amazing job.

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