TRIBUTE TO PARENTS
"THERE IS ONLY ONE MOMENT WHEN THE DOOR OPENS AND LETS THE FUTURE IN." GRAHAM GREEN.
Our distinguished guest of honor Dra. EVELYN VILLARUEL DOLLETE, honored administrators, beloved teachers, dear parents and friends of Notre Dame.
THIS IS THE MOMENT. Our graduation song says it all. Today my dear co- graduates, March 22, 2007 will linger for a long, long time in our minds as the day we finally bid adieu to our idyllic and carefree childhood and adolescent years and assume a more mature role in life. Today we also bid goodbye to our beloved school, Notre Dame of Esperanza. We presently are savoring success and if I may add, it is such a sweet one. But you and I know that we did not reach these heights easily. We have our share of trials and challenges. But I am sure, you will agree with me my dear co- graduates that we have prevailed and have been made richer by these adversities. The rough diamonds that we were once have been cleaved into brilliant gems. Today we proudly march to receive our precious diploma. Our beloved school is giving us our marching order to go out into the world and put into action what we have learned for the past four years in Notre Dame. I urge you then SOAR HIGH NDE GRADUETES 2007. But what kind of world awaits us? To what direction is it moving that would result in the transformation of our life and the lives of others? A famous man talks about the mega- trends in the world to day. He discusses the changes the world is facing. From an industrial society we are moving towards information society, from forced technology to high tech and high touch, from national economy to world economy, from short term to long term, from centralization to decentralization, from Institutional help to self- help, from representative democracy to participatory democracy and from hierarchies to networking. Without actually telling us, Notre Dame of Esperanza had been preparing us for these trends. Today we raise the anchor and set sail in the great odyssey called LIFE. Certainly, the forthcoming challenges would create in us confusion, dread and fear. But let us not be afraid for there are persons like in the past who would always be there to help us overcome these seemingly insurmountable barriers to our success, persons whose faith and love surmounts the dark valley of the past and who walks with us in the sunshine of the fabled land of a new experience. Such persons are our parents and teachers.
This is my last opportunity to address you dear teachers. So I wish thank you for the generous time you have given us, for your patience and most of all for the honesty, integrity and wisdom which I am certain we will carry for the rest of our lives.
Moreover I am tasked today to honor the person who has given us, our parents. They share our triumphs as well as our tragedies. They are our best counsels and ardent critics and have never broken a promise or betrayed a confidence. Our indebtedness to them is incalculable. Our beloved parents inspire us about compassion, about love and about values. More importantly they are our best mentors in life of life. Their unconditional love is their greatest gift. Without our solicitous and loving parents, I am sure it would be difficult to face the "undiscovered country" - that is our FUTURE. Our beloved parents live their lives not for themselves but for us their children. They give and give without counting the cost. Our parents in attendance would even give their lives so that we could have a happy ending in all our undertakings. Their affirming love has led us to believe that God willing, we could do everything we set our minds to. They were there when we needed them and even when we didn't. Their prayers and unwavering support always reminds us that our life has a purpose. The older we get, the more we should love them. But how do we say Thank You to these unsung heroes of our lives. Mga Magulang namin, paano namin kayo mapapasalamatan sa inyong dakilang pag- ibig sa amin.
At this juncture, allow me to talk of my own parents. In doing so I am sure I am speaking at the same time of the traits of the other parents as well- these wonderful angels in our young lives. Once there were two persons who loved each other. Sweet, yes. Happy, yes. Quiet, yes. Minimal responsibilities, yes. Complete, no until their children come along. I was their first- born. I bore the brunt of their inexperience. It was an on the job training with no retakes. They had no prior chance to try out various parenting styles and approaches. There was no way they could say "time out" to attend classes in parenting, as a matter of fact there were no classes available. A sage once said: “For perfect parents there were none and perfect children never will be." But an approximation to perfection was somehow reached by my own parents. I grew up in a place where love resides. It is a place where we all converge after the end of a long day. Home is a place where we all felt relaxed, safe and secured.
My father is not a glamorous- looking man. he never look like a movie star. Not that I love him less for it. His intimate love, his provision for a stable home environment, and his encouragement to improve myself haunt me today. I loved him. He was generous and loving. My father taught us at an early age how to handle difficult situation. My father raised the four of us with love. He allowed us to possess ideals and opinions of our own. My father was brave like a lion but gentle enough to sooth a child's tears. While my father expresses his love for us in countless ways, he was not verbally expressive of his love. He never said I love you dear child but he showed it in more ways than one. Yet my heart longed to see a note that would say I love you my eldest child, but it never happened and will never be. Sayang hindi makakadalo ang tatay ko sa special na araw na ito. God took him away from us. I grew up without my loving father at my side. I lived too long without my father's touch of the wisdom he could wisper in my ears, too long without my father's embrace his comfort or his guidance. Pero gaya ng commercial sa TV may malaking bahagi and papa ko sa aking tagumpay. While my father may be gone from this earth, and that is my greatest regret, for the greatest man I ever know did not live long enough to see the joy of this day, my graduation. But I know, he is surely smiling at this moment, he so greatly influenced. I promise you Papa that I would live my life in such a way that would honor you and your memories but most of all, one that would definitely makes you proud of me.
Knowing that I was an orphan, a close acquaintance told me that the most beautiful flowers in the world grew in the wild for the God is their gardener. He was wrong. While I accept that God is there all along, that person forgot that I have a mother. I am a witness to the happy marriage of my parents. Surely the death of my father was a great shock to my mother. As a single parent, she did not abandon her duties to her children. Singly she raised us up in a manner befitting our status in life. I am a young woman and have a young woman's concern. I have my loving mother, through her advices and companionships, to help me through. My mother has put our family above everything for the past sixteen years of my life. I know it was difficult to be both a father and mother at the same time. But she has done it. She goes to work during the day but she always has time for us her children at night. She is a tower of strength for her fatherless children. Alam ko nahihirapan din siya. Pero hindi halata. Tinatago ng mama ko ang kanyang paghihirap sa pagpapalaki sa amin. Our education is her foremost concern. Time and time again, she would remind us that her only legacy for us is not wealth for she has none but education. She was a woman with a soul of a saint but a heart of a fighter. She is an epitome of the matriarchal Filipino society. Mama I know that when things go from hot to flaming, you are able to do things that would make me proud you're my mother. Looking back, more than once, you've shown me that you can take the heat. She talks to us about faith but her actions speak louder than words. She poignantly says by her action that there is a DEVINE PROVIDENCE that would take care of her financial problems and other worries. But one important lesson I learned from her, in our situation, is that extraordinary things can happen when you believe in your self. She was my champion for creative pursuit, by being my cheerleader and critic. She believes in me from the beginning. She stood beside me patiently every step of the way and supported me so enthusiastically. To my beloved mama, I will remember talking endlessly with you about anything and everything from my academic standing, my crushes, and my latest escapades. I will always remember when I went to your room and curled in bed with you in the middle of the night after a bad dream. I will always remember how you'd forgive me each time I hurt you. I will remember when you'd say sorry after you hurt my feeling. I will remember all the unwritten things forever etched in my memory.
My mother is not Bill Gates with billions in her name. She is not Henry Sy, Sr. whose SM Malls mushroomed all over the Philippines. She is not Goerge T. Yang, whose name is synonymous with Mc Donald Philippines. She is not Bishop Teodoro C. Bacani Jr. with numerous books to her name. She has no PhD after her name like our guest speaker. She is simply ERMIE Q. HALAYAP, the greatest mother for me. May I call on my mother to please stand up. My dear friends, may I present to you my life's greatest gift and will remain my greatest treasure, my mother. Mama in my heart there are a number of rooms. The best room belongs to you because you partly with papa have raised me to what I am today not a perfect individual but happy and blessed for what I am and what I have. One deep regret in life is that I always don't have enough time for the required hugs and kisses. I think now is the time for that and may I call all my co- graduates similarly situated as I am to especially honor all the single parents in attendance.
I cannot let this pass without mentioning the greatest mother of all. When St. Dominic Savio after his death appeared to St. John Bosco, the latter asked him "Dominic what was the thing that comforted you at the hour of death." The PATRON SAINT OF TEENAGERS responded "The assistance of Mary, Mother of God. Tell the boys not to forget to call on her." I am now repeating the message of that saint. There is one person we can turn to for help and I am sure she will not refuse us for we carry her name NOTRE DAME wherever we are. Do not forget to call on her.
Finally as we leave the hall of our Alma Mater to use the words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, we should my dear co- graduates "Be kind and merciful, let no one come to you without going away better and happier. Be a living expression of God's kindness." These thoughts sum up our mission and vocation in life. We must part now to meet at happier times. I repeat SOAR HIGH GRADUATES 2007 AND GODSPED. I THANK YOU.
"THERE IS ONLY ONE MOMENT WHEN THE DOOR OPENS AND LETS THE FUTURE IN." GRAHAM GREEN.
Our distinguished guest of honor Dra. EVELYN VILLARUEL DOLLETE, honored administrators, beloved teachers, dear parents and friends of Notre Dame.
THIS IS THE MOMENT. Our graduation song says it all. Today my dear co- graduates, March 22, 2007 will linger for a long, long time in our minds as the day we finally bid adieu to our idyllic and carefree childhood and adolescent years and assume a more mature role in life. Today we also bid goodbye to our beloved school, Notre Dame of Esperanza. We presently are savoring success and if I may add, it is such a sweet one. But you and I know that we did not reach these heights easily. We have our share of trials and challenges. But I am sure, you will agree with me my dear co- graduates that we have prevailed and have been made richer by these adversities. The rough diamonds that we were once have been cleaved into brilliant gems. Today we proudly march to receive our precious diploma. Our beloved school is giving us our marching order to go out into the world and put into action what we have learned for the past four years in Notre Dame. I urge you then SOAR HIGH NDE GRADUETES 2007. But what kind of world awaits us? To what direction is it moving that would result in the transformation of our life and the lives of others? A famous man talks about the mega- trends in the world to day. He discusses the changes the world is facing. From an industrial society we are moving towards information society, from forced technology to high tech and high touch, from national economy to world economy, from short term to long term, from centralization to decentralization, from Institutional help to self- help, from representative democracy to participatory democracy and from hierarchies to networking. Without actually telling us, Notre Dame of Esperanza had been preparing us for these trends. Today we raise the anchor and set sail in the great odyssey called LIFE. Certainly, the forthcoming challenges would create in us confusion, dread and fear. But let us not be afraid for there are persons like in the past who would always be there to help us overcome these seemingly insurmountable barriers to our success, persons whose faith and love surmounts the dark valley of the past and who walks with us in the sunshine of the fabled land of a new experience. Such persons are our parents and teachers.
This is my last opportunity to address you dear teachers. So I wish thank you for the generous time you have given us, for your patience and most of all for the honesty, integrity and wisdom which I am certain we will carry for the rest of our lives.
Moreover I am tasked today to honor the person who has given us, our parents. They share our triumphs as well as our tragedies. They are our best counsels and ardent critics and have never broken a promise or betrayed a confidence. Our indebtedness to them is incalculable. Our beloved parents inspire us about compassion, about love and about values. More importantly they are our best mentors in life of life. Their unconditional love is their greatest gift. Without our solicitous and loving parents, I am sure it would be difficult to face the "undiscovered country" - that is our FUTURE. Our beloved parents live their lives not for themselves but for us their children. They give and give without counting the cost. Our parents in attendance would even give their lives so that we could have a happy ending in all our undertakings. Their affirming love has led us to believe that God willing, we could do everything we set our minds to. They were there when we needed them and even when we didn't. Their prayers and unwavering support always reminds us that our life has a purpose. The older we get, the more we should love them. But how do we say Thank You to these unsung heroes of our lives. Mga Magulang namin, paano namin kayo mapapasalamatan sa inyong dakilang pag- ibig sa amin.
At this juncture, allow me to talk of my own parents. In doing so I am sure I am speaking at the same time of the traits of the other parents as well- these wonderful angels in our young lives. Once there were two persons who loved each other. Sweet, yes. Happy, yes. Quiet, yes. Minimal responsibilities, yes. Complete, no until their children come along. I was their first- born. I bore the brunt of their inexperience. It was an on the job training with no retakes. They had no prior chance to try out various parenting styles and approaches. There was no way they could say "time out" to attend classes in parenting, as a matter of fact there were no classes available. A sage once said: “For perfect parents there were none and perfect children never will be." But an approximation to perfection was somehow reached by my own parents. I grew up in a place where love resides. It is a place where we all converge after the end of a long day. Home is a place where we all felt relaxed, safe and secured.
My father is not a glamorous- looking man. he never look like a movie star. Not that I love him less for it. His intimate love, his provision for a stable home environment, and his encouragement to improve myself haunt me today. I loved him. He was generous and loving. My father taught us at an early age how to handle difficult situation. My father raised the four of us with love. He allowed us to possess ideals and opinions of our own. My father was brave like a lion but gentle enough to sooth a child's tears. While my father expresses his love for us in countless ways, he was not verbally expressive of his love. He never said I love you dear child but he showed it in more ways than one. Yet my heart longed to see a note that would say I love you my eldest child, but it never happened and will never be. Sayang hindi makakadalo ang tatay ko sa special na araw na ito. God took him away from us. I grew up without my loving father at my side. I lived too long without my father's touch of the wisdom he could wisper in my ears, too long without my father's embrace his comfort or his guidance. Pero gaya ng commercial sa TV may malaking bahagi and papa ko sa aking tagumpay. While my father may be gone from this earth, and that is my greatest regret, for the greatest man I ever know did not live long enough to see the joy of this day, my graduation. But I know, he is surely smiling at this moment, he so greatly influenced. I promise you Papa that I would live my life in such a way that would honor you and your memories but most of all, one that would definitely makes you proud of me.
Knowing that I was an orphan, a close acquaintance told me that the most beautiful flowers in the world grew in the wild for the God is their gardener. He was wrong. While I accept that God is there all along, that person forgot that I have a mother. I am a witness to the happy marriage of my parents. Surely the death of my father was a great shock to my mother. As a single parent, she did not abandon her duties to her children. Singly she raised us up in a manner befitting our status in life. I am a young woman and have a young woman's concern. I have my loving mother, through her advices and companionships, to help me through. My mother has put our family above everything for the past sixteen years of my life. I know it was difficult to be both a father and mother at the same time. But she has done it. She goes to work during the day but she always has time for us her children at night. She is a tower of strength for her fatherless children. Alam ko nahihirapan din siya. Pero hindi halata. Tinatago ng mama ko ang kanyang paghihirap sa pagpapalaki sa amin. Our education is her foremost concern. Time and time again, she would remind us that her only legacy for us is not wealth for she has none but education. She was a woman with a soul of a saint but a heart of a fighter. She is an epitome of the matriarchal Filipino society. Mama I know that when things go from hot to flaming, you are able to do things that would make me proud you're my mother. Looking back, more than once, you've shown me that you can take the heat. She talks to us about faith but her actions speak louder than words. She poignantly says by her action that there is a DEVINE PROVIDENCE that would take care of her financial problems and other worries. But one important lesson I learned from her, in our situation, is that extraordinary things can happen when you believe in your self. She was my champion for creative pursuit, by being my cheerleader and critic. She believes in me from the beginning. She stood beside me patiently every step of the way and supported me so enthusiastically. To my beloved mama, I will remember talking endlessly with you about anything and everything from my academic standing, my crushes, and my latest escapades. I will always remember when I went to your room and curled in bed with you in the middle of the night after a bad dream. I will always remember how you'd forgive me each time I hurt you. I will remember when you'd say sorry after you hurt my feeling. I will remember all the unwritten things forever etched in my memory.
My mother is not Bill Gates with billions in her name. She is not Henry Sy, Sr. whose SM Malls mushroomed all over the Philippines. She is not Goerge T. Yang, whose name is synonymous with Mc Donald Philippines. She is not Bishop Teodoro C. Bacani Jr. with numerous books to her name. She has no PhD after her name like our guest speaker. She is simply ERMIE Q. HALAYAP, the greatest mother for me. May I call on my mother to please stand up. My dear friends, may I present to you my life's greatest gift and will remain my greatest treasure, my mother. Mama in my heart there are a number of rooms. The best room belongs to you because you partly with papa have raised me to what I am today not a perfect individual but happy and blessed for what I am and what I have. One deep regret in life is that I always don't have enough time for the required hugs and kisses. I think now is the time for that and may I call all my co- graduates similarly situated as I am to especially honor all the single parents in attendance.
I cannot let this pass without mentioning the greatest mother of all. When St. Dominic Savio after his death appeared to St. John Bosco, the latter asked him "Dominic what was the thing that comforted you at the hour of death." The PATRON SAINT OF TEENAGERS responded "The assistance of Mary, Mother of God. Tell the boys not to forget to call on her." I am now repeating the message of that saint. There is one person we can turn to for help and I am sure she will not refuse us for we carry her name NOTRE DAME wherever we are. Do not forget to call on her.
Finally as we leave the hall of our Alma Mater to use the words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, we should my dear co- graduates "Be kind and merciful, let no one come to you without going away better and happier. Be a living expression of God's kindness." These thoughts sum up our mission and vocation in life. We must part now to meet at happier times. I repeat SOAR HIGH GRADUATES 2007 AND GODSPED. I THANK YOU.
-during my high school graduation-
