The two boys had a quick brawl. The younger one went upstairs crying; I asked him what happened. In between sobs, he related to me what his older brother did to him.

I went downstairs and confronted my other son. I asked him what happened; he told me his side of the story.

After a few minutes, the two were howling again. I shouted at both of them to stop. Then I texted husband to talk to the boys. I left the disciplining to him.

Then this morning after breakfast, the husband left early for a commitment. As I was dusting off his work station, I saw a note by his table.

Dear all… life is hard; let’s make it easier.
Our family is heavy; let’s carry together.
In the end, all of us will leave this place; let’s make living now worth the stay.

I reread his note.

life is hard, let’s make it easier

The stress and demand of being the sole breadwinner must be too much for him to carry, yet he fulfills his obligation with the least complain. He must be expecting us to do the same, also, and spare him of simple household issues.

We’ve got five boys. Any parent would tell that children are expensive. From clothes to food, education, and other needs, having offsprings eat up a bulk of the family’s budget. But then it also depends on the choices of each family. In ours, for instance, P100,000 is still not enough to send a child to school for one school year. Again, it’s our option. We give premium to education; thus, we invest highly on it.

Hence, the husband works hard for us, especially for the boys’ education. And when I texted him about the boys’ fight, he was just too tired to ask what happened. So before leaving the small house to work the next day, he just left a note for everyone to read and hopefully, put heart into.

Our family is heavy, let’s carry together

Having five children certainly isn’t a breeze. From managing simple household chores to disciplining them, it can be quite overwhelming. But again, the intensity of hardship depends on how parents of large families teach their kids the benefits of teamwork and sibling bonding. Often, the parents reap the stress-relieving benefits of family teamwork as each child helps up to lighten the load at home.

That indeed is what the husband asks of us to do. [tweetshareinline tweet=”We are family, so we need to support and care for each other.” username=”SPk3(ad*e(5d4@pEwem@tnlADFb9ZZc8:1:1″]

All of us will leave this place. let’s make living now worth the stay

What is beautiful about the concept of death is that it gives us a deadline. Whether a timeframe to accomplish a goal or just a reminder that life will end eventually, death makes us do things.

We don’t know how long we have, though. And that act of not knowing is what makes life so valuable. The clock is ticking, and when the battery is up, it will stop. But as long as it is ticking, we need to cherish the time we have. And what better way to nurture it is to live it full of compassion, love, and care, especially for our loved ones.

The father’s message to his family

The father’s message to his family

All our three grown-up boys could already comprehend things. And I would like to assume they’ve understood what their father wants them to understand. And as for this mother, I will do my part in managing not only the household but also in making sure no more brawling and shouting will happen in the small house.

It’s Father’s Day this Sunday, and what better way to celebrate it with everyone heeding the request of the head of the family.

admberlin