This past May 15, 2019, at the age of 92 my Dad sailed away from his earthly life to the great beyond. I can see him happily reunited with my Mom who went ahead 5 years before and whom he sorely missed every single day since.
My dad was a sailor at heart. Being born in landlocked Nueva Ecija, early on, he had a longing to see the ocean. As a young man, God fulfilled his heart's desires and gave him a job that sent him hopping from one island to the next, with a lot of time to go swimming in the sea.
Dad always put the family first. With a long time dream to build a boat, he finally bought some marine plywood. But during that time, his first daughter was born so the wood he bought did not end up as a boat but was instead used to make a crib.
Still, as the years passed, God remembered Dad's dream he was able to build not just 1 boat, but 3. He also helped others build their boats, even when it would cause his face to swell up due to an allergy from the adhesives.
Dad loved to sit down on the beach and look at the sea for hours. He would go sailing by himself (causing my sisters to worry). One time he came back with a black eye. He actually capsized and didn't notice that he hit his eye in the process. He was always so happy getting back from sailing.
Daddy didn't just teach us how to sail. He taught a great many things to a great many people. He had faith in people. I remember that I overheard him talking with one of our workers. I didn't think that the person he was teaching could actually learn the complexities of the task but without too much instruction, she did the job well. He could mentor someone and that person would end up being an expert in the field. He taught people how to fix cars, lighting, carpentry, carving, machinery and a whole lot more. He was able to train people and then he would learn more new technology and processes that would help the business or make our lives at home better.
All his life, Dad was interested in how things worked. When he was a young boy, he disassembled a clock (and was not able to put it back together again). During the war when resources were scarce, he made his own toys out of cans and throwaway materials.
Dad never stopped learning. At 81 he started using e-mail and soon after got himself a cellphone. He would ask me how to setup his phone or do some tasks on it. He would say, "don't do it, show me how to do it". He was always working on something. He was never idle. But he knew how to enjoy life and take it easy.
Until the very end of his life, Daddy had dreams. He told me that he wanted to go into the fishing business. He wanted to setup a business where he could help our workers earn more - on commission. He never went into anything without sufficient preparation. He finished his boat and acquired different types of nets and traps to see which one would be the most effective.
This goal was in part due to an experience he had "talking" with Mommy. When my mom died, Daddy would always say, "I miss Mommy" and I would tell him, "talk to her, she can hear you". After which he would reply, "Oh no, I'm scared".
Since I would talk to my mom and draw a lot of comfort from this, I prayed to God for him to ease my Dad's loneliness.
Daddy had a routine of crying in the living room everyday - missing Mommy. One day he had a thought. He said, "Mommy, if you can hear me, send me a sign - now". As soon as he thought, "now", a little sparrow appeared inside the living room, flew beside his ear - flew a few meters away, came back to beside his ear... and then flew away and disappeared. Just like that, he knew my mom could "hear" him.
All of the windows of the house have screens on them and if ever a bird would come in, it would be trying to get out somehow. It would not be flying to and from someone's ear. So my Dad knew it was some sort of a miracle that happened. He said, "God allowed this to happen."
He thought, "so, you can hear me!". "Where are you now?" he asked.
In a flash, the answer came, "not allowed" - which is how my mom talked.
Since then, my Dad had been conversing with Mommy in his heart. One day he told her, "I want to go where you are." Again an answer came, "Not yet, go fishing first". That's why Daddy went into fishing.
Daddy's life has been peppered with miracles. Possibly God's divine hand was more visible to their family because of their parents constantly serving at church. His Dad was the first Methodist bishop in the Philippines and his mom was a deaconess. Both were always busy with church matters.
During World War 2, the Japanese suddenly asked my Dad's family to evacuate their home. They were going to use the house for military purposes. So off they went packing. Little did they know that the misfortune that this seemed to be at the time - was a blessing in disguise. After some time, the area where the house was situated became a horrific battleground. Houses were burned in the area and when residents ran outside, they were shot. The family was saved from certain death.
Daddy knew where his help came from. One of his favorite bible verses was from Psalm 121. "I lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." In his own way, he helped our family to put God first.
As a young married man, my Dad set priorities straight by teaching my Mom about finances. He taught her to first set aside 10% as tithes then allot 10% for savings and then use the rest for household expenses.
As a father, Daddy was always there for us. He was a good example of someone who was always around. He didn't like the taste of alcohol so he never drank or smoked or partied with his friends. He was happy and content being with my Mom and the family.
One time at work, Dad's boss called him in at 5pm. He wanted my Dad to have a meeting. My dad said, "I have to fetch my kids. My kids come first". He was a very reliable father indeed.
Growing up, Daddy would ask me if I needed any help with my homework. He would bring the family to the beach, go fly kites, see the sights on long road trips, go biking around the neighborhood and he would record us singing on his 8-track.
I loved Sunday mornings with him as a little kid - playing with his vintage cars, drawing, or singing along with Johnny Mathis and Dionne Warwick. He would show me Johnny Mathis record and then he would tease me by letting me kiss the picture of the singer. So I'd let him kiss Dione Warwick. It was our silly, little joke that just made us both laugh all the time.
My Dad and I shared the same love language - quality time. So I guess he knew how to show his youngest daughter just how much he loved her. One time when I was very young, I was pestering my whole family to bring me to see the King Kong movie. No one wanted to go. We never really went anywhere without bring the whole family along so it was really a precious memory for me when my Dad relented and we spent the time together, just Dad and I. After going to the movie, he even brought me to the carnival and let me right the scary ride and bump car.
All my life I feel so blessed to have had so much time with my Dad. Even as an adult, my Dad and I would often be the only ones at home and we would talk about his dreams at the breakfast table or watch war movies at night. I was always so fascinated by his stories. He was the kind of Dad who was your friend. He was never domineering towards me and even when he was shouting, I was never scared of him. I loved tickling him cause he always had such a great reaction. He could make the funniest faces that would say it all.
Every child will probably say that their Dads were brilliant - but my Dad really was *wink*. He was articulate, funny and smart without really trying. At 92, he had a better memory than I ever had. I try to do crosswords now because Dad did those every day.
I am so grateful to God that on Daddy's last day on earth, I was able to see him on a video call. After telling him that we love him, he peacefully breathed his last before my very eyes. It was my deepest wish to be there to send him off.
Daddy I miss you everyday. I love you everyday. Thank you for being the best Daddy ever! Take care of yourself until we meet again.
