ang tanging yaman ng OFW sa habang panahon

“The youth is the hope of our future.”

– Jose Rizal

Original draft of closing remarks , Baby Dumpling‘s shower, 21 Nov 2020

“For the benefit of the non-Tagalog speakers, if nobody minds I’ll speak in English.

“I need to keep this short as being a crybaby I’m fairly certain I’ll start to cry.

“At work or while running, the left side of my left knee hurts whenever I kneel, especially when it’s cold, rainy or wet. I have sciatica (pinched nerve) on my upper left leg when I remain standing too long.

“My sleep apnea is hard to ignore as it is aggravated by a deviated septum (nose bridge) from a wayward elbow playing basketball a couple of lifetimes ago. After nearly 15 years, only my wife Mahal can tolerate my snoring.

“In total: I have a dodgy knee, a sumpungin (temperamental) lower back, and snoring habits best suited to Halloween.

“I’ve spent a good part of my adulthood overseas without anything to show for it other than good stories and the kalyo (calluses) on my feet.

“All a normal part of aging, the aging Filipino worker or OFW.

***** ***** *****

“But a funny thing happened. The coronavirus / covid19 lockdown happened. It proved that in my ripe old middle age, I’ve kept the superpower of helping conceive Baby Dumpling (Baby’s nickname until she comes out). It’s a superpower that I thought I lost, with all the work, loss of energy and premature aging. (Of course Mahal will do 99% of the remaining work carrying the baby to term, but I’m happy to have done my part 🙂 )

“It’s a superpower I think I share with all Filipinos, OFWs especially, and a superpower I will take to my grave.

***** ***** *****

“Thank you all the sponsors for keeping the faith that somehow a baby shower was still possible in our lifetime.

“Thank you family and friends for celebrating this happy, if unlikely moment with us. You will forgive Mahal and me for thinking after nearly 15 years that an addition to our union was beyond the unreachable. And yet it has happened.

“We Filipinos have a saying, ‘kung uukol bubukol’: if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. It WILL happen.

“That’s it. Thank you all. Mabuhay!”