Diligence and perseverance are what you need to succeed
Dear Nanay,
I always read your column and have wanted to e-mail you for a long time to ask for some advice, but I was not sure my letter would be answered because of all the people who write to you.
I have four children. They are all in school. My eldest is in fourth-year Architecture and his brothers are all in high school. My husband is only a taxi driver and I am just a housewife. To earn some extra income, I sell merienda or cook for some of our neighbors. The money we earn is only enough for our food and daily expenses.
We want our eldest son to stop school but he does not want to stop. When he was only in second year, we already wanted him to stop because he was having such a hard time. There are times when he does not have enough money for pamasahe (commuting). He cannot buy supplies for school. It is always like that. Even his brothers have to sacrifice just for him. When our electricity gets cut off, sometimes it lasts for one or two months, and he studies in the dark and makes his plates until late at night.
Halos madurog ang puso ko sa awa sa kanya. (My heart is almost crushed with pity for him.) He even goes to school early when we don’t know where to get his travel allowance. With eyes closed I approach our neighbors for money just so he can go to school and all his hard work won’t be wasted.
Our situation is always like this and I ignore what other people say just so my children can continue school. We don’t know what to do anymore, especially because next school year he will already do his thesis. But his point is that if he does not finish school, all the more our family will always be poor. He is really determined to finish.
Should I stop him or allow him to continue school?
EM
Dear Em,
I admire your son. In the face of whatever challenges may stand in his path, he finds a way to keep on going and keep reaching for his dreams. Hindi pangkaraniwan ang sipag at tiyaga niya. (His diligence and perseverance are extraordinary.) And believe me, those are the qualities that he will need to succeed in life.
In a situation like yours where you have to make the difficult choice of maybe having one of your children stop school, I would not stop him. He is already in his fourth year. Isang taon na lang at makakatapos na siya! (Just one more year and he will finish!) Why will you stop him now? If he can finish then he can help the family right away when he gets a job.
And look at it this way: you were saying that you wanted him to stop when he was just in second year. That was two years ago and even today he is still in school. Nakakahanap naman kayo ng paraan, hindi ba? Nakakaraos pa rin. (You always manage to find a way, right? You manage to overcome.) Just a little more sacrifice and you will finally fulfill your son’s dreams.
Your son has a goal and that is what is fueling his passion. If you need some motivation to keep you going in difficult times, just think about the emotions you will have when you finally see your son marching on stage to receive his diploma. I guarantee you there is no feeling quite like that.
Your son is a very rare gift. You have raised him well and he has a bright future. You should be so proud of him.
Sincerely,
Nanay
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Touched by wife’s plight
Dear nanay,
I was so touched by the sentiments of L (in your March 2 column) because I also experienced the same but only foul words and not physical hurts. The good thing is that I often pray the rosary and believe God is watching over me.
More power and God bless!
M
DEAR M,
I completely agree with you. You will be amazed at what prayer can do. It can provide comfort and peace. And maybe more importantly, when everything seems lost and problems look impossible to solve, prayers oftentimes provide the needed solutions to overcome your many challenges.
Have faith and never underestimate the power of prayer.
Sincerely,
Nanay
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If you have a question, e-mail us at asknanay@nationalbookstore.com.ph or just drop your letter at drop boxes in all National Book Store branches nationwide.
