Here’s an excerpt from a parent’s response given at the school’s culminating activity held yesterday, 24 March 2007, with the theme “The HEdCen Child: A Gift to the World”:

Teacher Emma requested me to make a response on behalf of the grade school parents. I know I can’t claim to speak for all of you out there; that’s impossible. But what I can do is share with you the sentiment my wife Mallotte and I feel whenever our children reach yet another milestone. Somehow, I think it connects with the theme of our HEdCen children as gifts to the world.

This is something I wrote a few years back for my daughter Riana’s first communion, which she had at another school before we decided to bring her back home to HEdCen. I’ve modified it a bit, and it goes like this. Babasahin ko na lang po.

As Riana marched down the aisle and stepped forward to receive her first communion, I looked at my wife and said “Before we know it, mamartsa na ‘yan sa kasal niya.” I had intended my remark to be funny. This is the way I usually react to moments of poignancy, to stop the tears from welling in my eyes. It sort of worked for me but only made my wife cry just a bit more.

Then I realized that this is our burden as parents: Whether we care to admit it or not, our children were never meant to belong with us all our lives. They are not ours to keep.

From the second they are born, we start giving up our children, little by little. We return them in increments, principal plus interest, not bodily, but as gradually forming souls made truer – or less so – by what we do and fail to do. We are more than recipients of gifts in His image and likeness that He has bestowed upon us. We are the temporary caretakers of the precious lives He has entrusted to our custody.

This is our burden as parents. Our calling, our vocation, and our privilege.

But still, as our children take yet another step closer to our God, I can’t stop myself from asking … “Please, dear Lord, parang awa naman po Ninyo, dahan-dahanin po Ninyo ang pagsingil sa amin.”

Yun lang po, mahal naming mga magulang. Thank you and enjoy the rest of the evening.

And isn’t my daughter simply lovely when she smiles? Congratulations honey!

Posted in: A HEdCen Oldie's POV, HEdCen Special Events | | March 2007