a daughter's letter

dear papa,

MALIGAYANG BATI! :)

happy 40th birthday pa. medyo bata pa man diay ka pang knowing that i'm turning 21 this december. in short, you were 19 when you had me. ahooo! ikaw pa ha! matinik ka ba sa chicks dati? hahaha. well anyway, i hope these 40 years of your life was superb. and i hope, the next 40 years of your life will be happier than ever. i will make it happier for you. bet? hahaha!

in letters like these, it's like an SOP to say thank you at first. so pa, THANK YOU. thank you for your existence, for your love, for your care, for your guidance. basta tanan na. i will always be happy having you. though it wasn't always the best ride that we catch, you always manage to make these rides enjoyable. the up's and down's we've been through will never be included in my regrets' list. thanks for never making me feel any less than the other people, you and mama always do that. that's something people can envy from me. :p
pa, although there have been times that i disappoint you for not following you, please remember that never was a time that i forgot every little thing that you and mama say. it's just sometimes.. i have to do it my way. (rason. haha. sorry na.) you've been my inspiration to push through on things. to believe that there is more than what's here and now. to aim higher at every target. you, mama, and jan2 will always be enough to keep me going.

i always wanted and dreamed to give you better than everything you have right now. i want you to see other things that i think you deserve to have. i want you to have it all. i want you to have someone that you'll grow old with for i know my care and love for you is different with the warmth of love from that special someone. i want you to take you on a trip to see other places and not just settle for what you see day by day. i want you to get all of it because i know you want it and you deserve it. you're my hero and i want to be your hero too. that's why i need you at my side every step of the way.

you'd always be the number 1 man in my life. number 1 lang pa kay malay mo magka-lablyp ko.. may number 2 na. hahaha. and i remember.. pa, i always have it in my mind. what you said when i was in second year in college: "mahalin man gani ang bungi, ikaw pa na kumpleto imong ngipon. so, ayaw pagdali." thanks for those lines pa. i never felt any pressure to find that someone for me kay kumpleto ko'g ngipon. HAHAHAHAHA. you talk less but when you open your mouth, it's just sagad-to-the-bones words. i love you for that pa. i'd always be proud to be called jim-girl kay magkamukha daw ta. (swerteha mo pa ui! kamukha mo ko. haha) i'm still your side kick pa. kahit na ingon nila, maldito kag maldita tang duha. sige lang, basta magkasinabtanay lang ta. haha.
so i guess, you can't read these words.. you know i've never been a good talker. i'm better in scribbling my thoughts. enjoy my gift. and you know i do and will always love you. happy birthday to my macho man! shot na ta pang! :))