This is JD’s ride head. Something he’s done since probably 6 months old till now that he’s 4. Sometimes I wonder if this is love or laziness.
I’m a person who lives on a schedule… Though I’m good with last minute planning (I pack my luggage an hour before I head off to the airport), a lot of my schedule specially vacations are planned about a year ahead. 3 days before any day, I try to pack my day as much as possible because I want it to be productive.
For the past 2 years, my morning has always been either Gym, accountability with Nic Uyliapco & Sherwin Tan or my D12 meeting with my discipler Edric Mendoza & friends. Then came yesterday when both JD and Ezra started pre-school (we plan to homeschool only starting Grade 1). JD’s schedule is 730am to 1030am and Ezra’s is 1130am to 2pm. Incase you haven’t seen my dilemma, it means the day being suddenly filled up by the 2 boys alone.
Anyway, 1st day of school JD wakes up… I’m praying for him not to have one of those moments where I need to do everything. Then I hear him crying and shouting those two words that I dreaded to hear “DADDY LANG!”… So I get off my computer and go to him. I inquire on what it is that needed daddy’s service and oblige to give him a bath. I leave the bathroom and ask the yaya to brush his teeth. As soon as I leave the room, I hear the words again — “DADDY LANG!” So I come back and brush his teeth. Afterwards, I rush to continue answering emails and again I hear those 2 annoying words “Daddy Lang!”. What is it this time? Now he wants me to dress him up. So irritated, I asked him “Why does it always have to be Daddy lang? You have your yaya.” I was just actually airing out my thoughts and didn’t expect a reply. Then he replied “Daddy, when I say Daddy lang, it means I love you.”
Parents, our children have a love language that sometimes we don’t understand. Yes, even babies do… which is why they respond when we talk or sing to then (words), they stop crying as we pick them up and hug them (Touch), they make us do things all the time like get me this and that (Service) or want you just by their side (Time. But as they grow old, sometimes we misinterpret their love languages as plain “Arte” – which is true at times but not always. Sometimes, they just want their love tank filled specially as they start this uncertain phase in their life called “school” (remember how you felt the first time you went to school).
So yesterday as I drove my son to school he said “Daddy, you pick me up ok? Not the driver!” I gave an Ok that truly came from the heart because I understood that I have to cherish these moments when they still want me. I gave a promise that I intended to keep no matter what because I know it meant the world to him that daddy serves him.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you that you made me a father. Even if often times, Parenting is difficult, I know that it is at the same time rewarding. Because of this experience, you taught me how to love my son and I understand how much you loved yours… but despite that, you gave him up for us because you loved us even more. Thank you Jesus!
Wasn’t always like this… before Ezra. JD then, would cling to the mom.
A story re: the above picture. There was a time when JD wasn’t as clingy specially when it’s time to sleep. So one time he wanted me to carry him, and I said “I will carry you the whole day but at night you don’t want to sleep beside me.” So he walked from the house to the office (this is the actual picture and he got blisters on his foot after). Since then, he said “Ok daddy I’ll sleep with you.” and till now he does. 🙂
