Papa on board
Going back to KSA

Since birth, I was never with my Papa (Father) for more than two months. He’s an Overseas Filipino Worker based in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He usually goes back in the Philippines every after 2 years and stays with us for just  60 days, that’s about 2 months.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

He needed to work far from us to support our education and our basic needs. There are times that he wanted to quit working overseas because of homesick, culture shock and more challenges he has to face everyday  but my mama (mother) always tell him not to.

My Graduation Day, 2012

Going back with every struggle we face to the day me and my brother finished our studies, I saw my papa with a big smile on his face. That’s what he wanted, he even always tell us that education is the only thing that we can inherit from him. I think he is wrong, yes education is important, but that is not the only thing we can inherit from papa. His unconditional love, his sacrifice, his patience, his courage, his strength, an ultimate responsible papa and all his good traits, too many to mention, those are what we learn from him.

Today me and my brother graduated and both of us are working in an international company.  And as I always say, its payback time! My prayer is that papa will stop working overseas, we’re still telling him not to go back. Hopefully this is his last. We are looking forward to be with him not just for 2 months but more than 2 months, more than 5 months, more than 8 months, more than a year and more than decades. Can’t wait for that time to come. Though we always argue when he is here, it’s all good. He is my Papa and I love him the way he is.

Our latest photo, January 2014

Hope you can read this papa. We love you and please take good care of yourself. We may not be there to take care of you but you are in our hearts and prayers. Most of all, remember that God is with you always at the end of age.

For all the children out there, who have the same experience as ours. Those who have parents working overseas, we will never feel the exact pain that they feel every time we say goodbye when they need to go back in other country to work for a living. What we can do is give time talking to them, yes we’re so busy with our lives in our country and sometimes fail to ask them if they are okay. Please, never forget to say Hi and ask them if they are eating 3 times a day, how’s their day, what are they thinking, how’s work or any question that you can ask thinking that they are just near.

Let’s be more patient to them because some  OFW’s are sensitive and sometimes stubborn. My papa is like that but I’m not saying all OFW.

Take an extra mile to show OFW’s how much we love and appreciate what they are doing for us.

How about you, how is your relationship with your Father or Mother who works overseas? What’s in your thoughts now?

Leave your comment below. Would really love to hear from you.