My Dad after 10 years....

This may be a late Father's Day greeting to my Dad, but you see, I haven't seen my Dad for almost 10 years now and I miss him terribly.

When I was younger, and even up to now, people would always marvel how much I look like my Dad... My Dad was a very handsome man... He does not even look like Chinese... I can say that he had his fair share of women around him (even if he's already married to my Mom!) which I totally did not agree and resented, by the way :) But my Dad never failed as a father...

My Dad was an ideal Dad, at least for us, his children. He may not be the best husband to my Mom, but he was the best Dad for me. My Dad was my number 1 fan, my number 1 supporter, my number 1 adviser. He was always there to support his children in whatever endeavor we chose to do, whether he approves or not... This may sound cliche, but it's true... He loved his children very much, to the point of spoiling us rotten, but don't get me wrong, we're not brats.... I had my share of welts on my butt when I was young and I didn't go out with my friends for the usual "barkada nights" until I was in 4th year high school... But my Dad, as supportive as he was, would always be there whenever we would need a driver to bring us to our swimming meets, or he would drive whenever I need to go out of town for my school photo shoots and projects... He would drive me and my friends for trips and would just be plain happy because we were enjoying.

My Dad was a diabetic and he would often joke then that he was a druggie everytime he would inject himself with insulin. Because of diabetes, he got himself into sports, playing tennis regularly at the country club. He would also drink hard liquor because as he said, "this would help me with my heart". He was not alcoholic, mind you, but I guess, it never occurred to him that drinking liquor of any kind would affect his health.

It was in 1994 when my Dad's liver failed for the first time, a few months after I graduated. He vomitted blood and I was quite afraid of losing him then. He was too young to leave us.... He was in the ICU for almost 5 days and I was very thankful when he woke up, recognizing each and every one of his children... We almost lost him then. We were told that because my Dad was diabetic and he drank liquor, it was only time that this would affect his liver. He was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis... only 30% of his liver was functioning and the doctor gave him only 3 years to live, if he was going to survive this crisis..

My Dad lived for almost 5 years after his attack. He was the last remaining cirrhosis survivor among other patients in his batch.

During the last year of my Dad's life, he was constantly in and out of the hospital. I was very thankful that my Dad lived through my wedding day, and got to see and meet my firstborn. My daughter was only 6 months old when my Dad left this world. Once a robust and strong man, it was very hard for me to see him wilting day by day.

And to tell you frankly, though it was hard for me to accept my father's death, I was thankful in a way because my Dad would be free of the needles and tests the medical staff would be doing to him... that he would be free of the hardships and difficulties of being diabetic patient with liver cirrhosis... that he would be free of the suffering these diseases were causing him...

I miss my Dad very much.... I know that if he were alive today, he would be a doting grandfather to my three kids... that he and my husband would have been very good friends and would have to places who knows where... I know that, as always, he would have supported us, his children... and I know that he would, as always, take care of my mother who's unwavering love and support, helped him cope with life...

Happy Father's Day, Papa...... How I wish you were here with us today....