Just this morning, we visited a good beach here in Capiz and when Ichi saw the vast water around her, she was so excited that she ran towards the sea right after we jumped off the car.
While I was taking photos of her enjoying the beach, I realized that she had really grown up. A few months ago when we visited Boracay and Samal, she was so afraid of the sea. But early this morning I saw her conquer her fear. She was observing a group of kids that were having fun on a big salbabida, maybe Ichi wants to check why the kids are having fun. She walked towards the kids even though the water was up to her waist. I didn't stopped her, I just let her go. I interrupted the moment when a high wave was about to come towards her.
As a parent, it was an achievement for me to see my kid facing her fears and conquers it. I was in awe when she was running through the waters and feasting herself under the heat of the sun, while I was following her and again "letting her go."
It came to my mind that time will come that I will eventually let her go. Please don't think that I am thinking about marriage. NO. I was thinking about the things that she will have to face by herself in the future. Good friends, Bullies. Peer pressure. Insecurities. Many issues that kids now a days face without parents knowing about it.
I felt a small pinch of fear in my heart. Ichi is just a cute, sweet, bubbly, little girl in my eyes and will always be; but the world that she's in is huge - like an ocean. I cannot be by her side all the times of her life, I will surely grow old and my hands might be too shaky that I will not be able to take photos of her special moments.
I think the hardest part of being a parent are those moments of giving their child the freedom that they need, inch by inch until that moment that finally you need to let go of that last grip that you've been holding on since the day the child was born.
I uttered a short prayer after I was able to ingest my thought. Here it goes.
Dear Lord, this world is like an ocean. It is huge, and Ichi is so small. May she not follow the waves nor the tides of this world just trying to fit in. But I pray Lord, that may she use Your Word as her sail so that she may have a direction and I pray that may this direction will always be towards You.
-I have ended my worrying into prayer. I will not be with Ichi all her life but it gives me comfort and security knowing that I can entrust her to our Living God.
While I was taking photos of her enjoying the beach, I realized that she had really grown up. A few months ago when we visited Boracay and Samal, she was so afraid of the sea. But early this morning I saw her conquer her fear. She was observing a group of kids that were having fun on a big salbabida, maybe Ichi wants to check why the kids are having fun. She walked towards the kids even though the water was up to her waist. I didn't stopped her, I just let her go. I interrupted the moment when a high wave was about to come towards her.
As a parent, it was an achievement for me to see my kid facing her fears and conquers it. I was in awe when she was running through the waters and feasting herself under the heat of the sun, while I was following her and again "letting her go."
It came to my mind that time will come that I will eventually let her go. Please don't think that I am thinking about marriage. NO. I was thinking about the things that she will have to face by herself in the future. Good friends, Bullies. Peer pressure. Insecurities. Many issues that kids now a days face without parents knowing about it.
I felt a small pinch of fear in my heart. Ichi is just a cute, sweet, bubbly, little girl in my eyes and will always be; but the world that she's in is huge - like an ocean. I cannot be by her side all the times of her life, I will surely grow old and my hands might be too shaky that I will not be able to take photos of her special moments.
I think the hardest part of being a parent are those moments of giving their child the freedom that they need, inch by inch until that moment that finally you need to let go of that last grip that you've been holding on since the day the child was born.
I uttered a short prayer after I was able to ingest my thought. Here it goes.
Dear Lord, this world is like an ocean. It is huge, and Ichi is so small. May she not follow the waves nor the tides of this world just trying to fit in. But I pray Lord, that may she use Your Word as her sail so that she may have a direction and I pray that may this direction will always be towards You.
-I have ended my worrying into prayer. I will not be with Ichi all her life but it gives me comfort and security knowing that I can entrust her to our Living God.