Sports Eye

By June 19, 2016Opinion, Sports Eye

Father’s Day

Jess Garcia

By Jesus A. Garcia, Jr.

TODAY, June 19, is Father’s Day, and also the natal day of our national hero, the martyr Dr. Jose P. Rizal. Like you guys I’m also a proud father since July 14, 1967 with my first son Jazy, my only child that followed my footsteps. In all, I have 18 offspring. No need to explain. And as you might have guessed right, yes, I’m not only a father but also a grandfather and recently became a great grandfather to Jazy’s two kids.

I’m not proud but neither am I ashamed to say that I’m a child out-of-wedlock or ‘iho de bastardo’ as labeled by others. It’s not my fault. I was conceived during the World War and saw the first light of the world during liberation. That’s my fate from Above and I thank Him big time not only for being born, but for making my first dream a reality, meeting my father abroad. I’m also thankful for he made me a national figure by bringing multiple laurels to our province during my cycling heydays as a competitive cyclist, my second dream. He also made my third dream come true – I watched the Olympics! To watch the Tour de France personally and to visit where Jesus was born and the place where he was crucified in Israel are the last two remaining dreams of mine that I hope I do before I say goodbye to this world.

My only regret was my not being able to handle my situation being a father and at the same time, a national champion. Just like what former world heavyweight champion, the late Muhammad Ali confessed – “It’s hard to be humble when you are the best.”- what happened to Ali and others also happened to me. But we are only human that make mistakes and we are not being hypocritical about it.

Nonetheless, I feel that in spite of many complaints about fathers like me, being a womanizer and irresponsible, to name some, a father should still be respected by his own children. Without a father, a child will not be born. In short, children owe their lives to him and to their mother.

God said “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12) He mentioned ‘father’ first before ‘mother’ because the father is the head of the family as God also said in the Good Book. (And remember, too, that God created Adam first before Eve and Adam was the very first father of the world. Amen).

Happy Father’s Day to everyone and I wish and hope that there will also be a ‘Grandfather’s Day’ or even ‘Great Grandfather’s Day’ (ditto for aging mothers).

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: And Jesus Christ said, “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. MATTHEW 6: 6-8.

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