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Valuables

By Francis John Chua

I was in grade four when I first gained a sense of personhood, with my own thoughts and understanding, making my own decisions. That’s when I started to realize that everyone’s life, including mine, has value and significance. It was a real pleasure for me to converse with others, young or old, especially if I discovered that they had achieved something in life. I journeyed through those years grateful that I was surrounded by persons I valued and appreciated.

Shocking discovery

When I entered high school I observed some changes from my younger years. I expected some of these but couldn’t believe what I saw one day when I was in fourth year, a close friend of mine shouting at a lady…a mother…his own mother!

I turned away, embarrassed at being caught in a private affair, shocked at what I had seen. I couldn’t bring myself to talk to my friend about the incident when I met him later and pretended to forget it.

Formation in values

Three days later our class had a retreat. We reflected on h ow we followed Jesus in our daily life. I wondered if my friend had realized what he had done to his mother, the one person who would be there for him no matter what happened. I presumed he still needed some enlightenment.

The two most important persons

There was silence in the heart of each of us on the retreat and I could hear a voice echoing faintly in my mind, “After you’ve said good things to your friends and
barkada, after you’ve declared romantic pledges to your girlfriends and boyfriends, do you ever take time to say, “Mom, I love you,” ‘Dad, I love you”? They’ll be gone someday.”

I couldn’t help but cry and cry. It was the moment I realized I showed more devotion to my friends than to my family. I gave value to almost everyone I encountered each day, but a single ‘I love you’ for the most important persons in my life never passed my lips.

Enriched

After that I got the courage to talk to my close friend. We shared our feelings, especially about that incident. I was happy when he opened up and we ended up crying together.

Indeed, it was an unforgettable moment. It reminded me of the value of not just other persons but most of all my family. This is what I would like my own generation to know. We only realize our parents’ worth when we lose them. We can only blame ourselves for being late in doing the things we should have done when we had the chance.