Being A Family Man To Your Kin

A Streetsmart Guide Part One

Being a son, a husband and a father is an exciting adventure for me. I get to learn things and wisdom as the days of my life goes by.

I'm the second son from a brood of three. All brothers.

And as you all know (if you have been back reading), I'm married to the most beautiful and understanding woman in the universe, Shane.

Aside from that, I'm also a father to a wonderful and amazing girl, Cielo.

Although I'm not the perfect son, husband and father to my kin, I'm wanting to show them how important they are to me. I'm still in the learning process, by the way.

In this article, I'd like to start a series and elaborate one of the traits of a real man. How to be a family man to your immediate family...



As A Son

I confess that I'm not a good son to my parents. Let's say, I have been a very hard headed and naughty son to my parents. "Ako na ang pasaway at suwail na anak."

And I admit that I am ashamed of what I have done against them. I'm not perfect.

But its not too late. I'm trying my best to make it up to them. So I see to it that I spend time with them as much as possible.

I usually treat them to lunch or dinner, give them gifts on their birthdays and other important occasions like birthday, Christmas and New Year. I also allot a few minutes a day just to ask them how are they doing.

And I also extend my hand whenever they need help. I usually give them extra money to help payout some bills or just simply for their extra expenses.

There is no substitute for investing quality time for your parents that brought you here. You would not exist without them. They're understanding and care is priceless.

So give back to them what's due. Whatever the situations and issues you have with them.

As A Brother

Its common to siblings to have rivalries and issues within. I had experienced it too. I hated my older brother before because he bullied us (me and my younger brother) in front of our parents.

I kept my hatred and anger within myself against him as the year goes by. I even thought of morbid things that I want to happen to him.

But as I grow old, I realized its totally unnecessary to keep that hatred. Its a burden and needs to be thrown out of our lives.

To quote a line in the movie American Beauty -- "...it's hard to stay mad when there's so much beauty in the world."

So what I do, I drink and celebrate good times with them. I help them as far as I can whenever they need me. And we take care of each other.

I send emails to my younger brother with the usual jokes to let him know I'm still there for him. I take care of my older brother's Philhealth contributions yearly and give him some extra money.

Whatever personal issues you have with your sibling/s, they are still your family. Who will be there in times of desperation?

I remember what my wife said to me when I told her one kid is enough for me. She said "I don't want Cielo to be alone in the future. At least she has a sibling to go to whenever she has problems." It make sense.

As A Grandson

I have been without a grandparent since I was very young. I don't know the feeling of being close to my lolo or lola.

But still, quality time is still the most important thing to them. They're not gonna be here for long, so grab the opportunity and give them happy memories.

These are just primary suggestions. You can be creative once you get the hang of it.

The next time you have time to spend, give it to your family, especially your parents.

Remember, a family man is a real man. Next article -- How to be a husband / boyfriend to your lady.

What do you do to spend time with your parents and siblings? Share them in the comments section below.

Kapish!



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