I'm considerably a material girl - one way or another. I'm in love with clothes, accessories, and glitters. But I don't always get what I want. In fact, I rarely get more than what I need. It's because we're not rich, and my country is undeniably impoverished. Since my wants are unsatisfied, I've always envied my friends whose parents are working abroad. They can get all that they want at any time they wish. They have a lot more cash than they actually need. How I wished I was like them. Their lives seemed perfect to me. But I was wrong.
The Philippines is a prison cell that we are all in. Migration is the easiest way out. It would be such a sweet escape from the crisis here in our homeland when we fly to the green land where riches abound. This had always been my point of view. But I proved myself wrong when I started to look at the other side of the coin - the coin that may seem pleasant but I know where it leads; its happiness is an illusion. When someone moves away, there are always people he leaves behind - his neighbors, his friends, and most importantly, his family. I tried to put myself into the shoes of those who got left behind by a family member. I imagined how my life would be if my mom went away. After a couple of minutes, I shivered. I was terrified, and dared not to think further of such awful tragedy. Life without my mother - life without someone to kiss me goodnight, life without someone to wake me up gently at daylight, life without a shoulder to lean on when things don't seem to go right - is not life at all.
Such immeasurable emptiness could be felt by anyone whose parent had gone away. Now I know why youngsters are becoming violent - because their parents are not there to tame them. Now I know why teens are giving up to worldly temptations - because they want their busy working parents to notice them. Now I know I'm lucky - because both of my parents are with me. Another fact that came to my thoughts is the superiority given to overseas workers. When they come back, they are treated as if they were kings or other must-be-respected royalties. They are given much care. Everyone seemingly wants to please them - even their own brothers, sisters, and children. Is it still a family when one seems out of reach for others? No, I don't think so. A family is a relationship whose best feature is its approachability.
But when one is given high regard, there is no way that he becomes approachable. A father is not anymore treated as a father, but as a duke; a mother as a duchess; and a relative as an aristocrat. Sad, but true. All these reasons and more say but one thing: The church has to do something. The family is the basic unit of society. It is the foundation of values for every individual. One can't grow in love and in spirit, if the family is not there to help. This is a challenge for the church - to help keep family ties strong despite the bottomless distance between one member and another.
Ohana means family; family means nobody gets left behind. This is a statement that many might have heard of but never took time to comprehend and reflect upon. Running away never solves any problem. But I guess sometimes, practically speaking, the solution to some problems is not anywhere near. Migration - the surest way out of this economically empty-handed country. It's not a bad thing, but there are other more important things - or people - we have to take into consideration. You, who are planning to leave the country someday soon, take care not to break family ties and always pray to the Lord Most High. And to those who think the way I once did, be thankful that your family is complete - I learned that the hard way.
