I honor my father by being a good dad to my daughter
As a millennial dad with a career that keeps me glued to my desk at home, I am blessed to witness my daughter grow each day. I always make sure she eats her breakfast before I start working, and as much as possible, I’m right beside her at the end of her day, just before she sleeps. I want her to feel that her “family” is complete as she whispers goodnight to her parents.
What motivates me to give my best every day is knowing that my daughter values my availability over my abilities—that she sees my constant presence, that I am always there when she calls, and as I make sure she hears the words “I love you” and “You are beautiful” from the first man she loves.
The way I raise my daughter is shaped in part by the things I learned from my own father. His quiet strength in the face of adversity always stood out as his best quality. “Lakasan lang ng loob, anak,” he would often say. Even in the days leading up to his demise, he reminded us to spend time on what truly matters. In many ways, I honor his memory by striving to be the dad my daughter can always look up to—for strength and courage.
Though I am not a perfect father, I try my best to set the standard—to raise the bar high for the kind of man she will choose in the future.
AR Manalo is an artist.
