To Lolo and Lola, with love and gratitude
Today is Grandparents’ Day, and as a tribute to the enduring love and profound impact lolos and lolas have made on their grandchildren’s lives, they are honored in these open love letters.
One apo, a child of an OFW, showers gratitude on the lola who raised him, while one hopes to be as good a lolo as his grandfather was to him. Another expresses his regret of not having met his lolo, a Philippine president, who died long before his grandson was born, while one mom thanks her mother for having been a stand-in mom to her grandson.
Conversely, one lolo, a famous artist, tries to put into words the joy his only granddaughter has brought into his life.
These letters offer a glimpse into shared (and missed) experiences, the wisdom they’ve imparted, and the countless ways lolos and lolas shaped and inspired their apos.
There’s no one like Lolo Bojie
‘No one else more than twice my age can out-strut me’
More than just my mother’s father
‘You had such a gentle heart for animals’
Weaving a story through each stitch and embroidery
‘My son’s wife will thank us both one day’
Lolo Mon’s first letter to his only ‘apo’
‘You have given me a gift far more precious than any—your good name’
‘Thank you for showing me what it means to make a difference’
‘Every time I am with you, I know love’
‘I treasure how you love and spoil me’
‘I hope to be as good a lolo as you were’
‘Your small, consistent gestures created my definition of love’
‘You showed me that the best acts of love are often the quietest’
‘You taught me that there is strength in what I saw as my weakness’
‘You inspired excellence through your meticulous work ethic’
