Sunday, June 15, 2008 Moises and Mendez-Palmares: Fathers are heroes By Darwin John Moises and Michelle Mendez-Palmares singles talk
Michelle: We all have role models, people we look up to: idols, mentors, heroes. Many admire celebrities, sports icons, world leaders, religious figures. These are usually people of power, influence, ability, talent and money.
Ask someone who they look up to and more often than not, you’ll hear a famous person’s name. Those seemingly exceptional and extraordinary personalities get the appreciation and awe of those around them. The ordinary and the average seldom get noticed even if they courageously and faithfully go through the daily grind.
My dad is my hero. He doesn’t have supernatural powers, but to me and to our family, he’s superman. Make it superdad. Happy Father’s Day to my dad and to all fathers, especially to Micco’s dad.
DJ: Yup, the world is in need of heroes. In fact, much has been said about Superman and people are not complaining at all. Considering the shape of today’s world, we’re a gadget-crazed generation where justice, truth and equanimity are said to be into a free-fall.
Technology made the world smaller than it was years ago but it seems like it’s now harder to find friends who are not dropping out like prime ministers of a chaotic government once the going gets tough. Great walkers. Poor talkers. I don’t exactly feel like Edgar Allan Poe (depressed) with all these. I’m still happily reminded by a lot people that good still does exist and there is still hope for deliverance.
M: I admit that I can be in awe of renowned and popular personalities. It would be exciting to meet Madonna, world leaders and business tycoons. But the person I truly admire is my dad.
My dad is my idol and mentor. He had a hard life. He tried working as a stevedore and even if he already passed the bar, still he had to work as a security guard. How he overcame a hard life that didn’t make him bitter but better is a source of inspiration.
DJ: We can never underestimate our power to influence others. I can still recall the challenge posted by a pretty lady named Ave for me to go out into the world and multiply. She’s actually my Math teacher.
Through her I learned not to fear equation. She’s also taught me that there isn’t only one solution to a given problem. Now I know better on which side of the equation my reaction to life should generally lie.
M: There are many that may impress us with their power, good looks, fame and fortune. But there are only a few stars that shine brightly and illumine our lives. God blessed us with light to be able to see through the dark. We should value the people who bring light to our lives and brighten our days; the real heroes who even on ordinary days live extraordinary lives.
Good fathers are real heroes. They are providers and protectors of their families. Blessed are we to have good earthly fathers and even more blessed to have a loving and compassionate heavenly father. We really don’t need a superhero if we have a hero in every man, in every father.
DJ: I may sound like a broken record right now but do we really need Superman? I still believe it pays to wish upon a star and that dreams do come true. But hey, it doesn’t mean we have to be as dense as the characters of a horror movie! What I’m trying to say is for us to get real when needed and be ready to face the challenge of life and the hardening of the world with inner strength, warmth, imagination, will and love.
As Horace once observed, “life is a tragedy for those who feel, a comedy for those who think.” Time taught me too to bank more on what is real, to make a difference in someone else’s life instead of waiting for someone to leave his or her mark on me. Let’s strive to be bigger on the inside than on the outside. We’re not men of steel but we certainly don’t wait for things to happen. Happy Father’s Day!
