Friday, June 24, 2005

i come from a family of OFWs. until several years ago, my father was also an OFW. a couple of uncles, aunts and cousins are all OFWs. when i was little, i didn't understand why when i was just beginning to get used to having my dad around, he leaves us again. i realized later that it is because my dad wanted us to live comfortably. lately, i have been exchanging emails with an uncle abroad and he said "i need to work here so that your cousins can go to school and have a better life".

but what is a better life? does it mean eating six meals a day, sending your kids to an exclusive private school, buying all colors of the latest chuck taylor, owning the latest car model or the latest nokia phone? OR does it mean putting nutricious food on the table three times a day, sending your son back to school after stopping for 2 years or having enough money to ride a taxi going home from work? OR does it mean leaving behind a country teeming with crime and corruption? OR does it mean being given the chance to be the best you can be?

if we really think about it, wanting a better life really means achieving all our dreams. no matter how small or big those dreams are, it is there to be our wings so we can soar high. sometimes though we get blinded by the wrong dreams making us miserable. hence we should also ask ourselves, would wanting a better life also give meaning to my existence?