My Dad's Retreat Letter: 6th Grade (1996)

September 25, 1996

Dear Yvelle,

          I'm glad that your school always schedule an annual retreat. It should be given much importance because it is a rare moment where one could escape for a while from a hectic daily routine to have a full time of maybe one day or two, a time for self-examination.

    

          This is part of your training and group dynamics exposure, spiritual renewal and growing up for soon you will be high school. Please try to realize now that personality and behavior are the most important ingredients that makes an external person while fear in God, respect for the parents and elder sister or brother or relatives is what will make up for your internal person. Retreat would mean looking back, going back, reviewing your past actions and behavior so that when you move again or starting tomorrow you would begin to throw away wrong attitude and bad habits and start a new life with good habits, improved personality and "pakikisama" not only to us, your parents but likewise to your elder sister Yvette, sister Kakay and brother Dodoy. Yvelle you are now grown up and should behave like a grown up child who is disciplined, refined, morally upright, good natured, pleasant personality and amiable to all, good public relations. You should be God fearing and give respect to parents, elder sister and old relatives and teachers. Always practice the golden rule where "you do unto others what would you like others would o unto you." Don't be rough or act like rascals. Maintain self-respect and self-restraint. Give due respect to your Ate Yvette so that your younger breed (unreadable) would do the same to you. Yvette will be held liable for her failure but would not give you an excuse to make bastos or misbehave with her. Never fight back because if you do so as if you did that to us or there will be always trouble in our family and I feel sick.

          Your key to success is preparations, hard-work and seek God's guidance. Rise up again in case you stumble down and show to the world that you can make it and be a winner too in due time. Don't despair and if you failed never have that self-pity and helpless feeling. Always pray to God Jesus Christ that He will help you in your problem day and night. Show that you are strong, talented and can face the challenges of life. Always be jolly that you live in this world and in our bossoms (unreadable). With these in your heart and mind I'm sure you will be somebody and very successful someday. Follow what I want you to do and you will cherish the blessings of hard work and the kindness of God up high.

          So long and good luck! Have a successful retreat.

Love,

Daddy and Mommy