Raising a kid is hard. Back in the Philippines when my sister-in-law (my elder brother's wife) got children, we sometimes take care of their children to help her do the house chores. We only live in the same Baranggay, so getting the children was very easy. Sometimes I wonder if we are in the Philippines, raising a kid is not as hard as this is. But we are here, working abroad and I do most of the house chores. Luckily, my husband also helps with taking care of our son while I cook. Sometimes he does the bottling cleaning. Our everyday routine involves sending him to his Aunt while we work, (a 10-minute travel which wakes him up every morning) and fetch him in the afternoon before we go home. His only rest is when we also have a rest day which is only 1 day.
Yesterday, my husband was not able to go home early and left me to take care of my son while I needed to cook for us. He didn't want to stay alone in our bedroom so he went with me to the kitchen, watching me while he settled on the countertop. While I was waiting for my ground pork to soften, he started crying and wanted to stir too. So I grabbed him and let him. He enjoyed what he was doing and of course I know it is a game for him. When it was time to put him down, he cried and again but luckily, his Papa came.
So I finished what I was doing while they are in the bedroom.
Last night after I tucked him to bed just looking at him, talking to him like he understood that I am just praying him to grow up to be a good and kind man, to become a Lord’s servant. To enjoy life, to be strong because life will give him tough times and I can’t shield him with some life’s cruelties because as long as we are living, there will be struggles to face and what he needs is to be strong and hold on to God’s words.