EM's Different Faces

This is Em-em when he was 9 years old. He loves to create different faces and makes different smiles. When he was small, he was a leader in his group. He used to lead his group of friends and makes them feel happy because he would do something to make you laugh.

During his early years, we sent him to school at age 4 and he was in the Nursery Dept. that time. The first time when he went to school, he was excited because he had already a lot of friends fromour church who are also going to that exclusive school. I was teaching there so Em-em was free while his Mom taught in another known public school in our place.

Em-em joined different activities in school and had fun joining with friends. I was able to check him from time to time because his Mom wasn't there. And it's quite far from her school. We are glad that our son learned in that exclusive school because he had learned a lot especially the truth about God and a lot of Bible stories were taught in the school. He usually wake up around 6 am just to prepare himself to go to school. We need to be there in school before 7 am, and his Mom pitied Em-em just to wake him up early in the morning. He needed to wake up early, take a bath and eat his breakfast. He was so thin then. But we have nothing to do because he needed to go to school always. But we praise God because at the end of the year, during graduation, he will always receive an honor. He excelled in his studies. Though he was so cute but the teacher said, he could easily remember the lessons.

Another thing was, he was also encouraged to join some curricular activities in the school especially during Linggo ng Wika, Foundation Day and other activities. I remember the time that he joined the singing contest and he won 3rd place. There was a time also that he joined in a Flipino song contest but wasn't able to remember some words because his Mom failed to practice him. But in the photo, he looked so cute because of his attire although he forgot other words and just stand in front without saying anything. Today, when he recalls that, he will just laugh at himself.

Every end of the year, on graduation day, we will go up on stage to give him an award. We are happy to think he was excelling in so many ways. He was also attracted to a classmate at an early age. We were shocked but we accept his feelings, when we came back it was changed. Feelings changes as what others say, it will just come and go. And that's what happened to him. He loves music and enjoys listening to any kind of music that has a soothing feeling. I will be writing more about him next time.

My Teenager

I could not imagine that I am now growing older each day. I have now my teenager with a different views, showing different character and engaging different looks and fashion. I used to have a small boy - bringing him everywhere he wants to go. But now it's different. He doesn't want to go with us anymore, he has his own wants, likes and dislikes. Before, I can say anything and he will follow, now, he will do what he wants to do.

I am starting to adjust to a different environment he is in inorder to complement with him in some ways and agree on some things. But I still need to be strict in some aspects to mold his life and be useful for God's kingdom. Few years back I was wondering why my sister was always getting mad at her son being a teenager. Now, I understand why, I can now relate to her and agree that teenagers are really different in this generation.

I was trying to recall my experiences as a teenager before. But it is still different to what I have seen with the teenagers these days. They are very advanced in terms of their lifestyle, their needs or wants and their behavior. I could say they have a different world, a different world of teenagers. However, I need to remind parents including me that we need to impart and remind our children the right way, the way of the cross, the way to lead them to a better future serving the One True God! And that makes a difference.