The End of a Long Distance Relationship

Our journey to parenthood is quite typical for Filipino parents. For a few years we had to entrust raising our kids to their grandparents as @dandalion and I try our hardest to build a career in our chosen field.

Our first born Lucy was raised in @dandalion's hometown in Davao, while we were working in Manila. In distance that's nearly a thousand Kilometers if travelled in straight line, an hour and fourty five minutes flight, or three whole days by boat. Because we were saving up, we were not able to see her very often. Summer of this year is yet the happiest vacation I took from my fourteen years in the corporate world. Not so much because of the break from the monotony of things in office, but really more because it was a trip when we fetched our Lucy to finally live with us.

Summer of 2008 when @dandalion gave birth to our youngest daughter. We were both working in Makati at the time. When asked about what is my happiest moment, my answer is always "meeting my daughters for the first time". I still remember the feeling of awe seeing our newly born Sam for the first time. I wasn't arround when our Lucy was born, and she's not quite a baby anymore when I first get to meet her, but that's for another post. Still, seeing her for the first time felt no different from seeing our newly born Sam for the first time.

Sam lived with my folks in Bulacan for five years. Unlike the long intervals of our visits to Davao to be with Lucy, we got to see Sam at least every weekend. Bulacan being only fourty five Kilometers from where were working, and nothing but an hour and a half travel by bus, costing us no more than five dollars a trip; we took it as often as possible for five years so we can spend more time with at least one of our children. Never without feeling bad for not being able to do the same with Lucy.

When Lucy turned nine years old, and Sam five, I got a promotion which gave me a raise enough to cover for @dandalion's salary. Even before that we already had some target income in mind for when she will quit the corporate world, and focus her time and energy on affording ourselves with a life where we can finally live as a normal family; together.

With @dandalion's corporate handcuff removed, we moved to Bulacan, got our own place, and finally got Sam. This meant that I'd have to travel 3-4 hours a day in Manila traffic to and from the office, been doing this for the past four years, and the sacrifice is all worth it. I wouldn't trade a more comfortable way for the joy I get from seeing the kids everyday.

Four years more from @dandalion's quiting her work -planning our finances, searching for the perfect place to raise Sam and Lucy, some safety net from investing, and surviving daily away from our Lucy led us to this point when we can finally be together as a family.

Here is a timelapse video of putting our first Christmas tree as a family introduced by our Sam:

@dandalion and I are normally confident persons, we only ever question ourselves about being good parents. For a bit, while we were preparing for a life with our kids, we spent reading some materials on parenthood. This activity stopped quickly enough upon realizing that nobody can can tell us how to be expert parents to "OUR" kids. To be honest, we still are not sure we are doing it right, we don't even know what "doing it right" means. For as long as we are using our heads and our experiences as a guide, and our love for Lucy and Sam first and foremost, I think they'll grow up to be fine young adults, and hopefully much much later; good parents themselves.