A distinguished hombre, Mayor Mauricio Domogan, was spotted last week at the grounds of the Cathedral of the Resurrection happily tending to a child, apparently his “apo,” (grandchild), in a rare display of circumstance that brings to the fore a role often overlooked, if not taken for granted: that of grandparenthood.
As other Cathedral of the Resurrection church members looked on, an enterprising lady, Bridget Botengan from Easter School, took out a camera and clicked way, recording a scene for posterity, which she can show to friends and tell how she captured it, after getting the appreciative go-ahead of my gud pren, Manong Mauricio.
For those in health development communications, we’ve been taught that grandparents provide a vital relationship to children, helping bridge and shape children’s sense of growing normalcy.
In short, grandparents take up the slack in child care in absence of parents, filling a temporarily unattended void during parent’s unavailability. Yet, even during parents’ presence, kids still tend to look up to their grandparents.
Result: family development is further strengthened, enhanced and efforts of both parents and grandparents redound to helping community advancement.
Grandparents’ role is an arc part of the whole spectrum in women’s nation building role. Another arc part is elder children’s role in child tending. Also sometimes an unappreciated endeavor. Daily Laborer will delve on this sometime in the future.
In assignments in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Region 1, Ah Kong had, time and again, observed majority of CAR and Region 1 families putting unquestioned emphasis and high premium on grandparenthood, a major pillar in family cohesion and root of their very existence.
Ah witnessed parents and non-parents graduating to rite of passage of being Lolo (grandpa) and Lola (grandma) and loving every minute of the transition to being grandparent.
They don’t cringe being pestered, “naakay,” (old for men) or “nabakes,” (old for women). Neither do they hide their ages. In fact, they are proud to exclaim, “Old? Who, me? Thank the Good Lord, for giving us opportunity to grow old.”
It’s quite a double-edged blade of statement. Why? While many of us want to reach old age, many will. Many will not.
Ironically, many hate getting old. Why? Now, don’t you be a smart aleck asking too many questions. Unnerstang!
Understanding in-between lines of conversation with grandparents in my assignments, they pack anecdotes to regale anybody why grand parenting is fun.
But I’ve yet to powwow with Manong Mauricio and tickle him the question, “How it feels to be a Lolo, my dear Manong Mayor?” Somehow, I have this foreboding he will sidle next to me, whisper in my deaf ear and patiently explain, “ Eh, Ah Kong, being a grandparent is Kabunyan or Lumawig’s way of blessing one for honestly earning forehead wrinkles.”
Or you’d like to know Abe Pawid, from La Trinidad. Listen and catch him murmur, “Friends keep ribbing how old I am. Ho-ho! I may be old on the outside and definitely young in the inside.”
Say, meet Fr. Marion Solang, open discourse on old age and he’ll convince you that, “Grandparents, when they sing, sweeter is the tune.”
Any Sunday, sneak to Ariel Lingbanan, from Baguio city. He’ll smile, adding, “Grandparents may not walk nimbly as before. We have white hair and failing eyesight. Ngem balitoc esnan puso mi, manyukayok. (Gold is aplenty in our hearts).
Have a chance to talk over cup of coffee with Baguio city councilor Arthur Allad-iw. Ah is sure the good councilor nods to the riddle how grandparents can magically produce cinco, piso or lots of peseta for grandchildren asking for moolah. No questions asked. Unlike parents who’ll pester their children why they need piso.
Any time, smile with Fr. Alejandro Abad, former Rector of the Church of Epiphany, La Trinidad. He’ll roar with laughter and say, “Blessed are grandparents who hug, snuggle and SPOIL their grandchildren and leave priceless memories only grandchildren can carry in their hearts forever.”
Maybe you’ll have a chance to dance with Luz Chan, a kababayan from Easter School. This purty, purty lady will knowingly croon, “There’s nothing better than hanging out with the grandchildren and being the fool jester.”
Now, there is Romeo Sagandoy, from San Carlos barangay, Baguio, who truly believes, “grandchildren are beautiful and bright – just as bright as their grandparents.”
Comes now Daniel Bulhayon, cooperative president of pocket miners in Ucab, Itogon, Benguet, softly explaining, “Precious are our children. Sometimes, however, when there are grandchildren, it seems they are dearer than our own children. Happens all the time, but no offense meant to our children.”
Grandparents seem to love their grandchildren in a way only they and the kids understand, often at the consternation of children’s parents who think the grandparents spoil the kids.
Ah says spoiling the kids, my foot!
Another wonderful thing about grandparents that leaves grandchildren in awe is the ability of their olds to coax life from a barren piece of land.
Roam CAR’s highland and Region 1’s lowland. Observe grandparents overseeing rows of plots they’ve planted to different crops. Often the grandparents pray,” We beg upon dimpled knees, keep safe our crops from pests, so our grandchildren will gather the best…”
Here, listen to boy who spoke with Ah in one Benguet farmland: “I’m not only a grandpa kid but a grandpa farmer’s grandson.” That was two years ago. He took into his grandpa’s footstep and now enrolled at Benguet State University, pursuing BS in Agriculture.
So, off to the mountains Ah will go someday, back to the scenes with someone he knew before, to commune with the winds, saying to that someone, “ They say we are feeble with age, our steps are less spritely then. But to me you’re as fair as you were. When you and I were young.”
