Switching On the Sun

Among Star Wars fans, you'd know that famous line as from that of Darth Vader... It's similarly the same among fathers who have to fight for their rights over their children; not as "Darth Vader" though, but against "Dark Invader". Yet how "dark" could that "invader" be for a father to sacrifice almost everything including giving up the chance to be there for his kids? In a way, it's "Star Wars" when opposing sides respectively claim they're the "star" (of their side of the story) in their custody battle; usually at the expense of who they depict as the "antagonist" as if to justify their act as the right one and 'them' to be the chosen one; perhaps like Anakin who has gone to the dark side... "Anakin'ng pating!!" Have they even asked or considered as to whose expense is it actually; the feelings of the children corresponding with the emotional and mental implications as...

We took our kids to see Jurassic World the movie considering as well how our 7-year old son is so into dinosaurs. When we got home, we were yet talking about those prehistoric creatures. At the dinner table while conversing about the movie and some of its highlights, the scene where the lead actor's role "Owen" was guiding the raptors in hunting down the "monster dinosaur" came up. It had my son agree with the leading lady's nephews' assessment of Owen as their aunt's "bad ass boyfriend"... Nevertheless, "bad ass" means cool. From then on, I asked my son in jest, "So do you think I'm a bad-ass dad?" To which he flamboyantly replied: "Noooo!" "What? Why not? Am I not cool enough?" By then he thoughtfully answered back: "You are... but you're not bad. You're nice..." "Nice?!" (pause) So I'm a 'Nice-ass' dad?" as I thought would be my composed-sti...

Today we celebrate Fathers’ Day. Now that the celebration is likewise intended for me having two kids of my own, certain still is that I’m also a son. In relation to the occasion, I was a son to my father whom I (still) look up to and to whom I have somehow patterned my fatherhood approach. Fatherhood actually depends on one’s distinct method. It is from these means that fathers are measured up by their children as to how they are as a father. The partiality behind it though is that in such gauging process, considering we normally have one father, comparison is based between one’s own and that of other children’s father. Thus, the probable claim “My Dad’s the best father” of one child will always be disputable… as much as rather than argue with one’s parenting style, regard the difference instead even if only for realization to set in for both father and child as to the idiosyncrasies and exclusive circumstance of their relationship. Recognizing how these disparities could work fo...