My Father, the Hero

From the Book of Sirach chapter 3:
1 Hear me your father, O children, and do thereafter, that ye may be safe.
2 For the Lord hath given the father honour over the children, and hath confirmed the authority of the mother over the sons.
3 Whoso honoureth his father maketh an atonement for his sins:
4 And he that honoureth his mother is as one that layeth up treasure.
5 Whoso honoureth his father shall have joy of his own children; and when he maketh his prayer, he shall be heard.
6 He that honoureth his father shall have a long life; and he that is obedient unto the Lord shall be a comfort to his mother.
7 He that feareth the Lord will honour his father, and will do service unto his parents, as to his masters.
8 Honour thy father and mother both in word and deed, that a blessing may come upon thee from them.
9 For the blessing of the father establisheth the houses of children; but the curse of the mother rooteth out foundations.
10 Glory not in the dishonour of thy father; for thy father's dishonour is no glory unto thee.
11 For the glory of a man is from the honour of his father; and a mother in dishonour is a reproach to the children.
12 My son, help thy father in his age, and grieve him not as long as he liveth.
13 And if his understanding fail, have patience with him; and despise him not when thou art in thy full strength.
14 For the relieving of thy father shall not be forgotten: and instead of sins it shall be added to build thee up.
15 In the day of thine affliction it shall be remembered; thy sins also shall melt away, as the ice in the fair warm weather.
16 He that forsaketh his father is as a blasphemer; and he that angereth his mother is cursed: of God.
17 My son, go on with thy business in meekness; so shalt thou be beloved of him that is approved.

He rarely used his hands to discipline us but we know when when we are wrong by the way of his speaking. He never sleeps until we get home. He has high hopes for himself and us, and keeps pushing us to attain it. He hates it when we point to his mistakes yet never repeats them. He takes all the criticisms whether good or bad, whether true or lies, with patience and understanding, yet never trusts those people again. He is diligent in teaching our lessons even if my sister pokes him with pens. He makes other people's papers without asking for something in return, yet reprimands them. He may be boastful but definitely because he has something to be proud of. He may criticize the church because one parish priest said that money is not important but we know that the priest is so darn wrong. Should I say that he is the best cook in the world? We do not use any artificial flavorings. He said that he wants to make sure that what we are eating are safe and hygienic. We may have misunderstandings, mostly due to his pride. His attitude may be not perfect but we cannot ask for more. In fact we regard him as the best. There are more stories and anecdotes in the family that telling them all in one time will lead to a lack of time and memory.

To my Tatay, happy birthday!