No Kidding

Two Saturdays ago I accompanied Leigh and my inaanak Lucien, together with Leigh’s mom and sister, on a road trip to Tagaytay. I actually had a fun time playing with Luc, especially when he’s just discovering the use of his legs. He loved to “jump” up and down while I’m holding him. Last Saturday when my niece Naya was in the house, I also enjoyed playing with her; like Luc, she’s still figuring out how to use her legs so she can stand up. Both kids cannot hold themselves up yet, but I’m pretty sure that soon they’ll have developed their motor skills sufficiently as to cause havoc by running around. But this isn’t really about the kids. I actually surprised myself; I never thought I’d find the patience to watch over small children for more than a minute, much less play with them.

My nephew Migo is now 13 years old, his sister Lilay is 10. When they were little kids I’d carry them for about a minute or two, then I’d immediately pass them over to their mom or dad. Now I wish I was more patient with kids then.

But still, I prefer to be ninong or tito than be a father. When Luc or Naya gets fussy or starts crying, then I immediately toss them back to their parents. Plus they don’t wake me up in ungodly hours because they need milk or a change of diapers. People have asked me time and again if I wanted to have kids. I always tell them no. A child is a major responsibility. I’m still too selfish and self-absorbed to make that kind of sacrifice.