A Son’s Perspective On The Family

The family, as social scientists put it, is the basic unit of society. It forms and serves

as the foundation of a complex system of people: young and old, rich and poor, and so on.

But to a child, and I believe I speak for the children here today, is one of the greatest

treasures he or she possess. In a study published by Saito, Imamura, and Miyagi (2010),

the family in the Filipino context is said to be the source of personal identity, emotional and

material support, and one’s main commitment and responsibility. This family orientation

makes every member of the family develop a feeling of belongingness and a sense of

safety and security.

Stephen M Cherry, a scientist who published an article entitled Faith, Family, And

Filipino American Community Life, in the Journal of Scientific Study of Religion, defined

the family in the filipino context as the guiding concept for Filipino culture, religion, and

civic engagement. The Filipinos he observed organize their daily lives around family

concerns. The same is true with my experience. My immediate family is one of having a

culturally diverse ethnicity: With my mom as a result of the love of my grandfather, Lolo

Leo, an Ilocano, and Lola Grace, an Illongga. My dad is a Cebuano-Kaagan, but both my

mom and dad were born and raised in our hometown, Lupon. Imagine the identity crises I

have when we talk about our ethnicity and cultural practices. Civic engagement is one that

my family advoactes; and I remember this quote from my father: Serve the poor without

compromise. This trail-mix of diverse outlooks, perspectives, and beliefs raised up who

you know today as me.

Dizon et al (2003) stated that it is very evident in the Philippines that close-knit

families demonstrate their deep love for each member, such as spouse, children, parents,

siblings, grandparents and other relatives. This is true especially with our family. I

remember from my earliest recollections the excitement I feel when April comes along,

signaling the start of the annual fiesta, and the time when all of us come together and have
a great time celebrating with our family. During these times we got a chance to share the

love we had with each other through retelling stories, recalling precious memories, and

creating new experiences that we hold dear. We never ostracized anyone and everyone

felt the belongingness in the family.

My perspective on my family comes from these experiences, and is reflected on

how I engage and who I am as a person. Our family is one of the many gifts the heavens

have lovingly blessed me with, and one I treasure the most. And I say in behalf of my

sisters, and quite frankly of all of us, that it is a blessing to be born into this family. Coming

into the world with you as a family has resulted with many memories that I personally

cherish.

Melanie Klien, a highly respected psychologist, once said that “One of the many

interesting and surprising things of the beginner in child analysis is to find even very young

children a capacity for insight which is often far greater than that of adults.” And I hope that

this insight on how I see our family will be something to help us cherish our love for one

another and see each other as the people who are partly the reason why we are and who

we are today.