Earn Money Online With A Pinoy College Student

I opened the newly painted door. I then threw my bag in bed, removed my uniform and sat on the edge of my unfixed bed. I could not sit on the chair because the towels and the soiled shirt I used the other day were still placed on top of it. I was tired from school. The soft ray of sunlight signaling that it is already sunset touched my weary face as I look through the window just beside the bed. I looked around the four corners of the room and that was the time that I realized that I was all alone. Tears fell as images of my childhood flashed back and forcefully bring me back to the fresh memories about my home, about my family.

Looking again at the door to which I just entered, I could imagine the old door back at my house in the province. I imagined my father opening our door and surprise us with a big plastic bag full of fruits or sometimes toys or VHS tapes of the latest movies. I also remember the memories when my mother enters that same door after school with bread and softdrinks or juice for our snack. I could remember my oldest brother running because my other older brother was chasing him while crying. I could imagine myself in uniform with a big backpack, a bulky green envelop walking inside the door looking lost and distracted thinking of what to study first for the exams the following day.

I have lived away from my family for more than seven years now. I have lived an independent life that I could have never imagined that I could survive seven years ago. I cried for countless times during my first year of college because my family had been my life and I only realized that when I was physically detached from them. I have overlooked the idea that I was so much emotionally involved with my family that the moment I rode the bus heading to Manila made me want to just get out of the bus and just give up my dream of studying in the best university just to be with my family. It was a tough decision for a 17-year old me to weigh things between education and family at that time.

I remember my high school days when I wanted to be independent and free myself from my parents. I remember spending two hours after my afternoon classes with my classmates just to stroll around because I don't want to go home. I remember not wanting to go to the town proper with my mother because I want to be independent and I don't want to be called "mama's boy." Looking back to that kind of thinking I had towards my family, I could say that I was a totally immature boy when I was in my teenage years.

And then my older brother got married but the couple chose to live with us. The moment it happened, I was really skeptical about the situation. I don't know why but my older brother was the jolliest person and he treats me and my youngest brother as babies. He had been so loving and caring and I can't imagine him having lesser time and attention to us the moment he got married. After two years, an additional member of the family was given to us by God when my sister-in-law gave birth to their first baby and to another five years later. Again, all the attention was towards these kids and I just realized that it was a blessing in the long run. Now that me and my siblings are grown-ups and stay away from home most of the time, these little children ease out the longing of my parents toward their children.

If I would want to see a picture of a happy family, I would say that my family would be the best example of it. If I could only turn back time, I would want to be a child again. During my childhood days, I could have a sight of all my family members before my eyes rest to sleep at night and see them all again the moment I wake up in the morning. I remember the family vacations that we had wherein we all laughed and enjoyed together. I remember fishing with my dad and my other siblings in our town pier. Even if we were having lesser family income during that time, we still managed to eat complete meals with only the tables, chairs and our small house as witnesses to the love and comfort that each family member feels as we spend moments together.

People change. Families change. The priorities we had when we were still children were more on education and self improvement. Now that we have attained those priorities, me and my siblings are now focused on higher levels of priorities. We tend to be more focused on having stable jobs, stable future and better incomes that requires us to put behind our family for the mean time. This is the sad truth when children grow up.

Nothing is really permanent. I would have wanted to bring turn back time so that we could all be together again but I know it would never happen. We may spend some days together but not years anymore. We may sleep together in one house but not in one bed where all of us used to sleep. However, the happiness, the laughter and the joy that my family marked in each of us would remain fresh in our minds even if our feet step on foreign lands someday.