Investment Maturity Level 2

Aside from our house, I think my biggest investment is my sister's education. This is something I was not forced to do but I willingly offered. You know why? Because I think the fact that God gave her to us in the later times of our lives is a blessing. You remembered that D and I promised not to live with the in-laws? I can't imagine leaving my mother alone by herself. It's true that a son can but a daughter cannot. Girls have so many emotions inside! Anyhoo, back to my sister being a blessing, since she is with us na, my mother has a companion until she gets old. That's a relief!

What I just asked my sister in return - 

1. Never leave my mother.

2. When she graduate and is earning money her own, try not to ask money from me. 

You see, we experienced this problem in our family where the parents expected their children to pay for everything and always treat them with luxury after the child graduates. The reason, according to them, is that they sent them to school. They call it utang na loob. I understand that that is how things were in the past and this is how Filipinos culture works. 

But in my opinion, as parents, it is your responsibility to support your child. That is a child's basic human right. You wanted children, then you have to support them until they can stand on their own. See how the mother birds do this to their inakays? They feed them until they can fly on their own. Once they can flap their own wings, then they are free to go. They can hunt their own food but they are not obliged to hunt for their mothers. Their mothers can now bear another set of eggs to take care of.

That's how I envisioned me and my sister's future to be. I told her that I will not ask her to repay me. She can do so by being independent. I expect her to stand on her own and not ask money from me anymore. Maybe in some emergency situation, yes. But for sustenance, no.

Anyhoo, too much of that. Here's some photos of my sister's graduation last March.

Additional bonus for me that she graduated with honors. 3 more graduations to go and I'm done - Junior High School, Senior High School and College. Yey for Ate!

Proud Ate,

Yosh