To Ma and Pa,
Congratulations on this success.
Jea graduated. At long last, all three of us have completed our undergraduate studies. Today, as we celebrate Jea’s graduation and her achievement of earning her degree with Latin Honors, we also celebrate both of you—Mama and Papa. This accomplishment is not hers alone; it is a reflection of the love, sacrifices, guidance, and unwavering support that you have given us throughout our lives.
Jen, Jea, and I know that everything we have achieved is rooted in the way you raised us.
Papa, thank you for working tirelessly to provide for our family. You made sure there was always food on the table, clothes on our backs, and a roof over our heads. You carried responsibilities that we were too young to understand, quietly sacrificing your own comfort so that we could pursue our dreams without worrying about our needs.
Mama, thank you for filling our home with love, wisdom, and care. You taught us the values that shaped who we are today. You guided us when we were lost, encouraged us when we were discouraged, and loved us through every success and every failure. Everything good that people see in us today is, in many ways, a reflection of the lessons you taught us.
Thank you for making life easier for us.
While Jen, Jea, and I worried about deadlines, sleepless nights, examinations, and passing the courses required by our programs, behind all those struggles stood the two of you. While we focused on our studies, you carried burdens we rarely saw. You set aside your own wants so that we could have our allowances, pay for our boarding houses, purchase our school requirements, and continue our education without interruption.
Because of you, we never had to worry about where our next meal would come from. We never had to question whether we were safe because you built a home filled with warmth, security, and love. We never felt deprived because you always gave us what we needed, even when it meant sacrificing your own desires.
As children, we often saw only the things you gave us. Now that we are older, we finally understand the sacrifices behind them.
And now, as the years pass, we find ourselves noticing things we never paid attention to before.
We see how easily you become tired after doing tasks that once seemed effortless. We notice the changes in your health and the weariness that comes with age. We see the lines that time has gently written on your faces. We see strands of gray where there was once only black.
Sometimes we wonder, how did you grow old so quickly?
Perhaps we were so focused on growing up, studying hard, and building our futures that we failed to notice that while we were getting older, you were growing older too.
That realization breaks my heart and fills me with gratitude at the same time.
Thank you, Ma and Pa.
Thank you for every sacrifice that went unnoticed.
Thank you for every prayer you whispered on our behalf.
Thank you for every dream you postponed so that we could pursue our own.
Thank you for choosing us, loving us, and believing in us every single day.
Every success that Jen, Jea, and I achieve belongs to you as much as it belongs to us. We dedicate all our accomplishments to you who made them possible.
And when life becomes kinder to us, we hope to give back even a fraction of what you have given. We want to provide the comfort, rest, and happiness that you often denied yourselves because our needs always came first. We want to give you the opportunities, experiences, and simple joys that you quietly set aside while raising us.
We love you more than words can express.
Our prayer is that God continues to bless you with long life, good health, peace of mind, and many more years filled with His grace and goodness. May He reward every sacrifice you made, every prayer you offered, and every act of love you gave so freely.
Thank you for everything.
We are who we are because of you.
Your unconditional love, unwavering faith, and countless sacrifices have shaped us into the people we are today. Whatever we become and whatever we achieve in the future will always carry a part of you, because every success we have is built upon the foundation you laid for us.
We love you so much.
With all my love and gratitude,