Life is hard work

Dear Nanay, 

I saw the letter sent by L last week and I completely understand where L’s father is coming from. My parents were the same way. They always emphasized the importance of hard work on me and my siblings. It was always the priority. They said that we are very fortunate to have a good business and that we owe it to our family, ourselves and to our employees to make sure that business continues to grow.

They told us so many people are dependent on that business –– our children, our employees and their families, our suppliers, the employees and families of our suppliers, the suppliers of our suppliers and their employees. So they have always pointed out that your responsibility to work hard is not only for ourselves but for the others who depend on you.  And there are more people than you think who depend on you. That is a very big responsibility and one that should never be taken lightly.

This is the very reason they always advocated hard work even if they knew we had enough. It was no longer about us but about other people. Call it charity or social responsibility –– our parents have always pointed out that there is more to life than just yourself. You have to look out for the greater good of society and sometimes need to make sacrifices for it. — MJ                      

* * *

Kids come first

Dear Nanay,

I am writing in reply response to the letter that L sent you last week, where she asked if she should retire because she is financially comfortable and to spend more time with her children, or if she should continue working.

It is time to retire! If you know you already have enough it is time for you to retire and devote your life to raising your children. These are years that you will never be able to get back and this is the only time you will ever have to enjoy your children. When they get older, it will be a different story. You are right that there is more to life than just money. What good is all the money in the world for if our children are being raised by yayas, television and video games? It is time to prioritize the really important things in your life and choose wisely.

I made the mistake of working my whole life and before I knew it, my children were in high school and like any high schooler, were not so interested in seeing me anymore. They would rather be with their friends. That is my one big regret –– that I worked so hard. Yes, it made me a lot of money but at what cost? At the cost of not seeing my children grow up and that is something we can never get back because we cannot turn back time.

Make the right choice. Do not make the same mistake I made. —REGRETFUL MOTHER

* * *

If you have a question, email us at asknanay@nationalbookstore.com.ph or just drop your letter at drop boxes in all National Book Store branches nationwide.