Everything I Own

You sheltered me from harm

You kept me warm, you kept me warm

You gave my life to me

You set me free, you set me free

YOU TAUGHT ME HOW TO LOVE

What it’s all, what it’s all

YOU NEVER SAID SO MUCH

 but still you showed the way

And I knew from watching you

I never really understand the true meaning of the song “Everything I Own” by Bread not until I noticed the line “you never said so much but still you showed the way”.

I guess this just describes how we were loved by Tatay. He’s not really the type of father who would always tell you, “I love you, son”. And I never heard him speak of those words to us. But his hard work (the literal connotation of that word), is enough to make me feel how he loved us. He just loved us in his own way – the Renato way.

I cannot imagine where he’d get the strength to wake up early and to travel almost 16 km every day on his bicycle. And later spend the rest of the day under the heat of the sun, tilling and cultivating the land of which we do not own. He earns Php 4,000.00 a month from that hard work, barely enough to support the education of 4 siblings, all in college way back then. Out of frustration, some time when he spent the night in the kubo we’ve built inside the university, I heard him screaming (he was drunk back then), I cried in silent then knowing that it’s because of the insufficiency of his earnings.

Now, that we’ve already finished our respective degrees, I am personally the one who is now feeling frustrated for I couldn’t still find a way to fund the surgical removal of his kidney stone. Father had sacrificed so much of his life for us. Although he never mentions of how much he loves us, the hours he spent under the heat, the sweat he sweat for almost 10 years to support our studies is enough proof of his love.

Everyday my heart aches cause I know the pain he feels on his kidney will go on until we can find the means to support the surgery.

But I know I have to give everything I own (like what the song says) just to have him stay with us. 

I'm praying that God will hear our prayer.

(Additional Note: When I researched on the background of the song, I found out that David Gates wrote it for his father.)