Mama was a Lawyer. Papa was a Rockstar.

Mom: Hah! I think I know the ending of the movie already!
Pop: Where's the fun in guessing? Let's see where the story takes us...


Mom: We have to prepare something special for our boy's family day at school.
Pop: Let's bring Hunt's Pork & Beans. It's his favorite and I doubt anybody else would bring that.


Mom: Please chop off the fat from your steak... Please choose something sugar-free for dessert... Please... what's that? That's soda! Don't let the kids drink soda!
Pop: Let them! Let's eat whatever we want to eat. Our friends might talk about it, at least we have something to contribute in the discussion.
(This was of course Papa's perpetual excuse to get away from his prescribed diet as a diabetic)


Mom: Let's send Winna to an all-girls school.
Pop: What? Let her meet boys her age!

(And 2 years into an all-girls school...)
Wins: Pa, please let me go to the soiree. Please?!
Pop: No anak, boys your age are boring.

Haaaayy, that's my Popsy for you!

***


Sans the excessive alcohol intake, use of prohibited substance, extravagant lifestyle and womanizing, Papa was a rockstar who knew exactly how to rock out. He is the live-in-the-moment, let's-break-away-from-the-norm, live-a-happy-however-short-kind-of-life kinda man.

He and Mama shared only 3 things in common... being lawyers (okay, so he wasn't really part of a rock band), their intergalactic love for each other, and their supersized dedication to God and our family. In their team of strong contrasts and complementarity, Mama was the blameless good cop and Papa was the one who always injected calculated heedlessness.

Susme, I miss them both. But since this is my Father's Day honoring of sorts, a love-filled cosmic shout out goes to Popsy! You rock, man!

Happy Father's day also to my brothers Ernesto III and Adrian, and to my dear friends who have been riding the fatherhood high. Apir tayo mga pre!