"TOUGHER than TOUGH"

The past three Covid years proved a test of time and humanity.  It wavered some faith and it challenged human strength of mind and body.

As a solo parent, I have taught my only child toughness of character in the midst of adversities. Though it pains to see her hurting and in difficulty, I have to endure that feeling so she will grow decisive and forbearing.  At barely an age of 11, she lost a father she dearly adored.  At 12, she had to leave to study away from me.  Six years later, she went farther to pursue a college degree. 

For 10 years, she has learned to live alone, manage finances, care for herself and juggle time to meet academic and co-curricular activities as well as spare time for personal enjoyment.  Notwithstanding the rigors of the schools she went into, Philippine Science High School – Western Visayas Campus for her secondary education and Ateneo de Manila University for her college degree, she consistently held a slot in the Honor’s List and maintained her DOST and ADMU scholarships for four years.

Financially-constrained, her choice of a university was not to my liking.  Dorothy qualified in the top universities of the country: University of the Philippines-Diliman, De La Salle University, and Ateneo de Manila University.  Ateneo was far-fetched from my options, but it was her choice because of the course offered in said University (Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences, Communication Tract).  She did everything to get into the course. A year later, she opted to take a  minor in Development Studies ( Development and the Law). Honestly, I did not take interest in helping her with her papers because I know how expensive that university is.  However, she passed the DOST-SEI Scholarship and also qualified in the ADMU Scholarship which made me conform to her choice.  Later did I know that she qualified in a course that is under the Honors Program which means that she belonged to the upper 15% of the ACET qualifiers.  

My daughter is not a conscientious student.  She loves to read but she is not into memorizing.  Trained as a journalist in her grade school, she can scribble her thoughts well. In her Freshman year in college she became a contributor in Rappler's  Move.Ph. She was also a research writer in Helix during her first two years in college. She held top position in Helix but later opted to stop due to time management. 

She has also proven her skill in oral communication.  In high school she and her team won in a national debating contest and was also chosen in the prestigious  Boy and Girl Week Contest of the Rotary Club of Metro Iloilo. In college, she was given a chance to represent the School of Science and Engineering in a Symposium at UPD and in an online Forum of the Sophia University (Tokyo, Japan).  Worth mentioning also is her team's participation as Finalist in the University of Oxford's "Map the System".  This is a team collaboration with her former PSHS classmates.

“Burning midnight oils” and “pouring sweat and tears” may seem clichés, but it is literally a matter of fact.  At a time when Dorothy had to stay home for virtual classes due to Covid pandemic, I personally witnessed the hardship and the stress.  The worst part of it all was to see her in tears, many times missing meals and sleep-deprived because of time pressure and quality standard issues.  As a teacher myself, it is not my cup of tea to dwell on passivity and negativity.  I always make her understand that success and excellence are not achieved with mediocrity.  It’s a product of hard work, sacrifices, patience and faith. 

A crucial test came a week before her college finals.  A day after her Graduation photo shoot she got sick of Covid.  She was down for a couple of days due to fever, body malaise, headache and stuffy nose. Panic set in as I was aware that she’s alone. Good thing that she was monitored by ADMU’s Health Office and a dear classmate who bought her medicine which she just dropped off her door.  

A worried mother that I am, I told her that I would fly to Manila but she stopped me for fear that I may also get infected with Covid.  To her annoyance, I also had to check on her many times a day. 

Despite the headache and the cough, she had to work on write-up and power point presentations to finish her requirements for graduation.  A day after she tested negative, she took a written final examination, followed by a thesis defense, submission of write-ups, oral presentation and oral examination  in the succeeding days. With fingers crossed and hands clasped in prayer, I am confident that the best is yet to come.

After all the exams, with a sore voice but with a jubilant tone, she told me that she did well. I was relieved that she passed both her academic tests and the Covid test.

“Tougher than tough”, that is how we survive.  It is also a choice - if we want to laze and lead an easy-going life or we succumb to pressure and challenges and beat the odds. Our choice, our life!