30-Thousand Feet

On a flight to Cebu recently, I was pleasantly surprised to sit side-by-side with an old friend from college ?

He was telling me how his life changed for the better. I should know. During college, he was living with very limited resources being the child of the 5th family of one father.

We ate in the different canteens in school, spent time smoking cigarettes in his small room in his boarding house across the street, and made our thesis and played basketball with his village neighbors in his humble home in Marikina.

Now, a decade after, he had just been promoted in the company, with a big sales team under his supervision. He just bought a brand, new car. His job has allowed him to travel 50% of the year, with very secure packages and perks.

Then he shared a “happier” story:

He told me of a “Father and Son” overnight camping he attended recently.

During that night, he purposely and kindly excused himself from drinking with the other “daddies” so that he could fan(‘paypayan’ in Tagalog) his son with some cool air in their tent because it was hot and humid. He did this till his son fell asleep.

The next day, when the school bestowed a medal to his kid, his son on the podium took off his medal and put it on his Daddy’s neck and kissed him saying, “ You’re the best Dad, Pa!”

“Chard, there are special things that good money cannot buy,” he said to me, then burst into a HEAVENLY smile. His joy & contentment was so overwhelming, I thought he was ready to be taken by his Creator right there in the plane! ?

After all…
… we were at 30,000 feet ?

Posted by jon, June 6, 2014