Seasonal Affective Disorder

I remembered reading somewhere that a person can get depressed during changes in seasons. Looking it up in the internet, I found that it is called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. It is said to affect people at certain time of each year, most especially during winter when the days are short and the nights are long. A cure for this is light therapy.

I have been feeling down for a couple of weeks now and I thought that I have SAD. Well, I feel quite ridiculous when I read that this usually affect people during WINTER time. Funny, there's no winter here in the Philippines, so I could NOT possibly have SAD.

Looking back, I realized that I am indeed SAD; and the reason for this is that I miss my father terribly.

Shopping for An Oncologist

I have to go shopping for another oncologist! This is the terrible news that I found out today. It felt like the aftermaths of the quake in China and the typhoon in Myanmar combined together - disastrous and devastating twice over.

I have always believed that your doctor should be the one whom you get along with; one whose instructions you'll follow; one whom you won't dread visiting when check-up/follow up time comes. I have always had this kind of relationship with my oncologist. I was supposed to go back mid-May for another check up but due to my father's illness, I was in Cagayan de Oro and wasn't able to see her.

I called up today to get an appointment for Saturday and that's when I found out that my oncologist have migrated to Nebraska just a couple of weeks ago! And someone has taken over her practice. Man, oh man. This is a disaster! What shall I do? Go to this oncologist who took over the practice or shop for another one based on the referral of my support group?

I emailed the support group right away but no one has been under this "new" oncologist's care. I don't know if that is a good sign...

Maybe I should just go to Nebraska for my check-up. I want to cry...

My Father's Legacy

In his retirement years, my father worked to broaden and strengthen the ties between the Filipino and the Chinese communities: not only here in the Philippines, but in China as well. He was able to have the cities of Harbin (China) and Cagayan de Oro (Philippines) become sister cities.

He joined and led many a socio-civic groups. It was his way of repaying and giving thanks to the communities that embraced him when he migrated from China some sixty or so years ago. He was a leader who was well loved and respected. He had vast knowledge of the city’s (Cagayan de Oro) history and politics and knew almost everyone. If you want to know a person’s family history and background, chances are he can tell you; for he grew with the city and loved it so.

I never realized the extent of Papa’s “network” until his wake. The four days and nights that we have kept vigil were not enough to have his friends pay their final respects. Day and night, as early as eight in the morning and as late as twelve midnight, people (we know and do not know) would come in to give their final respects to my father. People from other parts of the country – Manila, Cebu, Davao (there may be other places that I missed) – flew in to attend his funeral. To say that we were dumbfounded by the outpouring of love and respect shown in these few days would be an understatement.

As I got to know and spoke with some of the key people from different socio-civic groups, I got a glimpse of the legacy my father was leaving behind. Already, people are missing him. Some even asked me which one of us three siblings would like to continue the most important work he started – fostering the ties between the Filipino and Chinese communities. We, the children, may attempt to do this in our own way but we will surely fall short by the stick which we will be measured against; for my father’s shoes are too big to fill.

His funeral was quite something else. We did not expect so many people to attend since it was a weekday. Someone commented that his funeral was comparable and even outshone that of a rich man’s. Well, my father may not be rich with worldly possessions, but he was far richer because he was a helpful, fair, just, honest, insightful, and wise man. Being such a man earned him the love and respect of everyone. To all he came in contact with, he touched their lives. To those who became his friends, he enriched them. And to us his family, we are truly blessed beyond words.

A great man has moved on and we, the family, along with a lot of people, will all miss him terribly.

ENG C. KHU
Born: October 17, 1936 (3^rd day of the 9^th month in the lunar calendar)
Died: May 24, 2008 (20^th day of the 4^th month in the lunar calendar)