Daily thoughts - Very good!

As a kid, I grew up learning to ride a bike on my own, how to draw, cook, tie my shoes among many things. I have 4 siblings and my parents were always not around. But when they were, we try to get their attention as much as we can.

Maybe I was too young then to remember now whether my folks were impressed when we learned how to ride our bikes. I do remember putting a pillow on the top tube of the bike and crashing many times.

bike parts (source)

It took me several weeks to learn how to ride it without a balancer. I was 10. My 4 year old brother learned to ride his bike in 5 days.This was so many years ago but there is one thing I do remember about my dad and how I used to question his enthusiasm in how we reacted to me and my brothers' "milestones" in childhood. He would always say Very Good and utter a few lines after that phrase!

When I showed him a drawing I made of a naked woman while I was in gradeschool, he hardly looked at the illustration, he went back to his newspaper reading and uttered Very good!

When me and my 4 brothers all learned how to ride our bikes, he gave us the thumbs up and exclaimed Very Good!

When I made it to College and passed the College Entrance Exam and got a 98 percent compared to my elder brother's 94 (we graduated from high school at the same time), I was so proud so I hurriedly told my Dad and he smiled and said Very good!

When I finally finished my long overdue thesis and let my parents know that alas Ill be graduating from college, my Dad looked relief (which translates to: finally, no more allowance and tuition fees to pay. now time for you to get a JOB!) and said Very Good!

A couple of years after graduation, I was "forced" by my mom to pursue Medical School to which I reluctantly agreed. I told my Dad about and he didnt seem too happy but nevertheless he said Very Good (which translates too, oh no tuition fees and allowance again!).

When I quit Medical School after 5 years, I told my Dad I was planning to work and move overseas, He seem sad but excited and said Very good Anak, do what makes you happy.

Everytime I would call him over the phone and have a nice long chat with him he still would say very good when I announce some good news or when I tell him Im sending him some dough for his allowance. Of course he seem equally happy with the good things happening for me while I was working abroad. When I came home to visit with my fiance, he gave my then boyfriend a good handshake looked at me and said ( you guessed it right! ) very good!

I got engaged on that trip and needless to say it was a "very good" trip indeed. After the wedding, I called my Dad to tell him I got hitched and I plan to celebrate it on our next trip home. "Yes Anak, Thats a good idea! very goooooooddd!!" he happily said.

I miss my Dad's pleasant countenance and his jovial mood that always greets me when I come home for visits to my country. He loves anything I bring him  and he is always brimming with excitement over his delightful stories about his pets, his adventures and whatever it is thats going on in his life. And when I share mine, his verbal reaction was always peppered with his favorite "very good" phrase.

My husband and I have gotten the habit also of using this expression every time we talk too. It is sometimes said in jest but more because it is a reminder that we are happy to hear about the exciting event in each other's life.

When i was a kid i thought my dad didnt really care when i would show off for him when he said Very good. But now i think its simply because he trusted my capabilities and knew I could do it myself.

I miss my Dad very much and he was one helluva Dad. Im strong, resilient, capable, independent and headstrong because of him. He will always be my hero, my inspiration.

To a life well lived Dad here is to you!

To all your efforts and selflessness over the years Dad I love you! Fantastic job!