Kiss my ass

While I may not be a big fan of an unlaced up Manny Pacquiao, I become an advocate when he is on pre-fight mode and when he steps inside the ring. I was once an athlete myself but quite far from the phenom that he is. Talent is one thing but to be willing to invest in the mental and physical demands of elite level competition is what truly separates the men from the boys.

Recently, a lot has been written about Pacquiao's unwillingness to give in to the dictates of his possible megafight adversary and the latter's promoter. To think that Pacquiao is poised to lose an insane amount of money, he just would not budge. The $50 million being dangled is not enough for the high school dropout to be pushed around.

Paquiao may have had a history of compromising his principles: in dealing with contracts, showing loyalty, and so forth, but it does not necessarily mean that he will always violate them. Change is possible. Principles can be rebuilt.

For standing his ground this time, I admire Pacquiao. He showed that it does not require advanced education to have principles. Most of us, even the most educated among us, will find the $50 million out of the window incomprehensible. Pacquiao chose to walk off rather than kiss ass.

Happy holidays!

Happy holidays, everyone! I hope we are all having a grand time with family and friends. Make the most out of it. It does not usually last long.

Love at its grandest

Inay, my grandmother-in-law, passed away three days ago, after years of confinement to her bed. The hip injury, four years earlier, greatly affected her quality of life. To be honest, I thought her death was better for her; it put an end to her agony.

I was with a client when Shiela informed me that we needed to rush to Inay's place. Apparently, my grandmother-in-law died in the arms of her caregiver while the latter was trying to feed her. My wife was restless, and I had to calm her down. Since I had no plans of rudely disrupting my meeting, I discreetly sent a text saying that we will go soon after I finish. Of course, Shiela could not wait and went her way.

Anyway, I ended up telling my client that someone in our family died; nonetheless, we could still continue. My rationale: Life must go on for the living. We will pay our respects, but whether we go sooner or later, nothing else could be done.

When my wife got to Inay's place, most of the members of the family were already there. Regardless of my grandmother-in-law's lifeless condition, the family wanted to be with her. It did not need to be a life and death situation for them to act hurriedly. Clearly, the family was drawn together by flesh and love.

As an outsider myself, I could feel the outpour of very strong emotions. It was not just customary; everything was genuine. I wish I could declare the same for my own family. Inay was bedridden for the longest time, yet her children persisted to extend her life. Definitely, another first for me.