Eulogy to a great father, our hero -- my daddy -- Bayani A. Garin

My dad calls me Bubbles-ko. Sasabihin ni mom, bakit sino ba umaaangkin nyan?
Yes, I am a daddy’s girl. Ay sorry, I am equally close to my mom and my dad pala… hehehe J
Kidding aside,  true to his name, he is really my hero. He is always there for me.
Since most of you know the stories of our lives because of my dad and how he brags about our accomplishments, allow me now to share bits and stories about my dad that makes me a very proud daughter.
He is my driver. He would drive me to school, to work, and even to my graduation ball. He would also pick me up, exactly at the time I told him to or usually, earlier pa. I remember when I was still in Zilog, we were off at 4:45, but my dad will be at the parking lot at around 4:30. My mom would tease my dad, ano ba sinusundo mo… prep?
He is my teacher. He taught me a lot of things and I excelled in school because of my great teachers at home. He is also my project partner. When I was still studying, cramming was my specialty. I would do the projects the night before it was due. Of course as expected, I had to stay up late just to finish the projects. My dad will always be there to help me. I can still remember the time when I ran out of glue and it was midnight already. My dad immediately went to the kitchen, mixed water and cornstarch, and voila! I now have a paste! J He always has the solution for everything. There was another time that it was my dad who really did my project. It was a toy truck that runs with the help of a twisted rubber band. I was so proud of my project that I showed it to everyone. Ang yabang ko, pinatakbo ko ng pinatakbo. Then during lunch time, nasira siya. Submission of the project is still after lunch so I did not know what to do. I called my dad asking him on how to fix it. He rushed back to St. Scho just to fix my project.
He is our doctor. He would massage me and my sister and put oil whenever we are sick. Haplos talaga ng pagmamahal. It seems that he has a healing hand and can cure us and make us feel better.
He is our entertainer. Most of you know, he entertains people with his stories.  Kahit paulit-ulit, ang sarap pakinggan. He would tell stories about his teenage life, luzonian university in Quezon, his adventures in the US and now in Singapore. He also entertains people with his magic. Yes, he used to perform magic with his handkerchief and show off his card tricks.
He is mr. fix-it. He can fix anything and everything even with limited resources. Para siyang real life mac gyver.
He is our cook. He would cook meals for us. Nakakahiya man aminin na up to this day, I love crab but I don’t know how to eat it. Kelangan, himayin pa ni dad para makain ko. Yun ata yung nagpapasarap sa crab eh… yung kamay ni dad. Chicken pork adobo, beefsteak, lomi are just a few of his other specialities. I will surely miss his cooking.
He is the ideal husband.  I look up to him… sobra akong bilib sa kanya and actually sa mom ko na rin because there was never a time na nakita ko sila na nagaway. Parang ang perfect ng relationship nila. Though my dad was not that showy or vocal with his emotions, I really feel that my dad loves my mom so much.
I can go on and on telling how great my dad was. I had 30 wonderful years spent with my dad and I am really thankful that God gave him to us.  
I would like to end this with a quote from an article I read in the internet –
There is so much of the human experience that the history books fail to describe. They speak of great men, but how many of those men have really touched you, shaped you and set your course for all of your lifetime? Most of the great men of history touch many lives in relatively small ways, but I believe the truly great men, the unsung heroes, make a bigger and more positive impact on a much smaller group of people.
On behalf of myself, my mom, my older sister and the rest of our family, I want to thank everyone for being here. Your love and support for us are overwhelming. It is comforting to know that my dad really made a difference in all our lives and for that, he is truly a hero.
Daddy, I will forever be your Bubbles-ko. I will be looking forward to the time when you will welcome us in heaven and share your stories. I will miss you and you know that I love you so much….

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