IS BLOOD ALWAYS THICKER THAN H20?
Each year, in memory of my father passing away, I always try to play golf during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. My brother Paul started the tradition but ever since he started a family, he hasn't really been able to participate consistently. Also, since last year's Christmas time blow-up between he and my oldest brother Noel (they argued about how serious to treat golf when playing with our nephew Jared), I have felt personally responsible to keep the tradition alive.
This year, we played at Spring Valley in San Jose. It's a short course near the foothills and Jared was six strokes ahead of my as we made the turn. Poor Paul was never in contention mumbling to himself that it was "one of those days." By the end of the round, I came back to beat Jared by two strokes 83 to 85 (Paul shot a 90). I know Jared will be so good in the future that I always keep teasing him that he will never defeat me. I guess it's something Tiger Woods' dad did when he was younger, so I thought I might try it to teach Jared about mental toughness.
When we returned, my uncle Tito Danny and his wife Tita Nette were at Paul's house finishing their lunch. Tito Danny had a few drinks already in him and when that happens, I notice he tends to love to talk about serious issues. This time, it was regarding Noel. As I finished off the Dungenees crab in front of me, he made the point that we must support Noel during this troubled time because he is a Nepomuceno.
Noel is faced with an impending divorce. He didn't even bother to come up with us this Christmas because he was apparently so tired of Kimi and her insults, he decided to spend the holiday in Loughlin, NV. Tito Danny was quite adament that we support him because there is no one else he can turn to at this time. And because we're Nepomucenos, we should have undying support for him.
I replied that I have unconditional love for the guy, but that it would be difficult to support him and his actions. "All I'm saying is that we must hear both sides of the story before we make a judgement. And right now, all we have heard is his wife and her sob stories," he said. "But should we not judge based on people's actions?" I replied. "I have seen the things he has done and the attitude he has. How can I support such a thing?"
We went back and forth for awhile, talking in the dining room quietly even though we knew there were other ears in the house. I wished that we had some privacy so we could talk more openly, but perhaps there was a reason we had to do it this way. Lately, I've begun to wonder if we have free will and that everything that happens to us is due to Fate and/or Destiny. Finally, Tito Danny revealed that he made my brother promise that he would come to the Bay with me to wish he and his wife off to the Philippines. Tita Nette has cancer and it may be the last time we see her before she leaves. It is their wish to return to the Philippines for her final days so she can see her family.
I was quite surprised to hear that Noel would make such a promise. I actually doubted it because he's never been the kind of sentimental brother that Paul has always been. I know Noel keeps a lot of things inside, but when we reach out to him during tough times, he never opens up. Maybe he wants to seem strong or maybe he feels the most responsible for the family now that our father is gone. But I doubt it.
When Paul came back from driving my aunt and uncle back to Milpitas, he asked me about the return trip. I told him that we were supposed to come back sometime in January, not for New Year's as he thought. "Yeah, I talked to Tito Danny about it, but I basically told him not to hold his breath."
Each year, in memory of my father passing away, I always try to play golf during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. My brother Paul started the tradition but ever since he started a family, he hasn't really been able to participate consistently. Also, since last year's Christmas time blow-up between he and my oldest brother Noel (they argued about how serious to treat golf when playing with our nephew Jared), I have felt personally responsible to keep the tradition alive.
This year, we played at Spring Valley in San Jose. It's a short course near the foothills and Jared was six strokes ahead of my as we made the turn. Poor Paul was never in contention mumbling to himself that it was "one of those days." By the end of the round, I came back to beat Jared by two strokes 83 to 85 (Paul shot a 90). I know Jared will be so good in the future that I always keep teasing him that he will never defeat me. I guess it's something Tiger Woods' dad did when he was younger, so I thought I might try it to teach Jared about mental toughness.
When we returned, my uncle Tito Danny and his wife Tita Nette were at Paul's house finishing their lunch. Tito Danny had a few drinks already in him and when that happens, I notice he tends to love to talk about serious issues. This time, it was regarding Noel. As I finished off the Dungenees crab in front of me, he made the point that we must support Noel during this troubled time because he is a Nepomuceno.
Noel is faced with an impending divorce. He didn't even bother to come up with us this Christmas because he was apparently so tired of Kimi and her insults, he decided to spend the holiday in Loughlin, NV. Tito Danny was quite adament that we support him because there is no one else he can turn to at this time. And because we're Nepomucenos, we should have undying support for him.
I replied that I have unconditional love for the guy, but that it would be difficult to support him and his actions. "All I'm saying is that we must hear both sides of the story before we make a judgement. And right now, all we have heard is his wife and her sob stories," he said. "But should we not judge based on people's actions?" I replied. "I have seen the things he has done and the attitude he has. How can I support such a thing?"
We went back and forth for awhile, talking in the dining room quietly even though we knew there were other ears in the house. I wished that we had some privacy so we could talk more openly, but perhaps there was a reason we had to do it this way. Lately, I've begun to wonder if we have free will and that everything that happens to us is due to Fate and/or Destiny. Finally, Tito Danny revealed that he made my brother promise that he would come to the Bay with me to wish he and his wife off to the Philippines. Tita Nette has cancer and it may be the last time we see her before she leaves. It is their wish to return to the Philippines for her final days so she can see her family.
I was quite surprised to hear that Noel would make such a promise. I actually doubted it because he's never been the kind of sentimental brother that Paul has always been. I know Noel keeps a lot of things inside, but when we reach out to him during tough times, he never opens up. Maybe he wants to seem strong or maybe he feels the most responsible for the family now that our father is gone. But I doubt it.
When Paul came back from driving my aunt and uncle back to Milpitas, he asked me about the return trip. I told him that we were supposed to come back sometime in January, not for New Year's as he thought. "Yeah, I talked to Tito Danny about it, but I basically told him not to hold his breath."
posted by Tito Eddy at 6:00 PM
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