Doctor in the House

You made it Ate. You have the license now and we can finally call you doctor. You can now choose to preface your name with a "Dr." or end it with an "M.D." Any case, everybody will call you "doktora."

We're all swelling with pride right now. Our parents are happy and Ma is burning phone lines, calling up relatives. And I'm really glad you did good by them.

I remember you four years ago. You were teary-eyed because you passed the entrance exams to UP-PGH but the family didn't have the resources to send you. It was a decision they had to take and it would affect all of us. You were the stubborn one but you didn't force your will on them. You knew where you stood. You would compromise us all.

We had two younger siblings and they had futures too. Through Grace and the familial will, we all made it through. And now, you cap our parents' great effort with your name.

Congratulations.

It is not my habit to look hopefully into the future. You had your rose-colored eyeglasses always trained forward while I had darker lens looking back.

But I see it dear sister. For you, the best is yet to come.