Investments in Life
By Apolinario B Villalobos
Investments in life are made in stages:
1. When a man and a woman meet, they invest TRUST and LOVE to each other with a hope that these shall develop into a wise decision to get married, hence, give them a reason to settle down as a couple.
2. As a couple, they invest PATIENCE and DILIGENCE into their lives in order to earn money and raise a family.
3. The couple invests the MONEY in a home of their own and things for their coming offspring.
4. The couple invests MONEY for the food, supplements and medicines for their offspring so that they will grow healthy. As they grow, more MONEY is invested for their education with a hope that they will have a bright future later on. When the offspring leave home to make their own investments, the couple is left alone. This is the last stage of their investment. They are back to each other’s arms – alone.
Unfortunately, SOME couples forgot to invest for their COMFORTABLE retirement. It is only later they learned that social security retirement (in the Philippines), is not enough to cover supplements, medicines, regular medical check ups, and salary for caregiver – expenses that come with old age.
Worse, SOME very unfortunate couples found out that their children whom they nurtured with love since birth and already have families of their own, develop amnesia, causing them forget that somewhere in a province or a depressed residential area in a city, are two aging persons, living in a crumbling house…aging persons who could not even help themselves in going to the toilet or in taking a bath.
Not ALL offspring are kind enough to SHOW love to their parents who smothered them with love when they came into this world. SHOWING love to the parents is not paying them back for what they have done. SHOWING love to a person is a SPIRITUAL obligation, be he or she is a kin or a stranger.
LOVING parents do not bother themselves with a seemingly wasted investment such as mentioned above. They know, it is their obligation to raise their children decently, properly, complete with love…with affection.
Indeed, investment is always shaded with risks that should be accepted what they may be.
penpowersong 