How To Talk To Your Father While He Is Still Here

You talk to your father while he is still here by asking one ordinary thing this week — how he slept, what he ate, what he remembers — before you wait for a perfect movie conversation.

Filipino sons often have two settings: silence and a funeral speech. The middle is where a man still answers.

What if he was hard to love?

You do not have to rewrite him. You can ask a small question without kneeling. Distance can stay. A sentence can still go out.

What if he only talks about money and weather?

Start there. Weather is a door. "Kumusta ang tuhod mo?" is a door. The son who only waits for depth often gets a closed TV.

What if you live far?

A call that is seven minutes and real beats a yearly padala with no voice. Record nothing. Perform nothing. Just appear.

Related reading: What If Your Father Was Not A Good Example.

Frequently asked questions

What if he does not answer well?
You still asked. The asking is yours. His answer is his.

Is it too late if I am already 40?
Late is a story. Alive is a window. Use the window.