TO BE FAITHFUL AND FEARLESS

By: Norberto Betita

Our eldest granddaughter KayAn Betita Palma was born on December 9, 2000, the same month when her stillborn elder sister was born on December 31, 1999. She’s kind of a replacement, but she’s not. She is a different child with a different identity. She was conceived of our eldest daughter Hazel under pressures of poverty, yet she was born a bouncing baby in a government hospital. Her infancy was spent under our nest and her childhood was filled with joy and gladness. She was the first born and the first grandchild and she’d got all the love and attention from us---the grandparents and her unmarried uncle and aunts. She was such a lovely little girl.

However, even from her infancy she was not without challenge. She got a lump that grows just below her neck which was later removed. At age three after a bath and while her mother was preparing for her clothes to wear, she jumped and jumped on the bed mattress until she stumbled and her forehead hit the concrete wall resulting to an unwanted injury. She was rushed to the hospital where several stitches have to be applied to close the cut.

She has grown with a dark straight hair and with very fair complexion. As a child she is always neatly dressed, especially when attending church. On her eighth birthday she was baptized and confirmed by her father. Her intellectual ability had been unveiled very early in her childhood. As she started school she had been a consistent honor student. She has the potential to academically excel, yet she has the weakness of being shy which at times hid her from the school limelight for extracurricular activities. In her primary class at church she is one good student of the Gospel. She was very excited when she was admitted into the Young Women Organization at twelve years old. Since then I have always noticed her reading the Book of Mormon and accomplishing her Personal Progress requirements in the church. Her talent in music was first observed when she took piano lessons during their stay in Cagayan de Oro City. From such a short training and even after she stopped practicing, she still has the ability to read the notes from the hymns. She can also play music on a lyre. Recently when we sing hymns for Christmas during our family home evenings she sang the alto extemporaneously following the hymnbook notes.

At age thirteen she felt her life was shattered by an overwhelmingly demoralizing event in her youthful life and that of her family. But she felt safe at the home where she was first nurtured and loved. Being the eldest she knew she has every reason to be true to the faith and fearless of future uncertainties. Her early challenges made her stronger to face the winds of adversities that had come and those that might come into her life. Once her family was given a short taste of affluence, yet at such a young age she understood that it was not doing them so much good. She seemed to understand early the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson that, "Money often costs so much."

Today, December 9, 2015 she turns 15, an ever beautiful and talented young woman. Once in childhood she asked her mother, “Why can’t daddy be with us at church every Sunday?” Now she perfectly knew the reason why and she has been adjusted from the painful events which made her third exodus together with her mother and siblings back into the home of her birth where she always felt safe, protected and loved. Her future is yet unknown but with faith and courage strong the prospects flashes with bright assurance of victory.

Her life story is just beginning and her mortal journey thus far left a record of few laps traversed. She understands that there are even more challenges and adversities yet to come. However, she knew that any defeats, crosses, frustrations and sorrows in this short time of mortality is nothing compared to the promised eternal life and glory in the Celestial mansions of God. This belief stands as the enduring foundation of her reason to be faithful and fearless of the future. She believes that if she remains faithful and true to her covenants, God will be at the helm of her voyage.

Lately she rested by my side and we talked about her plans for the future. She asked me questions about how long will it take to be a pediatrician and how much will it cost. When I told her that it would require a total of ten years, she was astounded. I also explained to her that it is such an expensive course option, but it can lead to a rewarding career. Yet I assured her that should she makes good in her studies there are government universities which offer much cheaper tuition and fees. Then we talked about other alternative courses and how each course may lead her toward better employment opportunities. She asked me about my academic journey. I related to her how difficult it was for me to earn a college degree in Banking and a Master in Business Administration. I apprised her of the accomplishments of her mother, aunts and uncle and how their plans change during their academic journey from high school through college. I told her that it was most important that they earned college degrees in preparation for their future battles with adversity. In the end she told me that may be she will have to pursue a course in accounting.

I am grateful for her willingness to express to me her future plans in life. I encouraged her to hold on to whatever dream she has for the future. As we parted and with a pat on the back I explained that her plans will become the link which will connect her present diligent efforts to excel in her studies to her future achievement and academic victory. I assured her that we as her grandparents, for as long as we are alive, will always be at her support. And should we not live long enough while she is on her journey, her uncle and aunts will sustain her through. Again I reminded her to be faithful and fearless.

Today, we express our deepest love and best wishes to our dearest firstborn granddaughter. HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAYAN. WE LOVE YOU VERY MUCH SINCE THEN AND FOREVERMORE. Your family.