Hi, I am Rachel – some of you may know me as the daughter of Mrs. Belle Cabrera, Grade School English teacher. Being a daughter of a teacher has its perks, but it also has disadvantages. The first disadvantage and most obvious is – I CANNOT MISBEHAVE! If I got into trouble in class or got low grades, my mom would be first to know. My mom had unlimited access to a parent-teacher conference, haha. It was an advantage for my mom and a disadvantage for me. 😂
I did not have high grades in High School and up to now, I would not dare show my High School report card to my kids, nieces and nephews. Don’t get me wrong, I had my favorite subjects that I effortlessly passed with flying colors but the major subjects was a different story. No matter how hard I study I just couldn’t get it. It always came to a point that when I was about to fail that is when my brain worked and did wonders. Who here can relate??
I must say, all the tutorial and remedial sessions came in handy when I was in college. I was a certified late bloomer I guess.
I remember during high school deliberation, we were in the Little Theater and to discreetly tell who were included in the graduation rites, everyone was asked to bow their heads and close their eyes. If a teacher tapped your shoulder, that meant you will NOT be able to march. Talk about torture! Haha! Some details I do not remember but what I do recall was I almost had a heart attack when I was tapped on the shoulder by Ms. Mina. I was about to cry but she whispered and said congratulations, tell your Mom you are going to march! Himatay! Hahaha!
The second disadvantage of being a daughter of a teacher was the “social status”. I have experienced a few, from the upper batch, who would look down on me. There were instances that I was reminded that I was there not because my family could afford it but because of my mom’s benefits. Well, that is true, and at a young age I always felt grateful and blessed to study in St. Scho. And had I known that education would be this expensive, I would have applied as a teacher too. 😂
Although High School was difficult for me, I still enjoyed it. I always looked forward to going to school. I liked being around my friends. I can say that it was the best years of my life because even if I felt like the disadvantages would prevent me from having friends, it was the same reasons that I knew I found the real ones. During high school, I have established friendships that I know would last a lifetime, friendships even outside of my barkada. My friends that accepted me and allowed me to be myself, with no judgement, with no pretensions. There were instances when they would defend me and stand up for me, without me even asking. In high school even up to this day I feel that in one way or another some still look after me, and for that I am truly thankful. 🙏
Four years ago, I found out that my son has Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD and I was devastated. Simply talking to friends, having get togethers and even being part of the homecoming committee keeps me busy, helps me stay positive and sane. Going through these tough times, I pray and wish hard that my children would be as lucky as I am to have friends who inspire me to face trials with an open heart and to make me believe that I am not alone.
Writing this I realized that the lessons I learned from high school are far greater than academics. I learned that I can always choose to change for the better, that it is really up me. I also learned at a young age that if I needed anything, I had to work hard for it. But the best part from all that I have learned in high school were the friendships I built, the ones who do not care even if my career start was a production assistant, the ones who witnessed my successes to eventually become a Chief Makeup Artist, the ones who cheered me on when I became a proud & full time homemaker. That all did not matter because we still respect and look at each other as friends. Oftentimes I would see posts of barkada get togethers and in my heart I know most of you, just like me, found your real friends in high school.💙
