CJ turned seven months old today. He’s growing so quickly, I can barely keep up; already, he’s walker-sprinting around the house like he owns it. And here I am, stuck in Clark, wishing I could trade a thousand phone calls and photos for one real hug.

That’s the tension of fatherhood. You want to be present for every milestone, but work and responsibility sometimes take you away from the moments you treasure most.

Messages and stories from home help bridge the gap. A snapshot of CJ’s smile, a quick update about his new trick, those small things keep me going. But they will never replace being there. Absence has a way of teaching resilience. Fatherhood is not only about sleepless nights or endless diapers. It is also about learning how to stay rooted in love, even when you are far away.

Ei mahal, hug CJ for me. Tell him his daddy loves him.