Four Generations, Four Hours, and a Lifetime of Love-Part 1 of 2
From Left to Right: Dinah ( my daughter), Elaine (my Grand Daughter), Me and Beau ( my great grand son)
Today was one of the happiest days of my life this year.
Sometimes happiness does not come from a major accomplishment, a big celebration, or an expensive trip. Sometimes it comes from something as simple as holding a little child in your arms, kissing him gently on the head, and looking into his eyes.
Today, I had the privilege of spending about four hours with my great-grandson, Beau Joseph. And those four hours were worth every minute of the four-hour drive.
The last time I saw Beau was in October of last year. He was only about four months old then. Today, he is 13 months old, crawling, smiling, observing everything around him, and beginning to show his own little personality.
When I looked at him today and called him “Guapito” - my little handsome boy, he looked at me with an expression that seemed to say:
“Who is this old man looking at me with such a loving gaze?” I could not help but smile.
I was able to hold him in my arms for a few precious minutes and kiss him on his head for a few seconds. Those few minutes may sound insignificant to someone else.
To me, they were priceless. At my age, I am very conscious that every opportunity to hold a great-grandchild is a gift. I don't take these moments for granted anymore.
I was happy. I was grateful. And I felt incredibly blessed that I am still able to make the trip, hold him in my arms, and enjoy his presence.
Four Generations in One Photograph(see cover photo)
The photograph accompanying this post is especially meaningful to me because it represents four generations of our family.
There I am, the great-grandfather. Beside me is my oldest daughter, Dinah, Beau's grandmother.
In front of us is my granddaughter, Elaine, Beau's mother. And then there is little Beau Joseph, my great-grandson.
Four generations. One family. One photograph.
When I look at this picture, I realize that I am not simply looking at four people. I am looking at a small piece of our family's history.
I came to America as a young Filipino immigrant many decades ago. I could never have imagined then that one day I would be sitting at a restaurant table with my daughter, granddaughter, and great-grandson. The restaurant we dined for lunch was Art's Place in Rohnert Park, CA. I highly recommend it if you loved Italian food.
Life has taken me from the Philippines to America, through graduate school, a long professional career, marriage, raising children, retirement, and eventually becoming a great-grandfather.
And now, here I am still making memories with the fourth generation. That is something I deeply treasure.
Proud of Elaine and Kyle
Beau is the son of my granddaughter Elaine and her husband, Kyle Joseph, my grandson-in-law.
They currently live in a suburb of Portland, Oregon. About three months ago, they accomplished something that makes me especially proud of them: they purchased their own home in a good neighborhood.
For a young married couple today, buying a home is not easy.
Housing prices are high. Interest rates can be difficult. The cost of raising a family continues to increase. Many young people across America find it increasingly difficult to achieve the dream of homeownership.
That is why I am particularly proud of Elaine and Kyle.
They have good jobs, they have worked hard, and they have demonstrated financial discipline and good judgment. They have been able to establish a home of their own during the early years of their married life.
As a grandfather, there is a special kind of satisfaction in watching your grandchildren become independent adults and build their own families.
Their success becomes your happiness.
Four Hours Together
Today, I spent only about four hours with Beau and his family after making a four-hour drive.
Some people might ask whether such a long drive is worth it for only four hours together.
My answer is simple: Absolutely.
I was able to reconnect with Beau. I was able to spend time with Elaine.
I was able to see my daughter Dinah. I was able to visit with Kyle.
And most importantly, I was able to see my great-grandson growing up.
He is no longer the tiny four-month-old baby I remember from October.
He is now crawling, looking around with curiosity, and beginning to understand the world around him. Children grow so quickly.
That is why I have learned that we must treasure these moments while they are happening.
We cannot save them for later. We cannot put them in a box and open it again.
Once a moment is gone, it becomes a memory. And today, I made another beautiful memory.
Tired, But Happy
Tonight, I am tired from the four-hour drive home. But it is a very special kind of tired.
It is the tiredness that comes after doing something that makes your heart happy.
As I sit and think about today's visit, I keep returning to those few minutes when I held Beau in my arms and kissed his little head.
I know that someday he may not remember that moment.
He may not remember that his great-grandfather drove four hours just to spend a few hours with him. But I will remember it.
And perhaps, many years from now, when Beau is a grown man with children of his own, he may look at this photograph and realize that he was loved by four generations of his family.
That is what family means to me. It is not only about our names or our genealogy.
It is about love that travels from one generation to another.
A Blessing Across Four Generations
As I look at this photograph tonight, I feel an enormous sense of gratitude.
I am grateful for my daughter Dinah. I am grateful for my granddaughter Elaine and her husband Kyle.
And I am especially grateful for little Beau Joseph, my APO SA TUHOD - my great-grandson.
At 91 years old, I know that life has given me much more than I could have imagined when I was a young man growing up in the Philippines.
I have experienced the joys and sorrows of life, the challenges of immigration, a long career, marriage, raising children, becoming a grandfather, and now becoming a great-grandfather.
Today reminded me once again that the greatest wealth we accumulate in life is not money. It is family, memories, and love.
The four-hour drive was long. The four hours I spent with my family went by much too quickly.
But the memory of today will stay with me for a very long time.
Thank you, Beau, my little Guapito, for giving your old great-grandfather one of his happiest days of 2026.
And thank you, God, for giving me the strength and opportunity to make the journey.
Four generations. One photograph. Four precious hours. A lifetime of love.
Personal Note: I have another great grandson, two months older than Beau. His name is Graham and the son of Dinah's son, Ian.
Dinah and I plan to visit him this coming September 25th. That is a Friday, so If you can sub for me at our Bridge Game that Day, let me know.
