Senior HS graduate ‘marches’ again for 74-year-old grandfather who couldn’t attend graduation

This is a wonderful and touching Father’s Day gift.

Eunice Helera, who recently graduated from Senior High School, took it to her Twitter account how much her grandfather means to her. Because her 74-year-old man couldn’t make it to the graduation rites of his only grandchild, she decided to surprise him after the ceremonies at home. In the video she uploaded, she is still seen wearing her toga and made him hand out her diploma.

https://twitter.com/euieHLR/status/1007583027625488384

Helera tells WHEN IN MANILA that she is close to her grandfather and has a good relationship with him.

Ever since I was a kid, he was the one who helped me be open to current events. During my elementary to high school days, he prepares me for school. He would wake me up in the wee hours of the morning to prepare hot water for my bath, cook breakfast, and when we’d share this time together, we always tuned in to Teleradyo on TV.

Somehow during March, my grandfather would always ask me when was my school vacation would start or when was my graduation going to happen. Even though he knew that the school calendar of UST is from August to December and January to May, he would constantly ask me when I was graduating. So I don’t usually go home in Laguna, since I’m a dormer.

Back then, when I was too busy at school, I’d only go home for like every 2-3 weeks and would stay only overnight so I didn’t have much time to talk to my lolo.

When my schedule loosened up during May, that’s when I noticed he kept on asking when my graduation would be.

https://twitter.com/euieHLR/status/1007611371318435840

Helera tells WHEN IN MANILA that she assumed that her grandfather wanted to go to her graduation since he seldom goes out of the house since he’s getting older and how he tends to have a lot of forgetful moments (i.e., getting lost in the mall or some places where he is unaccompanied).

Prior to the limited number of graduation rites tickets sold per candidate, Helera’s grandfather accepted the fact that he could not make it. But two days before the ceremony where Helera got a hold of an extra one from a classmate who was selling, she opened the invitation again to her grandfather but the latter insisted not going anymore because of various reasons.

He was making excuses like maybe he couldn’t hold take a hold of his bladder anymore, or he might get lost in UST; so he stayed behind. I didn’t know this until I met up with them in UST, since I was already in my dorm the night before graduation. I was wearing my toga the whole day since I wanted to savor the moment – of me graduating from senior high.

When my family and I went home, I saw my grandfather watching tv, and when I greeted him he was smiling and already asking me how my graduation went. I told him, let’s ‘repeat’ the graduation. I wanted him to give the diploma to me, with my mom taking a video of the moment and my uncle taking photos. He got up from the sofa, went to his room and changed into his slacks and his polo shirt (which received teases from my grandmother that he was supposed to wear that polo for their swimming outing on Monday). We to our places, I told him to stand still in the middle of the living room, and my grandmother called out my name like how they did during the graduation ceremony and I started singing the tune of the graduation song. We reenacted the whole scene, with my uncle taking pictures, my mom cheering, and my lola improvising of instead of a medal, he was going to give me a bouquet together with the diploma.

Lolo Graduation

Screenshots from Eunice Helera

Helera says that she had realizations about her grandfather when she reached senior high school.

My grandfather shaped me who I am today.  I also realized that I  shouldn’t be an ungrateful granddaughter, but to understand him now even more than ever because he was getting older. Yes, it was tough love, since our age difference is 56 years. Our love languages are different.

[My grandfather’s] smile was really happy. And I was glad that at least he had the experience to hand out a diploma to his first and only grandchild in the family.

Screen Shot 2018 06 16 at 4.11.55 PM

Photo from Eunice Helera

This is such a touching story! Congratulations to both of you, Eunice and Lolo! And advanced happy Father’s Day!

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Disclaimer: WheninManila.com does not own the photos here. Credits go to Eunice Helera.Â