The end of the school year nears. The faster the days move, the closer we get to shaky grounds. You see, after going full time this year, andrea and I have decided that she should either go part time or quit teaching altogether after this school year closes.

No it’s not that she’s tired of teaching. She’s not. In fact, she still wants to teach. It’s just that a bunch of circumstances are playing out in a very unfamiliar and twisted way – forcing us to a corner between work and family.

How? First, Mateo’s nanny is leaving this March for good. This means that no one would be taking care of our baby but us starting summer. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think that this is at all a bad thing. In fact, we’re looking forward to spending more time with our son because that means we’ll have more chance to oversee his development especially now that he’s at a crucial stage of learning.

Second, Nanay Myrna, our landlady, will be visiting the Philippines this May to discuss the possibility of selling the house to us instead of leasing – another peculiar incident.

How does all of this put us on shaky grounds? Well, let me explain. You see, without a nanny, one of us has to stay home and keep an eye on both mateo and the house. Then, with the prospect of buying the house, we’d need more income to pull us through. You see the dilemma? How can we earn more if one of us will have to quit? If we both don’t quit then what would happen to our son? I don’t think I have the guts to tell other people that everything we’re doing is for Mateo’s sake when we’re not there with him in the first place. Shaky grounds indeed.

But in the first place, andrea and I both chose not to pursue careers outside of the country for ideals that we dare not compromise – ideals about patriotism, ideals about family. We’re not about to start on compromises now. Never mind not having wall fountains or swimming pools. Heck, I don’t even care if we don’t get to own a brand new car anymore. All I know is that mateo’s going to grow up knowing his dada and mama well and he’s going to grow up in a house of his own. Those are the things that matter right now. I don’t know how I’ll do it but I will manage to do so. We will…