Joy Melrose, that's me, had been away for the longest time, thanks (but no thanks) to the epidemic that cleared EDSA of traffic and had her cowering in fear of anyone sneezing and coughing within the intimate distance of five meters from her perch.

And now that Joy Melrose is back, she could not be stopped from talking and writing, all for the love of something juicy, something good, something outrageous and something that everyone's whispering about. And this time, she will focus on the Filipino family. The rich, famous, or powerful ones, as well as the influential ones. Some may be highly visible, while others low-key. She will try to be forthright, but if old-fashioned caution gets the better of her, she will be happy to give hints and clues. Unlike others engaged in the same pursuit, she will try not to be bitchy, mean, and foreboding. For starters, Joy Melrose is invoking blessings from above by sharing stories that would put a smile on everyone's face.

Early Christmas gift from Adrik to all of us
A few weeks to go before Christmas and already, we have received an early back-to-back gift from classical guitarist Adrik Cristobal. First, he bagged the top prize in the Thailand International Guitar Competition and not long after, the first prize in the Hanoi International Guitar Festival in Vietnam.

Adrik comes from a talented family, his paternal grandfather being the late prized essayist Adrian Cristobal.  His dad, Adrian Jr., occupied various top posts in the Department of Trade and Industry all the way to being its Secretary, and his mom, an educator, pioneered on dyslexia studies in the country. And of course, there's his aunt Celina whom legions have admired through the years as a singer, theater actress, and lifestyle editor.

Celina and I recently had a brief talk (okay, make that via Messenger), and she shared with me her fond thoughts about her eminent father. She said that what she misses most about him "were our talks and jokes about what was going on in Philippine society and the world." Of his gifts to her, she described them as "great gifts, but a good one was a guitar he won at a poker game in the '70s. I knew we couldn't afford it but he won against Mr. Lumanog who brought him to his shop and told him to choose one."

She learned a lot about writing from him, but she cannot forget "the day he told me that writing as a career won't bring me wealth but I will be rich with friendships and should nurture true ones."

Talent may thus come naturally to a family, but what values to pass on is a matter of choice, and it does matter that a child realizes the importance of persistence and hard work if their inborn talent must prosper beyond its early promise. Again, congratulations to Adrik, and yes, Adrian Cristobal Sr. must be smiling in heaven.

A good father and father-in-law
Congratulations to Donnie Tantoco who has gained another son-in-law. With his and Crickette's twins now both married, I asked him if that was a big letdown since I assumed he would be missing them, he replied, "Ironically we don't feel like we have an empty nest. Our children and their partners spend a lot of time with us even if they have their own homes. I don't know how it happened but Crickette and I have had even better and deeper one-on-one conversations with our adult kids than when they lived in our house full-time. Kids seem to turn to their parents much more for companionship and even mentoring when they are independent. They share a lot about what's going on in their lives, careers, dreams, and struggles. Even as they turn to us for advice, we are also learning a lot from them. Our kids are our wisest and most trustworthy advisers." So, that's Donnie speaking from his generous and understanding heart. Nicole has been married to Miko delos Reyes since 2018 and Camille to Tim Dimayacyac only recently.

Of his sons-in-law, he shared, "They are the kind of strong men that strong women can respect. I love being with them and I also enjoy the conversations and activities we do together. It's been incredible working with Miko who has been working with us on one of our projects." No, Donnie is mum about that project so your guess is as good as mine.

Of his most eligible son, Christian, about whom I asked if he was banking on him to continue his family's good name as well as the legacy of his Lolo Bennie both in business and in his philanthropic work especially for the Catholic Church and his hometown, Malolos, Donnie said, "I have no expectations of Christian. I just leave it up to him to make that decision on his own in his own time. We will always be around for our kids to consult us when they want to make important decisions. We are lucky that they have very clear and strong core values, and this is what we have noticed, that they end up choosing very good life-long partners." Well said by a well-spoken man.

PS. When I asked Celina what she would tell her father if she had a hotline to heaven, Celina said, "I would ask my father for guidance and help in keeping our family together. And to visit me in my dreams so that we could converse." She made her wish last Halloween. We pray it will come true this Christmas Day.