When My Son Started Wearing My Jerseys
by Oliver Carlos
One day, during the middle of the long hot summer of 2021, my son Jethro said that he wanted to change his usual pambahay attire. He used to wear football jerseys as his everyday get-up at home. He said he wanted to wear sleeveless shirts like what I wear as my pambahay so he can beat the summer heat. I understand him fully well. Compared to the sleeved football shirts, my sleeveless basketball jerseys are really comfortable to wear in our tropical climate. So I went upstairs, opened my cabinet, and gave my son half of my basketball jersey collection.
My basketball jerseys are of 3 types, based on the name written at the back. Type 1 are those with CASTILLO written on them. Type 2 are those with JET bannered at the back. And Type 3 are those which have the names of my favorite players like CURRY, LIN, and JAWORSKI. I let Jethro have most of the Type 1 and Type 2 jerseys.
My jerseys fitted my son well. We have the same height and body shape. The names at the back of the shirts are also appropriate for him. Jethro is my son, so CASTILLO is also his family name. The Type 1 jerseys can really be his own. Meanwhile, his nickname is also Jet. I often hear his peers and coaches call him Jet. Thus, the JET jerseys are also for him.
As a father, I love seeing my 20-year old son wear my jersey. When he walks around in the house, I can see a little reflection of me. Even more when we went out to exercise one afternoon. Seeing him jog, sprint and jump is like seeing my old self in the 1990s, when I was his age. It was very heartwarming to see my own son now grown up and looking like me.
Such is the feeling of narrator of the book of Proverbs. He was a wise man and he said he would be very proud and happy if his own son would grow up and become like him. He would like to see his son transform into the likeness of his father.
“My child, if you become wise, I will be very happy. I will be proud when I hear you speaking words of wisdom.” (Proverbs 23:15–16, GNT)
God feels the same when he sees us growing up in our faith. It is his heart’s delight to see us transform to become more and more like him when we develop godly virtues and character.
Let us be conscious and deliberate in seeking to please our heavenly Father. Each time we wake up in the morning, let us pray, “Father, I want to grow a little bit more like you today. Please help me develop.”
If we pray that each day, and then look at ourselves after some time, we could see how great our progress has been because God honors such kind of prayer!
