Reaction Paper for Immersion

The first time I heard about the immersion, I never thought

that I could relate my own life to the lives of those living in Sitio
Serum. I always thought that I was way better off than them. But
then again, as I thought about all that happened, I realized that my
life relates in a way that if the families there lack financial support in
their lives, my life also lacks something which those poor families
have. Even if they were poor, they had each other. What I mean is
that they are there for each and every one of their family members.
It is very evident in the way they would help each other cook and do
all other sorts of work that there is love radiating between them.
One instant where I noticed this was while we were waiting for the
food to cook, and we were just sitting there under their unfinished
nipa hut. Then they would talk endlessly about all their experiences
and they would sometimes laugh at each others’ stories. It was very
heartwarming to know that at least they know how to stay happy
amidst the hardships they are encountering.

In my life, I take for granted all the material things that I have.
I always ask for more, and I seldom remember to thank my parents
if they give me what I want. My host family in Sitio Serum made me
realize that just because your family is well-off, it does not mean
that you already have a perfect family. It doesn’t matter whether
you’re living somewhere in the darkest corners of the forests, or in a
high class subdivision in the city. What matters the most is the love
that you share among your family members. They also made me
think that what would be all the material things for if there’s no love
and camaraderie between the family? I guess it’s better to lack
money than to lack love between your family members.

However, if ever something happens like my family being

forced to live below the poverty-level income, I know that I would be
very much affected by it. But this is just because I would have to
adjust to a lot of changes in my life. To think that once, you just
ordered people around and now you would be forced to work day
and night to feed yourself is a very big change indeed.

Nevertheless, if I look at the positive side of things, there

would just be no difference between being rich or poor if I can be
together with my family. A family’s job is to help each other in times
of need. So I think that even if we will be poor, I know that I’d still
feel happy because of the thought that at least, I and my other
family members still have each other. If those indigenous people
still found joy in their lives in the mountains, surely we can too. It
just depends on how a person would view things in life. Besides,
what’s important is that the family is united. I wouldn’t really care
who gets to have the best things in life as long as I have my family
with me.