Sinigang by Marby Villaceran

 Marby Villaceran's 2001 short story Sinigang narrates how Liza, the main character, deals with her father, who had an extramarital affair with Sylvia and, as a result, had a son Lem.

Extramarital affairs can break families apart, as in the story "Sinigang," which tells how Liza handled her situation when she was sent to his stepbrother's funeral even though she didn't want to, but with that situation she learned how to forgive her father even though he left them and chose his mistress.

When I first read the title of the story, I was curious as to why the author chose the name "Sinigang." I was intrigued and eager to learn more about the plot of the story. After reading, I learned about family issues and the causes and effects of them. The story taught me many things or values that can help me become a better person.

To begin, life, like sinigang, is sour in general. However, given the variety of ingredients that comprise the dish, it tastes distinctively delicious. When you face several conflicts in your life, the path to resolution is both an adventure and a lesson. You will receive a lot of information that you will consider applying in your life. These struggles are what keep our lives exciting.

The second lesson I learned from the story "Sinigang" is that everybody makes mistakes because we are all flawed, but that is not an excuse because we could choose not to make them. True, we are all human, and we all make mistakes, but we also understand the implications of our decisions. We must take responsibility for our decisions rather than relying on the saying "Nobody is perfect." If you've made a horrible mistake already, do not do it again.

Third, whether we are married or not, we must be faithful to our partner. We can see the consequences of having an adulterous relationship with another man or woman in the story. It can ruin a relationship, cause emotional distress, and create family issues that have a negative impact on the children. Through the story, I've realized that I need to be certain about the person I'm going to marry. Be certain of the love I'll give and the person I'll love.

Finally, “Sinigang” has stressed the importance of forgiving and moving on. Forgiving is equivalent to freeing ourselves. It is removing ourselves from negative thoughts and emotions toward other people. Forgiveness takes time, but we can never forget the lesson it taught us. We will gradually restore what has been lost and learn to accept someone who has made a mistake. Just like Liza, who learned to forgive her father and create new memories with him, the love she has for her father has not faded. Things may not be the same as they once were, but we must let go of our grudges in order to find peace of mind.

These moral values I gained from the story undoubtedly deepened my understanding of maintaining relationships with people, especially my family, as well as the power of mistakes and forgiveness. As a learner in the twenty-first century, these moral values I received had an influence on me as a person. Now I can be more conscious of my behavior, forgive others, and love more. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. And nothing is worth missing the people who welcome us home after we've had the worst day ever and make us feel and remember that it wasn't such a bad day after all.