At the Bay
Persuasive requests and recommendations of Rizal to his family before his departure for Cuba — May his sisters take good care of their old parents — Professes his love for his brothers-in-law — Final words of advice for his nephews and nieces.
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At the Bay, 2 September 1896
TO MY SISTERS,
I urge you to take care of, to serve, and to love our parents as you would like your children later to take care of, serve, and love you in your old age. May you live united and forgive one another’s asperities and slight faults — the natural thorns of life — because it is a displeasure for parents to see that their children are not living in harmony. Afterwards, when our parents are dead, we shall miss them greatly and we shall be sorry for not having served them while they lived.
I give my brothers-in-law very many thanks for the friendship they have always accorded me; they have loved me as a brother; I could not help but love them likewise.
May my nephews and nieces study, be good, obedient to their parents, grandparents, and aunts.
May my boys continue behaving well, ……. I shall know how to take care of them if I return. God will dispose of that. They have lost nothing; it is always good to have behaved well.
JOSÉ RIZAL
To Teodosio: May he continue to be a good lad, studious, industrious, and obedient.
To Tanis: May he not try to have the best for himself; may he try to do the best for others.
To Moris: May he always be good, obedient.
05-913 [100 Letters]