There Are Some Things You’d Rather Not Think About
I was arguing with my father once when he fired the back, “Who do you think you are? Don’t forget I made you!” I thought to myself, “Yuck! Spare me the details.” I’ve heard a few variations of this father-son exclusive weapon but my favourite has to be my friend Miyagi’s version, “Don’t forget. You came from my balls!!!” I have an overactive imagination and statements like this start a chain reaction of disturbing pictures in my brain.

Just Me Being Anal
There is a saying that goes “The fruit does not fall far from the tree.” I like the way my dad says it better. “If you see little monkeys running around, it just means there’s a gorilla at home.” I’m going to make a few adjustments to this to make it biologically correct. First of all gorillas do not give birth to monkeys but to baby gorillas. So the saying has to start “If you see little gorillas… “. Second it takes two gorillas to make a baby gorilla. So this gives us “If you see little gorillas running around, it just means there’s a papa and momma gorilla at home.”

Meet the Gorillas
And there is a papa and mama gorilla to blame for bringing the Bonifacio Brothers into the world, and that story starts 26 years ago. Back then Papa Gorilla didn’t know any better, all he knew was that he had to meet the pretty stranger that walked into his office. He did meet her and they realized they were better off together. So they hopped on that greatest of roller coasters called life, held hands, closed their eyes, and screamed for grace. Things never really went according to plan (I doubt there even was one), but they stayed. Through the climbs and the drops, and the dark tunnels, and the shocks, the technical difficulties, speed changes, and puke – they stayed, and that has made all the difference.

26 Years from the 25th Floor
I used to look out the window of my 25th floor office at a building across the street. This building, Strata 100, is probably the oldest along Emerald. It is also the place where my parents met. A little more than two decades ago, my mother, who worked for a bank down the street, walked over to handle the account of my father’s company. My father saw her for the first time, and after she had left, declared that she was the woman he was going to marry. And he did. The rest, as they say, is history.

I like seeing that worn building where it all started because it reminds me of God’s providence. Providence. I like that word. The wisdom, care and guidance believed to be provided by God. God Himself is guiding humankind.