japo and i were watching the news earlier and ex-COMELEC Chairman B. Abalos had a press conference, announcing his resignation. his wife and children, together with his staff, were all there. his wife told the reporters that they, his family, knew Abalos more than anyone else.. and that he would never do the “bad things” connecting him to the NBN deal. all bullcrap, i think.. but what got me all worked up was what Abalos’ wife said.

i just do not and cannot agree that one’s family knows a person best.

they would want the best for you and support you all the way, BUT they only know the you that they want to think you are. the unconditional love that comes with being family is a handicap in knowing someone very well. you can wreck the neighbor’s car in one of your “dark moments”, and your parents would try their best to make it seem that the car got in your way. everything is justified. everything can be forgiven.

some of my friends know me better than my parents. japo knows me better than my sister does. but then japo is almost family and he is also lenient, to some extent, with some of my short-comings.

my point is that noone can really say or claim that the way they know a certain person is that certain person’s true self. it is because ALL of the people who were, in one way or another, in that person’s life knows only a part of him. some know more parts than others.. but never the whole package.