Sharing Bob Arum's Pain
By Manny Piñol
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 04 Sep 2010
When Bob Arum, a Hall of Fame boxing promoter, abandoned the media tour of Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito to fly to Seattle following the reported disappearance of his lawyer-son, John, it was as if I felt his anguish and pain.
No, I did not have the pleasure of knowing or even meeting John Arum, an accomplished mountain climber and environmentalist, before he died in what was reported in the media as a tragic fall during a mountain climb a few days ago, for me to personally relate to his death.
But I had the opportunity of knowing Bob Arum when I was formally introduced to him by Manny Pacquiao in Los Angeles during the press conference of the Manny Pacquiao-David Diaz Lightweight Championship. And Bob came across as a father figure who literally embraced everybody he met like a father would do to a son.
When I read about the confirmation of John Arum's death, I wanted to write or even call Bob Arum to personally relay to him my sympathies, not only as member of the boxing fraternity, but more as a father who loves his children. But I just did not know how.
And so through this column, let me write this open letter to Bob Arum.
"Dear Bob,
"I and my family join you in your moment of grief. It would be too presumptuous for me to even guess how painful this tragedy is to you.
"But as a father who also has a young son, along with two daughters, I understand the bond between the father and his son and I am certain that this is the bond that existed between you and John as well.
"I can almost guess that in your deep thoughts, you must be asking yourself: Why did John fall in love with the environment and not the sport of boxing that I am deeply involved in?
"To give you an answer to that question, let me share with you Khalil Gibran's immortal work "The Prophet" where he wrote about the relationship between parents and their children.
"...Your children are not your children.
'They are the sons and daughters of life's longing for itself.
'They come through you but not from you,
'And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
'You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
'For they have their own thoughts.
'You may house their bodies but not their souls,
'For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
'You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
'For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
'The Archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
'Let your bending in the Archer's hand be for gladness;
'For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable'."
Be strong and stable Bob Arum.
Yours sincerely,
Manny Pinol
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Manny Piñol.
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