It started as just another Sunday morning at home. My little one was glued to the TV, watching Paw Patrol. Those adorable cartoon pups saving the day, one mission at a time. Chase, Marshall, Skye. No problem too big, no pup too small. If only life were that simple, right?

But while my son was cheering for his favorite pups, I was quietly watching something else. The news. And the news was not cute. Not animated. Not safe.

War has broken out again in the Middle East.

And my heart immediately went to our mga kababayan our OFWs. The Filipino workers who left their families, crossed oceans, and built lives in those distant lands just to send money home, to give their children a better future. Right now, many of them are there. Right in the middle of it.

I turned to my husband and, half laughing, half crying inside, I asked: “Nasaan na nga ba yung mga superheroes natin nung bata tayo? Power Rangers? Voltes V? Shaider? Saan na sila? Ngayon natin sila kailangan eh!”

He laughed. I laughed. But there was something real underneath that joke.

When we were young, we grew up believing that good always wins. That there is always a hero who shows up in the nick of time. That the bad guys get defeated. That justice is not just a word, it’s a guarantee. Those Saturday morning cartoons, those afternoon tokusatsu shows, they made us believe in something bigger than ourselves.

Now we are the adults. We are the parents. And the world does not feel like a cartoon anymore. The villains are real. The stakes are real. And the heroes? They don’t wear spandex. They wear scrubs, or hard hats, or barong Tagalog, or nothing at all. Just their courage and their love for their families.

Because here’s what I’ve realized the superheroes didn’t disappear. They just grew up and became our OFWs. They became the nurses in Riyadh, the construction workers in Dubai, the domestic helpers in Kuwait. They fight a different kind of battle every single day, far from home, missing birthdays and Christmases and first steps and graduations.

And then back here at home, we have our own battles. The political chaos, the noise, the uncertainty. Some days it feels like we are in the middle of a storm with no calm in sight. And yet, somehow Filipinos keep going. We joke. We pray. We share food. We take care of each other. Ganyan tayo.

I looked at my son, still watching Paw Patrol, still believing in a world where puppies can save the day. And instead of feeling sad, I felt something like determination. I want to protect that belief in him for as long as I can. I want him to grow up knowing that good people exist. That helping others matters. That being brave is not about being fearless, it’s about showing up anyway.

Maybe that’s what we can do right now, in our own small ways. Pray for our OFWs abroad. Check on the DFA and OWWA advisories if you have loved ones in affected areas. Share information. Donate if you can. And hold your family a little tighter today.

The Power Rangers may not be coming. Voltes V’s parents may still be out in space somewhere. But we have each other. And sometimes, that is more than enough.