MANILA, Philippines - At the 6th Festival Paris Cinema, where her latest film ?Caregiver? was screened, Sharon Cuneta juggled final exams (UP Open University) and movie premieres.
Upon coming home, more commitments awaited Mega, who is busy with her TV show ?Sharon,? endorsement deals (like Lucky Me! Instant Mami Noodles) and two new CDs with Sony BMG.
She is also celebrating her 30th anniversary in show biz next month with a twin treat?a concert at the Araneta Coliseum and a docu special on ABS-CBN.
Prior to her Paris trip early this month, though, she was able to go on a holiday with her husband, Sen. Francis ?Kiko? Pangilinan, and young daughters Frankie and Miel in Los Angeles.
Bonding time
?We visited Disneyland,? she reported. ?Frankie and Miel were very excited when we lined up to get Mickey Mouse?s autograph. When they met Mickey, they just kept jumping and hugging each other.?
The LA trip allowed Sharon to bond with her family for 10 uninterrupted days.
She said: ?I told Kiko, ?I?m so shallow. I can stay cooped up in our bedroom for a year and not mind anything at all?just as long as I have my DVDs and books.? The shoot for ?Caregiver? kept me away from them for almost half a year. That is definitely not right.?
Hard work
While shooting in London, she recounted that she would end the day crying on the phone with Kiko: ?I asked my husband: ?Is it okay for me to quit show biz?? I?d like to think I?ve already graduated [from hectic work skeds].?
When she sees eldest daughter KC busy with work, she said, it reminds her of her struggling days as a single mom, after separating from KC?s dad Gabby Concepcion.
?KC grew up watching me work that hard,? she pointed out.
She summed up one of the many lessons of her three decades in the biz. ?As a parent, you want your children to be well-equipped for life and reality. At the same time, you cannot shield them from pain. I guess, you have to give them freedom to commit mistakes because everyone needs to build a certain kind of strength that can only come from painful experiences.?
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