I’ve been seeing several posts on social media about #SunShorts, the series of short films produced by Sun Life Financial to commemorate Financial Independence Month, so I decided to look for and watch the films. This is actually the second series of #SunShorts videos, and I thought I’d share them here.

The first one, “Waves,” has supposedly gone viral. I was really surprised at the ending (and almost cried, actually!). Watch it below to find out why…

The second video, “She Said, She Said,” also tugged at my heartstrings. Watch it first then read on to find out why.

If you’re a regular reader of Truly Rich and Blessed, or follow my posts on  or , you probably already know this by now: While I advocate the “Truly Rich and Blessed” life and mention Our Faith and Our Relationships a lot as part of “the riches we already have,” our family is still far from being “truly rich” in the finances department.

Yes, we have stock investments and mutual fund investments (and are “mentored” via Bro. Bo Sanchez’s Truly Rich Club), but we still have A LOT to learn, and a loooong way to go.

So I guess that’s why the second #SunShorts video really struck a nerve with me. Mostly because (a) I know how hard it is to raise kids these days — what more if you’re a single mom like the one in the video?… and (b) I can sort of relate to the mom who feels like she isn’t doing things right, and isn’t spending enough time with her kids.

Yes, even if I work mostly from home and am with the kids almost all the time, I do tend to be “busy” with other things like chores and work-related tasks (or time-suckers like social media, ARGH!) — to the point that the kids feel “neglected” sometimes. And this is NOT what being “Truly Rich and Blessed” means at all. We need to be “truly rich” in all aspects of our lives, including our relationships and our finances.

But if you think my heart ached at “She Said, She Said,” you should definitely watch the last #SunShorts video below (get your tissues out!):

Sniff, sniff! Why, Sun Life, why?!

But seriously though, I really commend Sun Life for coming up with these videos that, in the words of fellow mom-who-advocates-the-richness-of-relationships Rose Fres Fausto, are all about “spreading financial awareness by tugging the heart of the emo Pinoy” (click the link to read her insightful article which features a conversation she had a few years ago with Sun Life Financial’s Chief Marketing Officer, Mylene Daez Lopa). 

We Filipinos do tend to be an “emo” bunch, and what better way to teach people about financial independence — or at least make them more aware of the need to take charge of their finances — than by tugging at their heartstrings, right? And what a beautiful reminder, too, to invest not just in our finances but also in our relationships!

So thank you, Sun Life Financial, for these #SunShorts! Thanks for reminding us to be “Truly Rich and Blessed” in all aspects of our lives! 🙂

If you want to watch more videos from Sun Life Financial, check out their . You can also get more information about Sun Life from their official website. If you want to talk to an actual Sun Life financial advisor, I highly recommend my friend and fellow “Truly Rich” life advocate, Joey Tayaban. You can get in touch with her via her website.