Para sa Araw ng mga Nanay

Bukas ay Mother's Day. Sabi noon ng kaibigan ko, commercialization lamang ito. Maaring tama sya pero tama rin naman na kahit isang araw lamang sa loob ng isang taon pansinin natin at i-pokus ang atensyon sa mga dakila nating Nanay. Sayang nga lamang at wala na akong nanay ng ma-uso ang selebrasyong ito.

Naulila ako sa ina sa edad na labing-tatlo. Hindi na nya inabot na ako ay maging ganap na dalaga. Mahirap lumaki na walang ina. May mga pagkakataon na nagkakasakit ako, sya pa rin ang tinatawag ko. Kapag may mga kailangan ako sa school noon kagaya ng mga supplies nahihiya akong humingi sa kapatid ko. Hindi ako makasali sa mga extra curricular activities kahit gusto ko dahil alam ko na may kasama itong mga dagdag gastos.

Si Ate Susan ang nagtaguyod sa aming dalawa ni Phen. Working student sya. May trabaho sa gobyerno at estudyante sa gabi. Sagot nya lahat gastusin sa bahay pati na allowances at gamit namin sa eskwela. Alam ko ang hirap at sakripisyo nya kaya kahit gapok na ang nag-iisa kong uniporme hindi ako humingi ng dagdag. Kaya noong huling taon ko sa school, dahil sa marupok na ito, sumabit lang sa pinto sobrang napunit ito sa school. :-)

Kaya sa inyo na may mga ina na kasama nyo ngayon at nabubuhay pa, show them your love and affection. Thank her for all the things that she did for you. Hindi kayang tawaran ang mga sakripisyo at pagod na inilaan nya para sa pamilya . Magpasalamat kayo at nandyan pa sya para i-comfort kayo sa panahon na down kayo or may problema. Pasalamat din kayo sa mga pagkakataon na kasama nyo sya sa mga celebrations ng mga achievements at milestones ng inyong pamilya. At para sa mga katulad ko na maagang nawalan ng ina...

...Ang araw na ito para rin sa mga kapatid, tita at lola na nag-aruga at nagtaguyod sa mga na-ulila sa ina. Hindi namin mararating ang kinalalagyan namin ngayon kung wala kayo.

Kay Ate Susan, thank you! Hindi ko alam if it's your destiny to be single at your age o ito ang naging resulta ng pagiging Ina mo sa amin. Utang na loob ko sa iyo kung ano man ang narating ko sa buhay. Mabuhay ka!

TV, radyo at mga bagong balita

Nakakaloka namang manood ng TV ngayon. Kalimitan sa mga plot ay kabitan at palitan ng mga asawa o boyfriend/girlfiend. Kung noong mga nakaraan ay amnesia at palitan ng mga anak ang uso, ito naman ngayon.

Manood at makinig ka ng balita wagas na mga barilan, patayan at banggaan sa kalsada ang meron. Dagdag pa ang bangayan ng mga senador sa may favoritism na X'mas gift. Mabuti pa noong last months ng 2012 at least may laman ang mga balita. Debate sa RH bill, sa sin tax law, sa cyber-crime law at sa plagiarism :-). Aminin nyo, kahit papano may natutunan tayo sa mga debate at trending topics na ito.

Pero dahil sa eto ang balita ngayon, dito tayo!

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/342415/lontok-companion-killed-in-cold-blood-witnesses

Aba'y marami ng taga-Batangas ang nadali dahil sa barilang ito. Ang nakakaloka naka-witness lang ng re-enactment ang DOJ Secretary nagpahayag na ng conclusion sa radyo. Pano na ang result ng investigation? hahaha!!! Pasensya na po excited lang masyado ang Aling Leila.

Abangan na lang po natin ang mga susunod na kabanata.

Have a happy and cold weekend everyone!

Learnings of 2012 - II

(4) We celebrated our 20th anniversary last May. We invited new and old friends. Friends and colleagues who became part of our history as a couple. I was elated to hear "our story". We had a great time!

And with this, I learned that we don't have to wait for the 25th, 50th...to celebrate a milestone. To reach a year or two of marriage is an accomplishment, so celebrate. Having a baby, buying a new house, pre-school graduation of our kids, these are milestones...reasons to be merry and be grateful to Him.

(5) One thing good with these celebrations is sharing happy moments with relatives and friends. I realized that an older person just like me can be friends with younger generations. I learned that friendship transcends age group. It doesn't matter if you're in your 40's and they are in their 20's. As long as you understand each other then it's fine. Even if you sing songs of different era. hahaha...even if you don't see each other often, as long as you communicate...FB, text or e-mail, you'll be connected. Thanks to computer technology.

My "focal group" friends after our photoshoot in Kota Keluarga

Night out with BFF

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang

(6) I learned that traveling is so enriching. Travel if you can but with those you love. Nothing beats the happiness and adventure if we experience it with our friends and family.

with friends in Kuala Lumpur

(7) September and October were trying times for my husband's family as Inay was hospitalized and passed away. I learned that no matter how much we want our parents or any sick person to live, if it's their time to go, then it's goodbye. We need time to mourn, to grieve for our loss, but we also need to let go and move on.

Lahat ng buhay sa mundo ay may katapusan. Who are we to argue?

(8) Lastly, I realized that Christmas spent with family, wherever you celebrate it as long as you are together is the best. Last year was the first time we celebrated Christmas abroad . We were  in Hong Kong. Celebration there is not as festive as in our country but with us together, its wonderful!

With all these lessons I learned, I thank God for the blessings of life that He gave me and my family. These will be my "baon" or provision for this year. These will serve as my guide in my continuing journey. Welcome 2013!

Learnings from 2012

It's 2013 and before looking ahead to what's gonna happen this year, I looked back and reflected on what life has taught me in 2012.

(1) January 2012 was when I started working with MSPG, again. :-) I learned that if you know your craft, even if you stop practicing it in quite sometime, you will still remember the basics.

(2) February and March were exciting for me. I was enrolled in a photography class by my husband as a Christmas gift. Classes were on Saturdays. Hubby would take me to my class all the way from our house in the province which is a two-hour drive. That means waking up early to be in Manila for my 9AM class. I realized that if you want what you are doing, you'll have the energy for it. I also learned that I can still acquire new skills.

Some photos I got while on this class:

Photo of Mang Pido's hands busy working from Paete, Laguna.

Symbiosis

Vina in Motion blur

(3) My son, Andrei, turned 10 last February. We decided to have our weekend off by the beach or rather on Stilts in Calatagan, Batangas. It was a blast! I learned that a restful weekend(even just for a day)with your family can take away the stress and fatigue you have years ago. LOLs

@ Stilts, Calatagan, Batangas

                                                                 Sunset in Calatagan