And so it begins. All 26 of them arrived safely in a sun destination of blue skies with this blinding ball of light intense glare. Soak it in while they can.
It’s an all-included resort. Food and alcohol are flowing. Heaven and hell in one package. Videos and photos are shared amongst the family left behind. The family is thrilled to see that they are having a good time.
I went to bed saying my usual soliloquy: “Lord, protect them. Amen.”
Woke up this morning, still sleepy, glaring at my iPhone with a message from my sister.
“Boy, I had a nightmare last night/ too much tequila lol! Slept walked and saw a person coming into the room. I crawled out of bed and I thought I was at home and crawled towards Angel (which I thought was the door), touched Angel (and thought was a dead body), I screamed, Rachel screamed and Angel woke up. Crazy.”
At 6:20 am on January 19, 2023. he went to eternal rest with his maker carrying him to the end and beyond.
Love is based on an intrinsic human quality that one has to help out in times of need. Valor is the by-product of love; the love for humanity to help those who are in need.
Jesus Gonzalez, left, now 76, is reunited with James Carrington, right, at the Ormond Nursing and Care Center in Destrehan on Monday for the first time since saving his life in 1944.
This is a bitter sweet reunion between the two friends. Mr. Gonzales is right it’s a dream come true! I shed a tear to their reunion knowing that this kind of situation rarely happen in real life.
Worship by Emma Bonazzi painter and illustrator (1881-1959)
The grandkids were all excited that the Three Kings are coming following Christmas. It means they will get extra gifts. Gifts not under the Christmas tree but in your shoes.
Bring out the shoes and line them up by the doorway, stairs or window.
We follow this tradition and hand it down the generations celebrating the last day of Christmas.
“We three kings of Orient are; bearing gifts we traverse afar, field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.”
I have so many nephews and nieces that it’s difficult to choose a favourite. So, when one of them asks me who my favourite child is, I whisper to his or her ear, “You are. Keep it a secret. Your cousins will be jealous.”
London
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
We have in a state of being anxious, happy and excited about something upcoming anticipating when someone is coming. We are thrilled and looking forward for the first time. … My nephew waited with great anticipation for Thanksgiving to arrive. Thanksgiving came 2 days ahead.
A photo taken 33 years ago in Manila reminds me how sad and brave my grandmothers were as they bid us farewell for our journey to Vancouver. After final blessings, embraces, and tears, we boarded the plane with suitcases crammed full of everything we could bring from our old life. Everything except my cherished umbrella which we had somehow neglected to pack. I loved that umbrella the way other four-year-olds treasure dolls or teddy bears. My new friends were mystified by my broken spirit and broken English. I did not know the word for umbrella. “My payong, my payong.” I repeated woefully. I wanted the umbrella that had sheltered me from the hot sun.
I wanted to escape this strange place where umbrellas held the wind and rain at bay. As I got older the memory of my umbrella drizzled away. I planned my getaway: Paris, Tel Aviv, New Delhi … even Toronto. Anywhere but rainy, boring Vancouver. Like my parents, I sought a better life elsewhere. Unlike them, elsewhere left me disappointed. I yearned for the seawall and for Granville Island and salad rolls. In my homesick mind, I heard the seagulls at Kits Beach, and breathed in the deep green peace of a day spent at UBC. I longed to smell the cedar tree in the backyard of my childhood in Marpole, and to taste the vegetables my parents tend there. I ached for Vancouver.
Today, I show the photo, taken all those years and countless lost umbrellas ago, to my husband and children. I will leave umbrellas behind, but I don’t forget where I have been or how far I traveled to get here. Once it was a distant destination promised in a photograph. Now it is the place I love and call home. ~ Bernadette Gonzales McGrath
The story of Bernadette is in two places. One in Marpole, close to where she used to live, attached to a lamp-post. The second is a monumental rock where each word is cast in stone, at Queen Elizabeth Park, a forever chiseled story cast in stone. A masterpiece.
Today is Winter Solstice marks the beginning of winter. It is the shortest day that celebrates light triumphing over darkness, and as the day ends, we prepare for a new year.
In 2018, we welcomed the winter solstice at Stonehenge, UK. We said goodbye to long days of darkness and rejoice in the coming of Christmas.
Lights of Hope
Let there be Light of Hope is the message of St. Paul’s Hospital Church. It’s the time of year that we remind the Star of Bethlehem shone brightly to light up the path for the three wise men. This year, the Star of Bethlehem will be visible on the horizon. Jupiter and Saturn will align in the night sky on Dec. 21, also referred to as the “Christmas Star” — marking the planets’ closest encounter in nearly 400 years. The two planets may appear as a bright light point that will be easily visible in the night sky.
Christmas Decorations
Every year, my sister sets up Christmas decorations for the children equipped with Santa’s workshop, electric train, angels, snow, christmas carols. Here’s little Jimmie is so proud to show off his twinkle toes.
Little born Henrik
To see a baby snuggly ensconced with a knitted baby blanket smiling in his sleep is the centerpiece that makes the Christmas atmosphere peaceful. But in reality, we were all gogo-gaga around Henrik, making noises to wake him so that we can all take turns to carry and play with him.
We are a family
Family: A crazy bunch of people who deeply care for each other, who live, laugh, forgive, dance and love together.
Mother
I think this is the last Christmas photo of my mother. Christmas for us is all about celebrating the birth of Infant Jesus.
Susan Hauck at the Church of Nativity, Holy Land
My sister is a Jesus freak in a good way. Here she is at the Church of Nativity carrying Infant Jesus. She managed to have her photo taken before the guardian of the church said to the crowd that the statue is off-limits to visitors. Too funny, that she was the only one who got away with holding the infant. When it comes to telling me the story, it’s really difficult for her to share stories of miracles about her experiences as a servant of Infant Jesus.
The center of the holiday season in my family is Christ-mas. It’s all about the birth of Jesus whether we lose faith, we always return to Him.
On Christmas, we gather around telling tales, jokes, memories, eating, drinking, singing. There is one great story of my sister Susan on lost and found.
One thing that I find miraculous is when I lost my mini statue in Mexico in 1997. While in Mexico, I went to church daily and prayed to Our Lady of Guadalupe that I want my Baby Jesus back. I was so heartbroken leaving Mexico without him. Many years passed, in 1999, my friend contacted me if I am interested in receiving bales of clothing coming from Montreal for free. My first thought was it would be great to sell them for fundraising to pay for Novena booklets’ production. So I accepted 19 bales of clothing. I discovered when I opened the bales, they were second-hand clothing and not brand new. I was disappointed, left the clothes for three months, and did not do anything about them. My daughter and her friends opened two bales just for fun to check them out. My daughter found some clothing for her and left it on the kitchen table. I moved the clothes to another area of the house, and something fell off. It was a mini statue of the Infant, and I just put it with the rest of my alter. This happened on Holy Thursday. On Easter Sunday morning, I was praying the rosary. When I reached the 4th mystery, The Presentation of Child Jesus at the Temple, I heard a voice: “I came back to you.” I ignored it and returned to my prayers. As I recited the 5th Joyful Mystery, “Finding Jesus in the Temple,” I heard the voice again: “I came back to you. Remember, you’ve lost me?” When I listened to this, I remembered the statue that fell off from the clothing, and I quickly went down to look at it. When I honestly look at the figure, my Baby Jesus I lost in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, three years ago. I checked all the clothing tags to appease me, and it said: “Made in Mexico.” With the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Baby Jesus came back to me.
Christmas 2019
From my family to yours, we wish everyone a Blessed Christmas. We made it this far!
Listening to my elders, sharing their war stories fascinates me. I enjoy knowing the gory details and understanding how they came to live a full life after the war. My Uncle “Tito Jess” is the best story-teller ever. In my … Continue reading →
”No one is ever born into life alone. Everyone has shared the bond of family, at least at birth, and for many people, it is a bond that will follow them throughout life. For many people, it is the most essential bond of all.”
I was lucky enough to have in my life a family filled with love, compassion, acceptance, and tolerance. I am what I am as a direct result of a family life where belonging is imperative. It is gratifying to my health and one of the reasons why I am still alive. Without my family’s caring nature, I cannot conceive living alone.
Reflection 25 years ago
When I was younger, I tagged along with my sister, her husband, and two boys. Have a van, and we travelled anywhere. I was more than welcome to join since I can chop woods and carry water on top of being a babysitter. Stopping on a pristine crystal clear rocky river bed to cool off on the way to the campground is always part of the fun.
Reflection of my 17-year-old nephew
I used to drive the children around and take them on a field trip. Sometimes, I am the one that takes them out for the weekend of cub scouts or brings the boys along on a camping trip without the parents. Yes, they trusted me with their children. Trust is essential.
Years flew by, and I am the one being driven around by their fifth child. Making a short conversation so that I don’t distract him while driving, I asked: “Aren’t you much too young to drive as a sixteen-year-old?” He quickly exclaimed: “I’m seventeen years old!” “Oh, pardon me, young man,” I responded. His father beside him was chuckling while he teaches his son to drive. No, I wasn’t scared of a young person driving me home. I trust him.
Reflection of a one and half-year-old child
Life is all about the play when I am with my sister’s grandson. At his age, everything is magical, even playing hide and seek behind a jug of water. ROAR, he screamed as he was trying to scare me with his dinosaur sound.
Through thick and thin, our family will pass the bonding to the younger generation. I am hopeful that we have shown them the importance of forming an intimate family unit as a cornerstone of our existence.
On this day, the third Monday of February, in the province of British Columbia, Canada; we are celebrating the family day. In Canada, I realized that there are so many meanings of what a family is to them. I noticed … Continue reading →
It is such a fantastic campsite that they look forward to spending the week together every year. It’s a tradition that we started when the children were younger. This area is surrounded by mountains, lakes and trees. All five elements: … Continue reading →
SO when the kids finished their higher learning, feeling all grown up, want to be independent, get a job and have an actual relationship outside their home. Two got married, two playing house with their partners, one living close to campus … Continue reading →
I have to ask the QOTD on my Facebook. “Who’s birthday is it today?” I am having a senior moment. Thank goodness, someone in my family has more memory than I do. My oldest sibling Myrna is turning a year … Continue reading →
I could send him a birthday card today, but instead, I will feature him in Daily Inklings. Besides, the best way I could get his attention is on Facebook and sticking my head out from my balcony and see if he … Continue reading →
Meanwhile, in Canada, a bulletin board: Parents, tag you’re it! Love Teachers. We have a teacher in our family, and she is coming home for the summer. Warning: Parents, aunties, uncles, and cousins, watch out, our lovely teacher is coming … Continue reading →
She’s all smiles. Always. I remember her. Always. She doesn’t remember us. Anymore. But we remember her. Always. A song: When you’re smiling, when you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you.
STORYTIME This game made me relive my childhood. Ocarina Of Time was the first video game I was ever introduced to when I was 4 years old by my dad. My dad used to do graveyard shifts at … Continue reading →
I like getting older. The increasing aches, pains, memory failures—sure, I could do without those. But as for the actual adventure of aging, in and of itself? It’s a good one. Skeptical? Ask anyone who might not have the chance. … Continue reading →
A year ago, I wrote a letter to my nephews and nieces. Did not share it with them. This week, I decided to share it on my Facebook. In Facebook, my fans are my family, and the feedback from them … Continue reading →
Just for today, I will have a quiet half-hour to relax alone. During this time I will reflect on my behavior and will get a better perspective on my life. A year in review of photos with Code of … Continue reading →
Just for today, I will be happy. Abraham Lincoln said, “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” He was right. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. I will chase … Continue reading →
Such a lovely room of the baby. A serene place just to look at all the decoration and will pacify the mind of a crying baby wanting to suckle the breast for milk and feel the bosom of the mother. … Continue reading →
HA!!! Really??? Yes, you are … Yes, you are Look who’s talking weird? We are weird. Jealous? Hey, let me be part of the picture. I love being weird 🙂 Window of John Fluevog shoe store in Victoria, BC Canada
We have kinsman in our family whose name cannot be named. This is how I would like to start the story of our generation. Or better yet: Why have I found favour in your sight that you should take notice … Continue reading →
In Twitter, the people that I connect with are interested in finding facts. And rightly so, they are politically inclined. They are very much into this world. It is what it is, so they say and then they improve on … Continue reading →
They say dogs love you, cats own you. Maybe so. Cats are just as loving as dogs. They are love, oozing with so much love to give and receive. With their love, we become captives. I had two cats, Maurice … Continue reading →
The Empty Chair spoken by Tyrone Siglos for Josh Siglos So strange to hear this spoken at the church service tonight. Beside my bed is an empty chair. Lucy my cat and I were in bed, suddenly something fell from the … Continue reading →
Joshua came into her dream. In a grocery store, I was trying to reach a 2 litter Dr. Pepper from the top shelf. A hand came from behind me and said “I gotcha mum”. It was Josh. He told me … Continue reading →
THERE ARE TWO WAYS of remembering. One is to make an excursion from the living present back into the dead past. The old sock remembers how things used to be when you and I were young. The faraway look in his eyes is partly the beer and partly that he’s really far away.
The other way is to summon the dead past back into the living present. The young widow remembers her husband, and he is there beside her.
When Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me,” (1 Corinthians 11:24) he was not prescribing a periodic slug of nostalgia.
Do you smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa? Or is this your way to hide a broken heart? Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep They just lie there and they die there
Last night, my family and I were looking at Josh’s photo and I said, he has that certain smile. A Mona Lisa’s smile.
Is his smile happy or sad? I would like to think that his smile is unequivocally happy. It’s not rocket science. Being surrounded by his family loving him to bits and unconditionally, of course, he is happy.
Even his eyes, the eyes will follow us no matter where we are in the room. A gaze that will make you wonder, what is he thinking? Again, happy or crappy thoughts? His thought is brilliant, a gifted mind.
We wish he is here with us to ask him: Hey Josh, what do you think of your photo? What is the meaning of your smile?
The answer will remain a mystery, more mysterious than Mona Lisa.
Josh Siglos died at a young age of 31 on April 28, 2017.
Who would know where life would take you. We make plans, we check it twice, we cross our t’s and dot our i’s, we invest all our energy and yet, we could never be sure. My mother said many times … Continue reading →
Just what I need. After mass one Sunday, a little boy unexpectedly announced to his mom, “Mom, I’ve decided to become a priest when I grow up.” “That’s ok with us if you want to do that,” she said, “but … Continue reading →
They look so handsome wearing suit and tie to serve their mom, Lorena. Lorena’s three sons wore a rose boutonniere and white gloves as pallbearers to bring her casket to the church, then back to the funeral parlor for the … Continue reading →
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, Silence the pianos and with muffled drum Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come. ~ W H Auden Did your mom give … Continue reading →
Losing a mother is a pain that cannot be described in words. It is impossible to move on from the memory of losing the woman who sacrificed happiness in her own life so that you could have a better one. … Continue reading →
We have just finished our third night of prayer for our dearly beloved, Lorena when her sister’s mother-in-law followed Lorena’s footsteps. Now, we have to remember the mother-in-law in our prayers as well. Tonight will be the sixth evening that is extra … Continue reading →
With heightened awareness on the growing tension crossing the border to USA, we make sure that we bring all proper identification. Canadian passport might not be enough because our passport states our country of origin, Philippines. Should we ever get … Continue reading →
He was willing to bare all if even one person could relate to any part of his story and find strength in their family and friends, but most importantly within themselves. – Repurpose a story.
Safe. I felt safe being there. Stay. The ward is a lock-down facility to keep me safe. Mind. I didn’t mind the least bit. I don’t know where to go; don’t know where to stay. When in doubt, do nothing. Minding what is safe, I stayed, for a while.
The ward is equipped with TV, funny magazines, pool table, jigsaw puzzles, coloring books; items to keep me amused or occupied but none of these interest me. So I sat on the floor at the end of the long corridor looking out through the glass door. Here alone I played Tetris, read CareNotes and rolled the prayer beads with my fingers.
Tetris, a gift from my sister Poteet. A game she took away from my nephews. As I recall, the new computer game was causing problems that the boys were glued to it and neglecting to go outside to play the real stuff. I don’t like any kind of computer programs. I was once a computer geek in my younger days writing programs, test programs and application. It drove me crazy trying to solve someone’s programming that has no logic. But Tetris became a real stuff for me inside the ward. It helped me focus. It helped me solve problems. It helped me shape and organized my mind objectively. It helped rewire, build blocks and expand the plasticity of my brain.
CareNotes is all I can find at the Chaplain’s office. The Chaplin’s office is always closed. Never saw him, never met him, and never talked to him. The notes hang outside his office. I know he came around when there are new CareNotes. I collected them all. Dealing With Suicidal Feelings, Climbing Up From Depression, Believing in Your Own Inner Goodness, Finding Strength to Survive a Crisis or Tragedy, Making Sense Out of Suffering, Bearing the Special Grief of Suicide, Easing the Burden of Stress, Encountering Midlife, Emerging Renewed, Finding God in Pain or Illness, Walking with God Through Grief and Loss, Letting Tears Bring Healing and Renewal. CareNotes is an endless resource giving meaning to my question “Why Me?” Now, these CareNotes are my bathroom companion, at home. Good reads not just for me but as well as anyone that uses the toilet.
Prayer Beads enclosed came in a card from my other sister and she wrote: April 5, 1992. Dearest Lady, A priest in Toronto who cares deeply is giving you his personal rosary. This has been blessed and carries with it his own prayers for your well-being and that you will find it in you to pray the rosary. Lady, believe in the power of the rosary and you will be fully alive again. Love and prayers, always. Thelma.
I did not pray the rosary. I do not know how to pray, then. I carried it with me, though. I clutch it when I go to bed, never let it go. Should I wake up in the middle of the night with no prayer beads on my hand, I panic. Searching for it in the darkroom, the beads glow in the dark and with a sigh of relief of finding it, I kissed the cross and went back to sleep. The rosary is now gone; I don’t know how I lost it. But I still go to bed with a rosary on my hand. Can’t sleep without it just like a child with a teddy bear to snuggle with to have a goodnight sleep.
My family reads my blog and provides me articles in relation to the topic that I write. My sister Carmen sent me a Report on Business at the Globe and Mail about ‘Irv’. Irv and I share a common ground: Mental Illness.
It has been a long week of Let’s Talk. Stay well and be well, Perpetua.
Hi Kids, Before you make up stories about me, I want to set the records straight that I am not really crazy as you think. Crazy enough that you guys had so much fun being with me doing all the … Continue reading →
Cats have the ability to bounce back as if nothing ever bad happened to them especially when it comes to wrapping papers, bows and newspapers. It’s pretty hard to keep them away and start preparing the presents for Christmas. One … Continue reading →
Looking for a perfect card that will match the person’s personality can be a challenge especially for my sister who never ever change. She epitomizes the word sameness. That is, the same hair style for all those years.
She wears her hair on a bun!
Her hair is naturally long and black. Lucky person, no white hair for a 70-year-old. Unlike me, my hair is arctic white. I must have received all the white genes in our family.
As for a birthday card, we found the perfect image of her.
I kid you not, when we were younger, we ‘teased’ her hair to create a beehive.
When I was a tiny girl, everyone looks gigantic. But this story is not about me. The story started when I was a tiny girl watching my sister sew clothes for a living. I remember she kept a little statuette tucked … Continue reading →
I told my sisters not to shop on their trip to Holy Land and pay more attention to the real purpose of their pilgrimage: to walk where Jesus walked. So, instead, they sent me a photo of what they could … Continue reading →
It started with an invitation for dinner at a Chinese restaurant, then another invitation for breakfast the following day. And then… At my age, my diet is becoming simpler, mostly boiled, broiled or baked. Also late night dinners are iffy … Continue reading →
Children have never been good at listening to their parents, but they have never failed to imitate them. – John Medina Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five Be careful.
To lose a pet always comes with anguish. You wake up everyday and there they are. It becomes so much like breathing you can’t imagine them not ever being there. They ask so little of us food, water, love and … Continue reading →
My family used to have a habit of asking me why am I still single. Being asked so much, I learned to be creative with my responses to these inquisition. Now, it’s rare they question my status. Rare
What do simple folks do? We are simple folks that have strong family values. We are community oriented. We live nice quiet lives devoid of drama in comparison to humans in People Magazine or Entertainment Tonight or Camelot. Every year, … Continue reading →
My niece is a professional baker. She found a prodigy, little Jimmie, to take over her profession. Got to start them young, you know. Cupcake is Jimmie’s all time favorite with icing and M&M’s on top. Jimmie’s main instruction was … Continue reading →
My early morning solitary walk at Harrison Hot Springs, I saw a man and his dog walking on the boardwalk by the lake. A tinge of sorrow and envy came into my sense when here I am away from own … Continue reading →
Today is the day. Finally! The moment we have waited for. Pure Joy. Andrea Joy, AJ for short. Addition to the Faculty of Education Minor Elementary A teacher in our family. The Joy of all Joys!
The word for the day is ideate in Miriam-Webster dictionary. Looking at the word, breaking it down to syllables and think about it to form what it means in my head first is the game I play without jumping into the meaning. I … Continue reading →
We are a family of 13 and we are Catholic. I happen to be the tenth in line and drop in the bucket in Catholic community. As a younger sister, the rule is to listen to your elders. be respectful and … Continue reading →
To keep the younger generations interested what was ‘Then’, we hanged our dirty laundry for show and tell. Now, they are so tickled to see what was then. Good times, good times. https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/now
Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman: these are just a few superheroes the children want to be when they grow up. As adults, we show them they are the symbol of victory, the one who will save us, to serve and protect … Continue reading →
So friends… Every day do something that can’t compute. (Live off the grid.) Love the Lord. (Love Yourself.) Love the World. (Love all things great … Continue reading →
Nothing can dampen our enthusiasm even an overcast day as we waited in anticipation what the sky has to offer us. Would it be rain or Air show? It was the best time to be had with the children. On … Continue reading →
Arithmetically, two halves make one. But when it comes to relationships, one has to be a whole person before uniting as one. This is a photo of a newly wed. This is a photo of a married couple renewing their … Continue reading →
And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles, no matter how long, but only by a spiritual journey, a journey of one inch, very arduous and humbling and joyful, by which we arrive at the ground at … Continue reading →
Tattooed on his left hip is roman numeral XIII. At age seventeen, he had this number permanently inked on his birthday suit. It is meaningful to him because it was at that age the bullying at school stopped. Growing up, … Continue reading →
Look Miss Pretty, me and my GG (gorgeous grandma) are beautiful colourful flowers, said baby Jimmy as I took photos of them under the Holy Garden. And what colour are you as a boy? I asked. Blue, I am blue. Blue … Continue reading →
It’s great to be ordinary. With all the blogs I posted, ordinary is on the top of the list. Therefore, I will bring them back to life. to make the most of time, to “just be,” and that I am … Continue reading →
Every day, I receive at least three e-mail breaking news alert from New York Times. This kind of news means a broken world. I simply read the headline and carry on with my simple life. But when different breaking news … Continue reading →
Red, white and blue Stars over you Mama said Papa said You will make it through. So proud that he finished his degree carrying his newborn son on the podium and holding his diploma. “Enveloped” with pride? Who wouldn’t be?
Day 1: Maurice woke me up, breathing on my face and meowing. Startled and looked at the time, it was 4:01 pm in the afternoon. Everything was foggy since I went to bed delirious from having the ferocious flu bug, … Continue reading →
I really do not know much about Mother. My siblings have asked her numerous times to write her story. If she can’t write maybe, she can record her memoir. They gave her a recorder. Thinking that she might do it, … Continue reading →
Because we are girls Father wants us to stay home Because we are girls Mother wants us to be free Because we are girls Father does not want us to go to school Because we are girls Mother wants us to … Continue reading →
Pink is about acceptance. Pink is about safety. SAFE KIDS: “Schools play an important role in helping children and youth develop this essential aspect of their social development – both by teaching healthy relationship skills and by modeling healthy relationship … Continue reading →
When it comes to children, I try to keep the quiet promises I made to myself and not let them know. I promised that I will post this video and today is the day. A Charlie Brown Christmas music played … Continue reading →
Listening to my elders, sharing their war stories fascinates me. I enjoy knowing the gory details and understanding how they came to live a full life after the war. My Uncle “Tito Jess” is the best story-teller ever. In my … Continue reading →
Let’s pretend we’re riding on a kite. Let’s imagine we’re flying through the air! We’ll ascend until we’re out of sight. Light as paper, we’ll soar! Let’s be wild, up high above the sand, feel the wind, the world at … Continue reading →
Thanksgiving celebration feels like Christmas and Easter to me. It’s the sharing, giving and gratitude. Where I came from, Philippines, it’s not part of a tradition since every day is Thanksgiving Day. Now that we are in Canada, we embrace … Continue reading →
The birthday of my nephew who turned 25 years old this month of October and the demise of his friend took me back 23 years ago on Easter. This is a photo of my nephews and nieces I keep close to my heart as a reminder how far I have gone along in my journey of “mental” illness. We had more children added to this group since then.
Being released from the hospital on Easter, it was a great celebration but short-lived, I relapsed quickly. My family admitted me back to the hospital and stayed for a long time to make sure I get better. It was April fools and the joke was on me.
Some people are cruel that they are hasty calling me crazy. My response to this is “you have no idea” followed by a sinister laugh and facial expression similar to “one flew over the cuckoo’s nest” that I mastered to scare the living bejesus out of them for labelling me.
When they are too quick to judge, I fire back with a retort “take a hard look at yourself!” A statement that gives them something to think about.
Stigma? That is not in my vocabulary and I refuse to feel victimized.
Crazy as I may sound, I think being afflicted with this “mental illness” is a “blessing”.
I am blessed because I learned humility, compassion, love, kindness, tolerance, respect, perseverance, understanding, recovery, patience, hopeful, peace, joy, live at the moment and enjoying the in-between.
I learned to become thick skin and have broad shoulder. I used this “illness” to my advantage. I am aware that I will have this for the rest of my life, a part of me but it does not define me.
I am lucky that the medical professions that treated me are more knowledgeable about this illness. Even the school industry is educating the children and employers are actively promoting wellness in the work environment.
I simplified my life, focus on the ordinary, and make them extraordinary.
I can educate and advocate for young ones in my family and people in the community that no one has to live alone with a disease that is hereditary or caused by adversity in life.
With care, love and prayers of family, friends and community. I have the courage to come back and live a normal life.
Should I have succeeded on dying, I will not experience the joy of watching these children grow up, get married and have their own children. To hear Baby James call me Miss Pretty is music to my ears and the best medicine to provide relief to sadness.
Do I sound arrogant? That is not my intention. It’s pointless to wallow on self-pity and negativity. There’s plenty of that going around and it’s more contagious than a common cold.
There is a positive point of view in every situation. One can maintain a joie de vivre rather than resign to c’est la vie.
Coming from a big family, in part, I would think that I can get away from people during a pilgrimage. Wrong. What I experience is a sea of humanity. We all have this desire to belong and to connect.
Ephesus
Lourdes
Mount Sinai
Jerusalem
Venice
After pouring our heart and soul to our devotion, we also have something in common that is totally different. Guess what? SHOPPING!
The Grand Bazaar – Turkey
and this is my family, in part.
Family Reunion
After all of these events, I spend a great deal of “me” time.
Totem Pole Mother is the Beaver because she is hardworking, looking after the children, cooking, cleaning and everything else. Little sister is the loon because she goes up to her room and reads all by herself. Sometimes she goes … Continue reading →
“I want to be a paleontologist.” “A paleonto what?” “I love dinosaurs and I want to take care of them.” “Well, you love Barney, Bamm-Bamm and Dino in Flintstones. That’s only cartoons; besides dinosaurs are extinct. There are no more … Continue reading →
“Calvin: Dad where do babies come from?
Dad: Well Calvin, you simply go to Sears, buy the kit and follow the assembly instructions.
Calvin: I came from Sears?
Dad: No you were a blue-light special at K-Mart – almost as good and a lot cheaper!”
― Bill Watterson
There were many games we played, many songs I sang to lull you to sleep, ate gallons of ice cream and told the same stories over and over. We tickled each other, tricked one another to a pretend cry spell, … Continue reading →
Do you like to touch or do you like to be touch? Some people cannot help but touch. That’s just the way they were born. It just happened that we have one sweet person in our family that loves to … Continue reading →
Mother freaked out (again) because Son forgot (again) to turn in his homework on time and even missed some items. His homework grade score suffered as a result. So Father and Son had to talk. Immediately after the rather serious talk, … Continue reading →
Imagine that these are adopted
children and brought into
a loving home. They were given
food, shelter, education,
plenty of love to be had and
grew up happily. The only difference
is that their parents are in the same
sex relationship.
Moms, Dads, daughter, son.
Diversity!
Imagine that these two children have no
parents, unwanted, grew up on the street
and became a statistics.
Imagine!
“Heterosexism refers to the assumption that
all people are heterosexual and that
heterosexuality is superior and more
desirable than homosexuality.”
“Homophobia is the irrational fear and hatred
of homosexuals. Both of these are
perpetuated by negative stereotypes and are
dangerous to people and communities.”
“Mother’s Day is a personal, family and memorial day. It’s a celebration for sons and daughters; a thank offering for the blessings of good homes.
“Make Mother’s Day a family day of reunions, messages to the absent and the spirit of good will to all. It is a constructive movement emphasising the home as the highest inspiration of our individual and national lives. Mother’s Day is a day of sentiment — not sentimentality; a day for everybody, but is well named Mother’s Day, for where better can sentiment start?,”
Jarvis told the Miami Daily News in a heated interview in 1924 to make a stand defending Mother’s Day against turning it into a “hallmark” occasion.
If you hate the commercialism of Mother’s Day, then you’re not alone — in fact, you have the ideal person in your corner.
Anna Jarvis, the founder of Mother’s Day, hated it too.
The American woman who single-handedly worked to make Mother’s Day a national holiday was reportedly so disgusted to hear that a department store was having a Mother’s Day sale that she threw her lunch on the floor. Jarvis then dedicated her life to disbanding the day she spent six years campaigning Congress for.
Jarvis’ original intention was that Mother’s Day would be a day to honor the sacrifices women made for their families.
Not just the writing,here.
Well done with your presence,
not just physically present,
but attentive, spiritually present.
The awareness of “the now”,
and the awareness of the “Then” …
The “Then when Mary said Yes.
Have you ever heard people talking about the “here-and-now”?
It is a good concept to work with in the counseling context.
But its not the only context.
We have to look at the “then”,
and we need to look at the “Then”.
Thank you, Mr. T for knowing the real message behind the post here.
“Make Mother’s Day a family day of reunions, messages to the absent and the spirit of good will to all. It is a constructive movement emphasising the home as the highest inspiration of our individual and national lives. Mother’s Day is a day of sentiment — not sentimentality; a day for everybody, but is well named Mother’s Day, for where better can sentiment start?,”
Reflections 