The Move

It has been exactly 18 days since we transferred to our new house. Our departure from our old place has been abrupt but with God's grace, everything is falling into place.

Looking back, house hunting has been a challenging and roller coaster ride. You will be engulfed with different emotions varying from excitement, to disappointment to exasperation. After 3 days of exhausting ourselves physically in trying to find a house, our prayers were answered as we were able to find a house that not only suits our budget but also fits our "space needs". Viola! A 3 bedroom house with 2 T&B and a covered 1 car garage in a small quiet ville where my kids could ride their bicycles without fear of being ran over by fast vehicles. And aside from the kitchen, it even has a small dirty kitchen & laundry area to boot. Each room receives ample natural lighting. A far cry from our old place wherein you would always need to turn on the lights even at daytime.

It was physically, emotionally & financially draining but then, the storm is over. Life goes on and everything is slowly returning back to its normal state. Each day that passes, I see my family adjusting and enjoying our new surroundings.

The people that caused our sudden transfer will forever carry in their hearts the guilt of their irrational & harsh behaviour when they displaced a family with 4 kids in the middle of the school year. But one thing I am sure of is that I, together with my family will happily move on to the next chapter of our lives full of hopes in our new found place we now call HOME.

Of Rains and Memories

For the first time since the start of summer, I did not have the fan pointed directly at me. It's raining and much as I hate getting wet, it is a clear and much welcome respite from the humidity that we all felt during the summer months. Last week was the start of the rainy season as what PAGASA (our weather bureau in Manila) said so we better brace ourselves for more rains, floods and more traffic.

Plants get their much needed water during the rainy season, the grass seems greener every time it rains, and we tend to be a in a slowdown mode during this season. While typing, it is both soothing & pleasant to hear the sound of the rain on my roof with a cup of coffee on my table.

One of my fondest memories of the rainy season is when my mom would whip up a hot chicken macaroni soup to match the weather. With a lot of milk and flaked chicken, I would blow it impatiently. The feel of the warm soup running in my throat is enough to quench a child's boredom in being confined indoors.

With my own family, I'm not a good cook as my mom was but we do have our own memories to share. When the lights are out because of a storm, we would all gather in the living room and take turns telling stories to keep us pre-occupied. With all the darkness surrounding us and with just a candle, scary stories become the fave topic among all. It may sound so simple but that simplicity itself makes it endearing as it makes us bond more to each other. The absence of the TV, radio or computer makes us break free from the distractions that hound us everyday.

Well, that goes for my rainy season memory bank. Care to share yours?

A Merge of Colors

Above is the picture of an opening decoration of the Landmark supermarket in Trinoma mall. It was so eye-catching that a lot of people stopped to admire it. The artist who did it was good since he was able to transform the simple balloons into a striking ornament.

The balloon decoration mixed in two shades of green and orange colors complemented everything, even the red background wall. It is similar to 2 people in a relationship having different personalities, beliefs and attitudes. No two persons are alike and this definitely makes us more interesting than our animal counterpart. Imagine the balloons all done in the same colors. Would it have been attractive? Striking? I don't think so. It would be bland and monotonous; the same way when two people living together have the same viewpoint and behavior.

Yes, there would be less friction, less conflict but it would definitely be dull, uninteresting and worst, mind-numbing. Our creator intended to have variety in His human creation. We have to believe that out of another person, one can learn and that the weakness of another person can be the strength of another. In the end, we may have different, sometimes opposing views but it adds flavor and spice to what we call LIFE.

Reminiscing Daddy

September 20 is a significant day for me. It was my dad’s birthday. He passed away a long time ago back in 1996. If there are words that could be linked to him, it would be discipline and temper. Discipline because he wants everything in order. Clutter irritates him so our house is spic and span. Neither can we have sleepovers with our friends or go home late at night.

My dad also had bursts of temper that we all feared. I never directly experienced his temper as compared to my brothers who would from time to time do some mischief. He had a bad temper that we all knew not to test or provoke it. It is this temperament that I think brought about his stroke. He survived 3 strokes mainly because of his willpower.

But today, on his birthday, I choose to remember my father not of his fiery disposition nor his being rigid but rather, his soft side that I knew and love. On the days when he was at home, I would sit comfortably on his lap. I would tag along with him whenever he went to the bank, park, movies or to his favorite restaurant.

As a child, I was sickly and would be in and out of the hospital. He would sit by my bedside when my mom was not around. He would give me hugs and kisses and assure me that everything will be alright when I am feverish. Thanks to his dedication in bringing me to a specialist all the way to Makati, my asthma was controlled even before I reached my teens. It could have gotten worse if the treatments were not consistent.

There was also this instance wherein I was 5 or 6 years old, he promised that he would buy me an ice cream the moment I got well. And he did buy me an ice cream the day that we left the hospital. On our way home, he stopped at an ice cream parlor, asked me to wait inside the car. When he came out, he had a big ice cream cone on his hand!

He sent us all to good private schools and provided well for our family. In my growing up years, I never experienced being deprived despite him being very frugal. We would always have new clothes and shoes for the holidays, new bags and uniforms at the start of the school year.

He instilled in me assertiveness and having my own opinions. He said I should learn how to drive when I grow up and should make my own money. He told us that having your own business is better than being an employee. He told me that every five years, there should be a positive change in myself.

My father has an influence as to who I am today. He may have had his unpleasant qualities but I know that he tried his best to do what is right for us. And for that, I thank him.

Slow Afternoons

What’s you favorite part of the day? For me, it’s the early afternoons wherein the house would be really quiet. Around this time of the day, only my youngest son, Aaron, is at home. Being 3 years old, he is the only one among the siblings not going to school yet.

My son & I pretty much have a routine during school days. We bring his older brother to preschool at 12 noon, back in the house by 12:30 pm then we eat lunch together. I then let him watch his favorite cartoon show of all time, Tom & Jerry, which lasts for 30 minutes then I make him take his afternoon nap.

With him sleeping, I have the house and my thoughts all by myself. I can easily finish reading the projects I have to submit or answer emails. If time permits and if my creativity cooperates, I also update my blog. But, if I am feeling lazy or nothing much to do, I cuddle with my toddler who looks so peaceful taking his afternoon respite.

Around 3pm, I wake him up so we can fetch his sister and brothers in school. He enjoys the car ride so much that I take him whenever possible.

Kinda simple, huh? Some may shrug it off, but for me, it is the reason why I do not want to be an employee again. I can’t do this if somebody else owns my time.

Wouldn’t exchange my slow afternoons for anything.

A Hug for a Bad Day

Have you ever had a bad day? A day wherein everything seems to go wrong? I did and it was a relief when the day was finally over. Just like when you have a bad cold and a warm chicken soup makes you feel better, a hug from someone dear to you can make you forget the bad things that transpired. It makes you appreciate the little things that we take forgranted and that life is still good.

So, when did you give someone you love a hug? Go ahead hug someone. That someone may just had a bad day.

The Baguio weekend getaway

Deciding to make use of the long weekend last week, we all went to Baguio together with my brother's family. It was a last minute decision to go because of the rainy weather. So Friday, night, I was running all over the house preparing the things to bring for the long trip.

Saturday 6am, we were all dressed up & ready to leave. The kids were all excited to spend the weekend there with their cousins. Seeing that the weather is okay, we trekked Kennon Road to save on time. We aimed to be in Baguio by noon.

The house we rented was new with 3 rooms. Two rooms has 2 beds each and the big room has 4 beds. It has hot water ( a must!), TV, ref, stove & gas & kitchen utensils. It even had a small balcony. It was conveniently located near SM Baguio.

Going to Baguio is already a yearly thing for us and even if we've been through this place a lot of times already, it still never fails to bring wonderful memories to the family. It managed to retain the beauty of its nature. The only complaint I have is the seemingly worsening air pollution coming from the public utility vehicles.

But in the end, it was a good R & R for the whole family. I'm sure my kids enjoyed it as much as we did.

Roots

August 21 was a marked date for us to attend a family reunion on my side. A reunion wherein all six of us siblings are complete seldom happens. Much as we would like to, our geographical locations plus commitment at work hinders us to see each other more often. So, yesterday was really a special day for us.

Packed with our own contributions for a potluck lunch till dinner party, we all headed to my sister's house in Bulacan. Everyone enjoyed the sumptuous feast complete with desserts and a little booze. The little kids played contentedly with one another while the teenagers hanged out watching DVD's and playing guitar. The reunion transpired with a lot of laughter and reminiscing our childhood days and our own dear parents.

It was good to spend the whole day with them. We all updated each other what is going on in our lives, reliving the old jokes and injecting new ones. You could see the changes that transpired in the months that we last saw each other. I'm sure all of us aged physically, with all of them using already reading glasses except for me since I am the youngest or a wisp of white hair now being seen.

There is something about seeing your siblings grow old. And we all grasp its meaning as we remind one another especially our older brothers to keep fit and stay healthy. But most of all, it is the realization that we have to exert more effort to see each other more often because we can not be here forever.

But aside from the physical changes, one could sense a deeper transformation in everybody. What I mean by deeper change is when somebody comes to you and say, "Something's changed about you but I can't pinpoint exactly what it is." Perhaps the change I'm referring to is the change inside all of us.

But mind you, our relationship with one another is not picture perfect. We all had our share of misunderstandings, arguments, fights and cold treatment. Yet, as time passed and we have grown more matured, we have learned to be more forgiving and make allowances for each others shortcomings. Although all of us now have our own families, our childhood memories and our parents bind us together.

As we headed for home at around 9 pm, tired, sleepy but happy, I thanked my parents who patiently raised us and instilled to us that no matter what different paths we take and wherever we may be, we must not forget to come back to our roots.

Good Friends

Last Sunday, me and my friends from my previous work saw each other for a quick reunion. One of my friends decided to "drop" by from Singapore and so the reason for this dinner get-together. It has been a while since we last saw each other. The last time was I think 1 to 2 years ago. Due to the demands of our own lives, a conflict of schedule was always the reason behind our inability to remain in touch as often as we would like to.

It was good to see them once again. We may not have seen each other for so long but I could sense that the friendship is still there despite the long physical absence. In a span of 3 hours or so, we were able to update each other with what's going on in each of our lives. The evening ended with promises of doing it more often.

Father's Day

Restaurateurs would comment that Father's day does not bring in the same amount of customers that Mother's day does. There's more gaga over Mother's day that one would conclude that fathers are not being given due recognition. I know a lot of modern day dads who are very active in child rearing. They would not only work hard for their family but also be relied on to take care of their kids. Gone are the days when fathers are just confined to bringing in the bacon. They not only bring home the bacon.... they also cook it.

My children are very lucky to have a dad who is kind and patient. One who do not shun away from responsibilities, no matter how big or small. One who went astray for a moment but quickly regained the right path. And in rightly doing so, he not only earned the deep affection and love of his kids but also their trust.

I am very proud of my children's father. Not only does he provide well for our children but he is someone who goofs around with his kids, wrestles with them, hugs them, covers their books and notebooks, fetches and takes them to school when available and disciplines them if needed.

Looking in the eyes of my children, I know that their fondness for their Dad is something they will bring with them as they grow up.

Happy Father's Day, Jon!

My Mom's day

Today is my mother's birthday & I choose to remember her through this post. She died rather unexpectedly but in a way that was easy for her and for everybody. She didn't die of any lingering disease. Perhaps, it was God's loving way of taking her.

If there is one word that could describe my mother, it would be PATIENT. She is the most patient woman I have ever known. When I was a child, I wasn't really that close to her. I was more of a daddy's girl but as I entered my teens and became a mother, I became closer to her. Being a well kept woman that she was, she would make sure that she looked presentable even at her old age. She enjoys buying clothes and shoes and would share with me her latest finds. Visits to the mall is something that we both enjoy.

When I was in my teens, I would ask extra money from her when I would have meet-ups with my friends and she would readily give me. When I had my suitors, I would not hesitate to confide to her knowing that she would understand. All throughout my growing up years, there was only one instance wherein my mom spanked me.

She was also a good cook and it is unfortunate that she seldoms does this. She is a working mother and handles our family business full time especially when my daddy got sick.I would always look forward to her cooking of Paksiw na Pata.

We also had our share of misunderstandings especially when I started having a family of my own. There was one incident wherein she would bring my 2 year old daughter alone, without a yaya or baby sitter at McDonald's. I totally disapproved of this because she was not as strong as she used to be and she would be forgetful at times. But through it all, she was someone I could count on to look over my kids when I am out.

The saying that you only get to appreciate your mom when you start having a child of you own is really true. I miss my mom terribly and how I wish she is still with us.