Okay, enough of my hiberbation from writing. I am inspired, I feel good and I feel so blessed! As they say, the best is yet to come!

Second Time

For those who are close to me, you would know the situation that I am in right now. I came across this poem when it was sent to me via email and the mark that it left me was so profound that I want to share it to anyone who is reading this blog.

After a While

"After a while you learn the subtle difference

between holding a hand and chaining a soul.

And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning

and company isn't security.

(Kisses aren't contracts and presents aren't promises.)

After awhile you begin to accept your defeats

with your head up and your eyes open,

with the grace of a woman,

not the grief of a child.

And you learn to build your roads on today

because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain

and the inevitable has a way of crumbling in mid-flight.

After a while you learn that even sunshine burns

if you stand too long in one place.

So, you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul

instead of waiting for someone else to bring you flowers.

And you learn you really can endure,

that you really do have worth.

You learn that with every good-bye comes the dawn."

....Author unknown...

I remember coming across this poem way back in high school when I would read whatever is available. Back then, this poem didn't create much impact and I easily dismissed it. Well, what can you expect? I was 14 or 15 years old, life was carefree and one of my concerns at that time were if I could ask for extra allowance from my dad. Besides, I was nude of experience during my adolescent years. Now, I was given the second chance to read this poem & undergoing a difficult time in my adult life, the poem is enlightening! Ironic that the deepest pain one could feel would be the source of one's liberation & realization.

Speaking of second chances, I am reading again (now in chapter 18) The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. I have finished this book already way back 2004 & even gave it out as souvenirs to my guests during the christening of my youngest child. The first time I read it, the book did made sense already and helped me discover a lot of things. But now, as I am reading it again, it gave a totally whole new sense of meaning and depth that I didn't encounter the first time I read it.

This ascertains that for every stage of our lives, people or things can leave an imprint in us that we would carry on. So never be hasty in dismissing people you once knew or books you might have read already as you will never know if they will serve their purpose again in your journey.

BTW, for copyright purposes, I tried to research who the author of the poem is but to no avail. If you happen to be aware, please let me know.

When the Dust Settles...

Picture this. A bright, sunny day and you are standing in the middle of the road when you see a speeding car. It's too late and you got hit. You're thrown in the air, you hit the sidewalk & still shocked by what happened, you try to get up. You can't believe that the driver almost killed you and didn't even bother to stop.

Shuddering right? Well, that is how it is when a crisis hits you. Difficulties come at a time when you least expect it. But when the dust settles, you gather yourself and try to pick up the remaining pieces of what's left. They say that every crisis is a call to greatness. And every callous deed done to you by a person is a call for you to rise above it all. I say, it is a call of faith. The difficult moments of our life will shape us to be a better person. We have been given an ability to cope to whatever life offers us. However, it would all depend on how one would react to a tough situation.

How often do we find ourselves hindered by negative thoughts that almost surely it affects our work? How often do we find ourselves overshadowed by the wrong decisions that we make. Often, we justify our actions and thoughts by saying that these are the things that we have no control over. We support the premise that we are victims of our destiny simply because it relieves us of the guilt and it is the most convenient thing to say. But that is otherwise. The greatest gift we have been given is the power to choose. We can choose how to cope with life's uncertainties and situations. We can choose how to respond when someone's callous behaviour hurts us. We can choose to succumb to weakness or to stand up & be strong, or choose to walk the right but hard path rather than choose to do the easy but erroneous way. The decisions that we make in life is the legacy that we will leave behind.

Empowerment is the key word here. We are empowered as human beings to choose as to how to react to what life throws upon us. Any person can be laid off from work, have huge amounts of debt, have a terminally sick family member or be dumped by a spouse. The disparity here is how we will react to this experience. The old saying, "When life throws you lemons, make a lemonade" is true.

But if I may add, make it a pitcher of lemonade...so you can share it with others. Life is still beautiful!

Pushing 40

Approaching 40 is something that would not bother me at all... or so I thought. I just had my 37th birthday and I was a little unprepared to the reality that I only have 3 years to go before hitting the 40th mark. Is this midlife crisis or what? Some say that midlife crisis presents itself usually at the age of 50 but with all the turmoil and stress we now have, it has manifested itself earlier for some.

From my own perspective, midlife crisis is just a term but it is more of "midlife issues". Once the age of 40 looms near, I noticed that I am more critical in evaluating my life, my beliefs and even my faith. I begin to question whether is this the life that I really want and how can I get more out of life? I want to do more things that I have not done before or go to places where I have never been.

At 20, I was already married. I was more carefree and adventurous in my decisions. I do not get fat no matter what and how much I ate. It was a terrific & learning phase of my life. The only downside of this stage is that sometimes I felt, people, especially older ones, do not take me seriously in my business arrangements with them. They could not accept that they are transacting with this inexperienced young girl.

Reaching 30 was a wonderful moment for me. I was more confident and sure of myself. Family and acquaintances seems to take notice more of my insights. But the carefree attitude slowly receded as concerns for the future took its priority.

Now at 37, I keep thinking that there should be something more to life that what it seems to present. One factor that really creeps into me is monotony. Things and places that I have enjoyed before does not give me the same satisfaction as now. And it gets stiffer when I can not express my own individuality, which is my feistiness & assertiveness to some people knowing that they could not handle it.

Fortunately, I am still not desperate for a physical makeover though I have started to be more religious in putting moisturizers. Watching what I eat and the portions that I consume really involve much discipline. I am more conscious of how I look and would be pleased when friends and acquaintances would tell me that I just look my children's older sister. Call me gullible but so what, it's music to my ears.

Sometimes I wonder if it is time to replace my old beliefs and attitudes with new ones to match this middle age phase. It's because what we do is guided by what we believe in. It's really hard to identify the change of direction that I want to make for my life. Perhaps, a lot of quiet time which will lead to reflection will pave the way to the right path.

To quote Jim Rohn,

"If you don't change what you are doing today,

All of your tomorrows will look like yesterday."

The Day It Hit Me

It's been quite a while since I've last written in my blog. In fact, this is my first post for 2008. I'm undergoing a rough patch in my life right now and words just wouldn't come out. No amount of inspiration can get me to write. However, time has a way of making things get better.

I realized that when one is so close to the problem, a person tends to lose all perspective of things. When one is amidst the storm, he or she can not see the issues clearly. But the day will come when you will be sick and tired of being "sick and tired", and little by little, you will be able to accept things and go back to what you usually do but you will never be your normal self again.

Perhaps, this is an instance wherein LIFE happens. You see, I consider myself blessed for having an easy time. In my 36 years of existence, I was spared of the hardships and bitter realities of life. Even when my dad died then later my mom passed away as well, I was able to handle death fine. But there will come a moment when your faith will be tested.

But, I have passed this point already. A lot of thinking and prayers has helped me understand things that I was unable to comprehend before. As the saying goes, "What's done is done." And you begin to ask yourself, "Where do I go from here?"

I see now my life as an empty book waiting to be filled by new things that will happen and new people that I will meet. A chapter waiting to be written. Things and people will come and go into our lives. There is no point in holding on to something or someone that would not willingly stay.

In the end, you will see that it's a sunny day, after all.

Christmas Sense

Every Christmas that passes, its appeal and magic loses its touch on me. It's because as I get older and busier, the season brings only more stress into my life. Shopping gifts and tokens for family and friends, not to mention my children's classmates became a chore. The list of Yuletide programs that my kids have makes it even harder to squeeze into my tight schedule. Given the choice, I would rather not put up any Christmas decors knowing that the effort in putting it down would be doubled with all the dust it has gathered.

Am I turning into a scrooge? I realized that I am starting to become one unless I change my perspective of things. So I tackled the things I have to do into smaller tasks so as not to be overwhelmed. Now, with only 3 days before Christmas, all the gifts are wrapped under the tree & my grocery list is complete. I can sit back and quietly wait for it.

And so for this Yuletide season, I wish the same for all of you who are reading this post. May you take time off from your busy work, family and social demands. May you have a quiet moment wherein you can reflect and be with yourself and not be drowned in the series of parties you have to attend. I wish for you the gift of being still. It is only in us that we can find the true meaning of the season.

Have a good Christmas everybody!

Why Not?

I have 4 kids and I am proud of it.

Yes, I have been blessed to be given the chance to be the mother of four wonderful & hyperactive kids. When people ask how many kids I have & I tell them I have four, I usually get the response, " Wow, ang dami ah! Bakit?" Translated in English, it's "Wow, too many! How come?" The "how come" question implies why I allowed it to become that many. But, I just smile and shrug it off knowing that I should know better than be affected by those remarks. Sometimes, when I'm in a good mood, I simply reply "Oo nga." or "Yes, it's true."

I have 3 boys and 1 girl and I call them my Demolition team. My Demolition team is also one of the reasons why I resigned from my corporate job. I need to have a flexible time so as to focus more on raising them. I wouldn't be able to do that if somebody else owns my time. Thank God, I was able to find a way to earn my own money by having an online business. This enables me to be a stay-at-home mom and at the same time be financially independent.

Having 4 kids has challenged me in many ways. It tested my patience, my stamina and above all my faith in Him. Believe me when I say it isn't easy to raise 4 kids, wherein most of the time, I am alone with them. When you have 1 child, you put in your effort already but when you have 4 kids, a quadruple effort is needed.

My multi-tasking skills were put to test every day as I jumble my regular tasks. I have become adept at cooking and at the same time answering emails from clients, helping them in their homework and at the same time sending out projects, talking on the phone and dressing up my son to name a few.

As if that wasn't difficult enough, just last week, I had gone solo without a house help so I was left doing all the things in the house. From driving to cooking to cleaning to doing the laundry to washing the dishes to answering emails from clients and a whole lot more, I thought I can not make it through the day. But not only did I survive the day, I made it through the week.

I have also learned to appreciate solitude. Our house is only quiet a few hours a day when 3 of my kids are at school. During weekends, it gets crazier. Amidst the fighting, playing, shouting & bickering, I crave for some "quiet time" wherein I could have all my thoughts to myself.

It has also made me look at things in life not on what is ideal but what is possible at the moment. For one, our house is always in shambles. Before, I was obsessed in keeping our house orderly but after having my 3rd child, I gave up. It's not that I let the house go but somehow, I have learned to make allowances and accepted the fact that I have kids in the house. Vases will be broken, stains will be made in the sofa or elsewhere, there will always be a toy under the bed and the laundry will always be full. Kids will be kids, they run around; they jump, fight & scream so I just let them be. If I will always focus on the small things, I'll go nuts!

Life is guaranteed to be fun and chaotic. I never had a dull moment with them. They never fail to surprise me. I see them all in a different way. Each has its own personality. All of them can be fun, sometimes moody, and even downright hard-headed at times. But they all have their individual charm that makes them unique. Sometimes, in my eagerness to do what is right for them, I forget that they have their own personalities. I try my best not to mirror my life in them. To listen to what they want for themselves and not as to what I think they want. It takes a lot of conscious effort to really do that.

So, how is life with 4 kids?

Marvelously challenging. That would be my answer.

Frame of Mind

Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they have been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It is an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It is a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary.

-author unknown-

When I came upon this quotation, it strikes me so much because it magnifies what I exactly needed in a time when a decision needs to be done. Often, decisions are so hard to make because of various concerns that we have. We are taken aback by the prospect of venturing into the unknown, of doing something that is not sure. Basically, we are so comfortable or "lazy" in our place in the sun that the thought of leaving what we are used to seems to be out of the question. The practicality in us makes us lose our faith in taking the challenge. But we must not succumb to this fear. Nothing is impossible in this world. Nothing is out of our hands. Nobody is too old to start again. In the different paths that we take, we may stumble but it is in our rising and starting over that we shine.

*****************

Lately, I have been so preoccupied that it seems time passed so quickly. Our house underwent repairs so it was really chaotic. With all the noise and dust, I have somehow managed to do my general cleaning in time before the year ends, put up Christmas decors and continue my regular tasks. Time could mean a lot to different people. It could mean having too much time or the lack of it. For those who are busy, the 24 hours that we have is not enough. But for those who are "killing the time", it is boring. It all boils down as to what situation you are into. As they say, we all have the same 24 hours, it is how we use that matters.

Climbing a Tree

When was the last time you wished for something really hard? Having been schooled in a Catholic school all my life, I believed in the power of prayers. As a child, I would pray for trivial things like a new toy, to go somewhere fun or to get high grades in school. It's been years since I prayed for something really hard. This is not because I am losing faith but perhaps I really didn't want something as much as my heart desired.

Each one of us has our own faith depending on our own religion. It doesn't matter to whom you believe in. What matters is that you know that there is someone out there whom you can count on in times when matters are out of your hands. However, God helps only those who help themselves. It is not enough to just pray and pray and not do your part. It is not enough to be cocky and complacent. Laziness is not at all tolerated by Him.

In achieving our dreams in life, there are many pathways to take. It is usually not a straight line. You may need to go a step backward in order to move forward. Just like in climbing a tree, there are many ways to do it. Having brains is not enough. Having guts alone is also not enough. You need a mixture of both to reach the top combined with a lot of prayers to sustain you when things are getting tough. Surely, with this combination, you would reach the top of the tree.

Opening One's Eyes

If you are a driver, you know very well what a blind spot is. You can experience this if you are switching lanes or when overtaking. This is how John Maxwell, in his article on Leadership, compared the "blind spots" that leaders have.

I enjoy reading Maxwell's articles on Leadership and I thought I would share it with you. According to him, a blind spot occurs when one does not see his real situation and this happens in some or almost every aspect of being a leader. Inevitably, this could affect a leader's over-all decision making capacity when he sees only one side. It would be difficult for him to understand his subordinates if his unawareness engulfs him. Maxwell used singular perspective to describe more aptly what a blind spot is.

The article stressed also that before a leader can be understood, he must understand. It also discussed the importance for leaders to do a self-examination so as to broaden his limited view. This statement is so true not only for leaders but for any ordinary individual. Often, we only see one angle... one facet of a situation.

On a personal note, this Blind spot in our life can also be the root of conflicts arising in human relationships. As a person, we all have different roles in our lives. I, for one, am a mother, a wife, a sister, a friend, an employer, just to name a few characters that I assume. And there are some people that I know who assume greater roles. In my day to day encounter with life, I would find myself in a situation wherein a conflict is brewing. Applying this Blind spot of John Maxwell, we will realize that we have to see where the other person is coming from for you to be able to understand his/her actions. One must be reflective as to why he/she is reacting this way? However, this capability to be introspective does not come easily especially if we have just met this person and sometimes even if we do know this person, we have to go deeper by tracing how this person thinks and the events surrounding him or her.

People are not wired the same way. We may be married with our husbands or wives for a decade yet still not totally understand this person who shares the same bed with us. We may have grown up with our siblings but still have spats with them. We may have a childhood friend that still never fails to amaze us why he does some things. When we take into consideration what the other person is thinking and feeling then we would become more open to communication. Every so often, when we are in a "not-so-good situation", we tend to think inward focusing only on what concerns us. Thinking out of the box is what we must commit to do.

By constantly checking our blind spots and through self scrutiny, we could hopefully diminish, if not totally remove, the big and small conflicts in our relationships. If this happens, then this world will just be a better place to live in.

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.

Linking Halfway Around the World

Staying connected with friends and family is just a click away. With the boom of technology comes the ease of communication. There's texting, email, chat, Friendster or Myspace, and blogs that comes into mind when you want to connect to basically anyone halfway around the world. Mobile phones are really sticking to their names... mobile. Phone manufacturers are quickly coming up with new models of phones that lets you do other than just talking and texting. Features such as WiFi are now installed that lets you access the Internet and watch television shows anywhere using your phone.

Since my line of work is in the Internet, my laptop is the thing that I can't do without. It's the first thing I open when I wake up. Of course, after the bathroom door, ha, ha... I check my mails and see what's up. Regular errands like paying the bills, making fund transfers, downloading lab results are some of the things I use it for. Aside from this, I check the movie schedule, do research, look for places (thanks, Google Earth) and much more are some of the things that I do. I can go anywhere as long as there is Internet connection and bring my laptop with me.

Speaking of Internet connection, we recently jumped into the wireless thing. Our house is now a WiFi area! I can access the Internet anywhere in the house and not be tied down to a cord. More reasons to do multi-tasking. It's so convenient.

With this fast paced, technology hungry society, can you still imagine life without cellphones and Internet? Ask yourself, when was the last time you went to the post office to mail a letter to a friend or relative? For me, it's been like ages since I last received a letter. Mostly all I get in the mails are bills, solicitations and unwanted advertisements. Besides, why mail a post card when you can just email, chat, view one another through the web cam? All that.... just a double click away.

Of course, not everybody embraces technology the same way that I do. Some would still prefer the good ol' letter since it is much more personal and intimate. And I respect them for their choices. There's no harm in adhering to what was done before. But the world is moving forward, not backward. It's either you keep pace with it or be stuck to where you are. Resiliency is the key word.

So, a life without the World Wide Web? Whew! I can't and I wouldn't want to.

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.

Need for Growth

Listening to the radio, I heard a Christmas song being played. Since it is already September, they were already making a countdown to Christmas. Whew! Time flies so fast.

Another year would end and another one would begin and let us ask ourselves, "Have we grown as a person?" Growth, intellectually and emotionally, must continue as long as we live. We have to continue to nurture ourselves by finding opportunities to blossom. It can be a simple task of learning something new like a language or a hobby or anything that catches your interest, or reading a book or visiting places that you haven't been to, or even learning a new dish.

Most often than not, we hate to get out of our comfort zones. We have grown so accustomed of our life that breaking the routine is unthinkable. It is a daunting task, I admit, to dwell on something that you haven't tried. But we have to overcome that feeling to be able to enhance what is inside us. We just have to trust ourselves and bring out that innate capability of being resilient.

Lost phone

I just realized how my life depended on my mobile phone. I know it’s exaggerated but losing mine last week was very difficult. It’s not much about the phone itself (it’s not the latest model anyhow, got it for free from my network provider and it’s 3 years old already) but the names and contact numbers stored in it are far more important.

I just felt at a total loss knowing that I lost important numbers that would be difficult to retrieve. And it’s totally a drag to input each and everyone’s name and contact details again. It is good that I was able to retain my same number since I have a line otherwise the difficulty would be twice.

You see, I store everything in my mobile no. My doctor’s & dentist’s details are there, the water station where we order our drinking water is in it, names of important clients are there. Golly, even the reservation number of Gateway movies is there.

Funny thing is, I keep on thinking where exactly in Baguio did I lose my phone but I still can’t figure out where. But I guess it would be futile to do so. Anyway, it surely did serve me a lesson.

Black or White

How come some people finds it difficult to say NO outright? They give non-committal replies, makes you hope then in the end bursts the bubble. Are they just too nice to say no or simply can’t make up their minds?

Personally, I would prefer that you refuse outright than be dragged into something you really would not want to get into. Worse, be an expert when it comes to saying yes but leaves people hanging. They would make delays, come up with various reasons but in the end doesn’t do anything.

Whether it’s a simple favor or a really BIG decision, one should commit to a side. Are you going or not going? Are you doing this or not? To an issue, there’s always 2 sides. You can’t be both.

I know it’s not that simple. I know life is not always black & white. There are room for grays and in-betweens, but mind you,... not always. And that is why decisions are not always easy to make.

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.

Be Still

Sipping a cup of coffee early Sunday morning, I was able to appreciate the quietness of the house. In the stillness of things, one can even hear the ticking of the clock and the sound the air pump makes in our aquarium. Some people gets uneasy with a house being so quiet but in that exact moment, I found comfort in what the silence offered.

Maybe it's because our house is normally noisy with kids around. You see, our household starts early during weekdays getting everybody ready for school. Then the day is filled up with errands and work that needs to be done. Dinners are much busier with everybody trying to do their own stuff, asking the older kids to attend to their homework, helping the little ones with their personal needs and with the TV blaring in the living room.

Often, in the rush of doing things and trying to get things done, we forget that we need to be still, not to move and not to talk for a few minutes. It is in being quiet that you can only hear yourself and will be able to accomplish more.

So, my friend, just when things are beginning to get crazy and you're confused, try to BE STILL.

Inadequate or so it seems...

"What have you accomplished so far?"

A simple question yet when given much thought is very hard to answer. An innocent question but when asked in the middle of an argument can hurt so much. In a flash, you will re-examine your life and in so doing, whatever accomplishments you may have achieved would make you feel inadequate.

I know it was not the intention of that person to make me feel insufficient. I was just taken aback by the tartness of the question. But what is the true measure of one's accomplishments? Is it through the grandiose of material things that one has acquired, or through the number of plaques you have on your wall or is it through the number of zeroes your bank account has or the number of organizations you are a member of or the wideness of your network activity?

Accomplishments or success can have various meaning depending on the person being asked. We all have taken different paths, different directions in our lives. Through the course of things, we have prioritized what is important to us at that time. For some it may be career, for others it may be further studies or building an empire or starting a family.

What is important is that you do not compare your achievements with someone else's unless you want to be miserable all your life. Just remember that this is your life and it is only you who will be accountable for it.

Simply put, "Life is what we make out of it."

Thirty what?

For those of you who are thirty something, let me ask you,

"How does it feel to be in your thirties?"

Thirties huh? Sounds ancient if you're going to ask a teenager. A lot of us may cringe at the thought of getting old. But if you ask me, I would say Great!

I am thirty six years old and never felt this good. Stepping into your thirties makes you feel more confident about things that matter in life like work, family and yes... sex included. It means you know what you want and where you are going. It means you are more assertive and people can not push you around anymore. You have more experience but not yet an expert on life.

Looking back in my 36 years, I have been through the many ups and downs of life. I was a daughter, a teenager, a student, somebody's friend, now an entrepreneur, a wife and a mother. Some decisions I made in life were good, some were bad, some were so so, but through it all, I have managed to survive. But I believe, I still have a lot to learn from what life may have to offer.

I wonder what the 40s will be?