Twice in one day...

Unbelievable as it may sound but we have just experienced having our car broken into twice today. Yup, twice in the span of a few hours. This is my first brush with lawlessness here in the US. I am just thankful that none of those I love has been hurt in the process. Yeah, we lost some stuff but "stuff" are replaceable even though some of those stuff were somewhat expensive. Yet I choose to look at these incidents today in a more positive light -- no one from my family got hurt in the process. But my poor husband...Here's how it happened.

When Junby was about to leave for the office this morning that's when he saw that the front passenger seat's window was all smashed up! Smashed up into tiny pieces with a few shards clinging to the frame.
The broken glass you see on the ground next to the car was what was left of the window. We surmised that the person must have seen the mount for the GPS on the dashboard and so decided to steal it since the mount was gone. The glove compartment was open so we surmised they thought the GPS unit was in it. Luckily, Junby makes a habit of brining the unit with him everytime he comes down from the car. So, not finding the GPS unit they decided to take some of the CDs , Junby's MP3 player (which he had just upgraded with a 16MB memory card) and a flashlight that Junby kept in the front. It was a good thing those were the only things the person took. He didn't check the trunk which had contained Junby's equipment which he uses for the choir practice -- his mini AMP, etc. So my poor husband didn't get to report to work since he had to inform the insurance about the break-in, bring the car, which we had fondly dubbed "SMURF" since it's small and blue, to the auto bodyshop for repair and get a rental car to use.

Junby and I were half-jokingly telling each other, this must be Satan's way of destroying our peace since last night Junby and I took part in the parish's reconciliation service and availed of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We thought that was the end of it but nope. More was to come.

Junby left for choir practice which was held at the parish of St. Maria Goretti. I went up to put Therese to bed. At around 9 pm, Junby calls to tell me that the rental car he's using got broken into again! Someone smashed the window and this time took his belt pouch which was partly hidden under the seat. So now he has to inform the rental company that the car has been broken into. What was lost? The belt pouch contained his camera (which had photos of Therese and whatnot, some of which he had not downloaded yet :( ), his cellphone which had his philippine sim and other stuff.

What is going on?!? When I talked to Junby's cousin to tell her the news, she said it could be that the people who did the first job were mad that they didn't really get anything of value from our car and they might have actually watched him, followed him and decided to see if they could get more this time. At this point I don't think its too farfetched an idea. And to think that it was only his rental car that was broken into, and in the parking lot of a church.

What's also ironic is that our apartment is situated in a gated community. The gates are closed at night and supposedly only residents with the remote can get in. Go figure. Just when you think you are quite safe, things like this happen to remind you to be vigilant. Sigh. It's been a rough day all around, for my husband most especially. Yet, I still thank God that nothing worse has happened to him or to us. I continue to pray that this will be the end of it. I can only pray that God will help protect all those I love from further harm. Keep us in your prayers too.

In the midst of all these events, I can still say though that God has been good. It could have been worse...

Time does indeed fly by fast...

It's been almost two months since I last blogged. That does not mean nothing has been happening in my life. To the contrary, a lot of milestones have come and gone, most especially when it comes to my daughter, Thérèse. She turned 5 months a few days ago and she has come a long way from the time we brought her home.

A few months ago, my greatest concern was how I was unable to fully satisfy her nutritional needs through breastfeeding. Since then I've made peace with the reality that I need to supplement her feeding with formula. If it's for her betterment, I'm willing to let go of the 'shoulds' and live with the 'coulds'. These past months my concern has been her need for quality sleep. She's a light sleeper and the slightest noise wakes her. After two hours of trying to get her to sleep, having her wake up so easily was kind of frustrating. I remember many a nights wherein I found myself crying out to Mary to help me put Thérèse to sleep. Nowadays my concern is how to teach her how to soothe herself to sleep when she wakes up. I don't remember how I was taught to go back to sleep by myself so Junby and I are reading up on the methods. There are the Cry It Out Methods and the No Cry Methods. Hopefully by next week we can decide between us which method to try with Thérèse.

We started Thérèse on semi-solids last week for breafast. So far she's getting the hang of it. She now opens her mouth expectantly when we sit down for breakfast. She has better control of her hands now and finds her toes fascinating.



Last Wednesday she was also blessed and signed with the cross in ashes.

A lot is still to come and I am just grateful I have this chance to take care of her full-time and to be part of her wonder at the world. Thérèse's delight at most things helps me see why God calls us to be like little children. A sense of wonder cannot fail to bring us to an experience of the Divine.

Malamig ang simoy ng hangin...

That particular line has been especially true as winter sets in here in San Jose, California. I know it's not as cold as it couf ld get in other parts of this country but its cold enough for me to start wearing boots, a scarf, jacket, gloves and woolly cap. The cold and the slowly emerging Christmas lights and decorations make me long for Christmas back home. :)

First Christmas away from my mama, sister, niece, lola and the rest of my mom's family. . .Its times like these that I wish there was a way to bring both worlds together into one space. Maybe someday that would be possible.

It will be a different Chritmas. This will be our first Christmas as a new family -- Junby, myself and Therese. I wonder what sort of Christmas traditions will we institute. Maybe next time I can actually manage to decorate our humble abode with Christmas decors. :)

For now, I hope and pray that in the midst of a foreign land, I too, like the shepherds of old would get to experience the presence of Him who is the reason for the season inspite of the lack of the other things Christmas is commonly associated with. :)

The Waiting Game

Well, it's more or less two weeks before my due date. . . and as the title of this post states we're doing the waiting game. :) The past two weeks I had a deadline with Misyon which kept me occupied and therefore no time to really brood over Therese's coming. Now that that deadline is behind me, I have time on my hands to think about it.

I did share with our midwife my anxiety -- since I'm not very good when it comes to handling physical pain but she did reassure me that I need to focus on the belief that I can do this. That was reassuring. I'm praying to Mama Mary to be my guide during labor and eventual delivery. We pray for a safe delivery for Therese as well -- no complications and whatnot.

So what do I do while I play this waiting game? Well, there's still a lot of fixing up to do here at home. We've already put together a little cabinet and drawer for her which contains the clothes she would need for the first few months. The rest of the stuff that were passed on to us or given are in clear boxes and labeled accordingly. It is good indeed to have lots of relatives who are willing to pass on baby clothes and the like. It truly helps in cutting back costs. The baby shower gifts have also been a big help. We have most of what we need -- bassinet, diaper disposal can, even diapers for newborns! We've also put together the bag we will be bringing to the hospital with us.

I think Therese will make her appearance more or less on schedule. I'm due October 4. I'm praying she comes on October 3 -- which is St Therese of Lisieux's Feast Day. Keep us in your prayers. Anyway, enough meandering -- time to go and fix up stuff so that while waiting I'm still productive after all. :)

The 'glow' of pregnancy

The title is quite deceiving. I just wanted to have something that might place in a more favorable light, how I look now. I did promise to upload recent pictures of myself but I'm shy so I'm just sharing the pictures I gave to Junby for Father's Day. Yup, even if baby Therese (that's the name we are thinking of giving our little girl) isn't out of the womb yet, her very existence makes Junby a Father and me a mother (grabe, as in -- kinda surreal pa rin even if I get kicks now and again which somehow 'drive home' the point).

Urged by Junby's cousin, Karen, I had screwed up the courage to have a formal portrait done at Picture People. Karen had coupons allowing us to have our pictures done and you can choose one for free, out of all the shots. It was all hush-hush since we wanted to surprise Junby for Father's Day. I ended up borrowing a dress Karen had just purchased for the pictorial. The shots came out pretty decent but it took me a while to get over my shyness at having myself photographed by a complete stranger. Though he was good at making me feel at ease and Karen's presence and wisecracks kept me from feeling too self-conscious. These photos show me at five months or so. I'm now on my 28th week or starting into my 6th month so I have definitely gained weight and my tummy is now more pronounced. I have yet to schedule another appointment. Maybe this time with Junby in the picture. . . .

So for all those wondering how I look pregnant, feast your eyes on these (hehehe) . . . .





Ang galing talaga ni Lord, noh? It still blows us away that we are given the chance to create life with Him. We have helped him create a new soul that will, one day sing praises to Him who is worthy of all praise! Please contiinue to keep us in your prayers, most especially for Therese, that she might continue to grow in mind, body and spirit and be delivered safely when the time comes. Thank you! More next time. . . .

God is Good

Hi folks! I'm writing this from the warmth of our bed in San Jose, California. Yup! I'm finally where I'm supposed to be -- with my husband and truly starting our family life. :) While thinking of an appropriate title for this post, I couldn't help but smile and thank God for His goodness to me and my family. :) After all the prayers uttered by you, our family and friends, God in His good time has brought me here to be by my husband's side finally. That, I think, is one major concern that is now lifted from Junby's heart.

We arrived last night, around 9 pm SF time. Leaving the confines of the plane, I thought I had entered a fully air conditioned building, only to learn from Junby that that was how it actually is outside in SF! Brrrr....I'm blessed though since I arrive at the beginning of summer. Another blessing is that one side benefit of being pregnant is having a higher than my normal body temperature. So I think baby is keeping me warm din :P So much so I can walk around in silk pajamas and feet shod in warm socks puttering around our kitchen kanina putting things away, etc.

We were met at the airport by Josh, Junby's handsome cousin (oh, Josh pinupuri na kita dito!). We first went to the condo to drop off our luggage then Josh drove us to Ninang Liklik's home so Junby can pick up our car. We were supposed to do it quietly so as not to wake Tita Liklik and Tito but Tito was up so we chatted a bit, Junby and I raided Tita Liklik's ref for a late night meal and we were on our way home at about 1:30 in the morning :) Junby and I were still feeling awake since it was just afternoon in the Philippines but we hoped to sleep since Junby has work today, the poor dear.

There's a lot to fix up here at the condo but I'm excited as the realization that this is my home is slowly sinking in. How this home turns out is up to me and Junby. I have to remind myself though to take it easy this first day. After all, I am pregnant (I sometimes forget :P unless I see myself in a mirror :P) and I'm still supposed to be adjusting with jet lag and all. Though at the moment I don't feel tired but still best to keep at a slower pace :)

For the first time, I got to 'prepare' breakfast for Junby here at our own place. I say 'prepare' since I don't feel I really did anything since most of what we did for this morning was to microwave stuff :P That goes against my traditional view of cooking but since we don't have pots and pans and stuff like that I'm experiencing the American way of doing things :P. Hopefully sometime this week I can get myself some kitchenware and try my hand at real cooking. I'm nowhere near a good cook as my cousin J, but they all say it's practice and since Junby is committed to me for life, he has no choice. Hehehe.

Anyway, this post is getting quite long. Will take a nap now since its supposedly near to 1 am in the Philippines. Hope my husband is ok at work since he doesn't have the luxury of sleeping like I do. All in all, God is good indeed. All is Grace, don't you agree?

Songs from the past...

When I hear the strains of these songs, I am brought back to the times I spent lazy Sundays with Papa. These memories now are a comfort. . .

A Testimony of Gratefulness

Yesterday was a blessed day, as if every day isn't :P I got to confirm my visa interview at the US Embassy. It will be on May 13, 2008 at 7:30 AM. So now, its time to storm heaven once again so that when I go through my interview, they won't find anything wrong with my papers and will approve my application by the end of the interview.

That schedule was an answered prayer through the intercession of St Therese of Liseaux. Junby and I have been praying to her the past months for my visa approval to be given by the month of May. I see the schedule as part of her answer to my petitions. :) Today, as I pondered on God's goodness, a song from Touched by an Angel came to mind. Here is that particular portion of that episode...Enjoy and may your heart sing in praise of God even in the midst of situations that bring us to tears...:)

. . . .

I want to go to the sea. Can someone take me there now? I suddenly long for the roar of the ocean, just like in Infanta. Confronted by the vastness of it, by the rush of the waves and their crashing upon the shore -- all that is unspeakable within me need not be spoken any more. . . .

I want to feel the rushing of a strong wind upon my face -- lifting my hair like a sail behind me. I want to be bathed by the light of a full moon, soothed by its quieting silvery light.

Yet all I can do tonight is sigh. . .a sigh that wells up from deep within me yet cannot be articulated beyond that. Let it suffice for now...Deep calls to Deep.

SIGH. . . .

. . . .


I wrote this post with this Relaxation and Meditation Timer I stumbled upon. It had a choice of songs which you can play in the background with a clock to keep time for you as you meditate or relax. It seemed appropriate somehow...

Eye of the Storm

September is drawing to a close. Right around the corner is October. That leaves me with less than three months before the wedding. I'm trying not to panic and to stay on top of things but I do get this feeling of time slipping through my fingers before I can adequately maximize all that it has to offer. I admit I swing in either two directions when that happens. First, I either procrastinate -- an infantile desire to have things fix themselves so I let things slide. Second, I may become almost like a headless chicken rushing to and fro trying to get everything done in one day. Sigh.

On this yet again rainy day, I pause and try to regroup myself and have a better battle plan than staying within the realm of Stephen Covey's 'Urgent/Important' quadrant. I can do this, I tell myself. I have to do this :) No one to pass the buck to nor anyone dogging me to get this or that done. It will get done, by hook or by crook (I say that now with a determined nod of my head, my eye on the calendar, my mind racing with a million and one 'to do' things).

Despite the urgency though, I am glad that I have not yet lost that joyful spirit, thanks to my times of prayer everyday and my fiance's strong support, felt even from a distance. When things are done gladly and with joy it indeed ceases to become a burden. Today is the eye of the storm. I use this time to regroup and to assess how best to tackle the days ahead that I may not lose sight of the goal -- the day God's promises are proven true.

So enough blogging for now. Time to tackle that calendar that has been calling my name the past hour or so. Time to make a battle plan and to carry it through. May God keep me always at the center of His peace. Amen.

As I tackle the list in front of me...this music is playing in the background, soothing me...

A forgotten name...

Lovely. . . that was how Papa used to call me. I had forgotten that but was reminded recently when Mama, due to my insistence, started looking for long-lost family pictures. I need the pictures for the wedding after all. In her initial forays into the daunting pile of boxes which hold most of our earthly possessions (having decided not to unpack most of them after we transferred here, Lola's house) she found some pieces of paper, yellowed with age. They were Papa's scribbled notes to himself regarding various topics. This particular piece of paper had a rundown of a family outing they had planned for Honey and myself -- a day at the carnival. That was in 1990, a year before Papa passed away.

The items on the note sounded so much like Papa. He wrote the way he spoke. One item on that list was a reminder to himself to allot a certain amount of money for "Lovely and Honey to spend to their heart's content. . ." That's when I remembered that Papa didn't call me Mitzi. He tended to call me Lovely. . . .

Reading that note made me miss Papa and brought a wistful smile to my face. I had forgotten that nickname. . . It's good to somehow remember it now. . . .

Lovely. . .

Dance with me?

Last Saturday, my mom and I got an unexpected invitation from Mommy E, to join them at the alumni night of USLS. They had paid for several tickets already and since they didn't want these tickets to go to waste, they decided to extend the invitation to us. Mama and I agreed and off we went. On the way, Mama and I were laughing to ourselves wondering what an LCC alumna and an Atenean doing in La Sallian territory?

The night went quite well. They had a good band, "Behind Closed Doors" who played all the crowd's favorites from cha-cha to boogie to rock and roll tunes. I had a few spins on the dance floor myself with my Mommy E, of course. Mama just opted to sit and watch the dancers. Mommy E was able to convince her hubby to join her in dancing too. If her shoe hadn't given out on her, we wouldn't have gone home before midnight. :)

During the course of the night, as I watched others dance and took a few turns on the dance floor myself, I realized its been a while since I went dancing. I used to dance a lot in Manila mostly in connection with presentations in our covenant community, Ligaya ng Panginoon. I like to dance (not that I'm very good at it, mind you) and at one point in my relationship with God, I came to see my relationship with him as a dance. There came a point in my life where I couldn't find the song in my heart that helped me to dance but that season has passed. I haven't thought about dancing in a long while but that night reminded me of the joy in just letting one's body move to the beat. I found a message from a friend lately that kind of speaks of how I think of dancing:

Dancing With God
a forwarded message...

When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.

I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.

The movement doesn't flow with the music,

and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,

both bodies begin to flow with the music.

One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back

or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.

It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.

The dance takes surrender, willingness,

and attentiveness from one person

and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.

When I saw "G: I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".

"God, "u" and "i" dance."

God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust

that I would get guidance about my life.

Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies be upon you on this day and everyday. May you abide in God as God abides in you.

Dance together with God, trusting God to lead

and to guide you through each season of your life.

World Youth Day 2008

Hello friends! My boss, Fr Sean showed me the site for the next World Youth Day in SYDNEY, Australia on July 2008. I listened to the theme song and it brought me to tears. I pray that the Holy Spirit indeed pour forth His power to renew the face of the earth. Here's the theme song. Play it, pray it so that when July 2008 comes around, the Holy Spirit indeed will be received by the youth of the world....

Wise words from a great poet

A few days ago, I encountered on the same day from two different sources the same quotation. It's a quotation I had read before in one of my cousin's favorite books, Letters to a Young Poet by Ranier Maria Rilke. I haven't gotten around to getting a copy for myself but I resolve to do so before the year is out. The said quotation came in the wake of my personal ruminations on certain questions about life and love. They might have been coincidences but I'm more inclined to believe that the quotation was given as a gentle reminder to me by God -- that to not know the answer to some of life's questions is not such a tragedy. The quote is as follows:

"You are so young, so much before all beginning, and I would like to beg you, dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer. Perhaps you do carry within you the possibility of creating and forming, as an especially blessed and pure way of living; train yourself for that - but take whatever comes, with great trust, and as long as it comes out of your will, out of some need of your innermost self, then take it upon yourself, and don't hate anything."

When I was searching the net for the exact quotation, I came across a website dedicated to that very book. You may wish to check it out one time. Each sentence I believe is worth pondering especially during cold, rainy days when thinking and pondering seems appropriate. On a side note, only when I read the entire letter 4 did I discover that the topic that was under discussion in that missive was sex. Rilke has a very beautiful way of discussing it -- restoring to it the dignity that is sadly lacking in most discussions on the topic nowadays.

So if you have a cold, rainy day with nothing much to do (that would be quite rare for most of us), check out the site and learn to live the questions in your own life. Isn't it great to be alive?

Letters to a Young Poet

Thank you Pa...

Thirty more minutes and Sunday would have passed into Monday. I'd like to take these last few minutes of Father's Day to pay tribute to my Papa.

I miss him. After almost sixteen years, the pain that loss brings has faded to a dull ache, one that only manifests itself in times of loneliness, fear, extreme joy, during memorable occasions and moments of wanting to be a kid without a care in the world. I can't quite call to mind how he looks now not as easily as before but I can remember quite well how it felt to be wrapped in his arms and seemingly disappear into his embrace. During those moments, those arms that held me felt like home. Only in God's arms during my times of prayer do I feel that again. There is just something about Papa's hugs that can never be replicated.

My Papa was far from being a saint or the perfect father as definitions of perfect fathers go. Over the years though, I have come to realize that he was the best father he knew how to be and how he was, as a father was what I needed and tend to seek until now. He had his favorite vices though he never let them take over his life, for which I am grateful. He had his own share of shattering my expectations and losing my trust for a period of time but what healed me of those broken 'ideals' of what a father was 'supposed' to be was the knowledge that to him, I was the most precious thing in the world. I was his princess...daddy's little girl.

It was he who taught me how to swallow medicine in tablet form. He taught me how to bike for about half a minute before I toppled over and refused to learn again. He taught me how to defend myself -- from breaking free of a hand gripping my wrist to hitting the most sensitive places of an attacker enough to give me a chance to run. He taught me how to play chess and what an accomplishment it was for me to 'beat' him at a game. He cooked the best tasting adobo and showed me how to interpret people's actions because we didn't speak the same language -- he would give a running interpretation of 'Wok with Yan'. He introduced me to the joys of reading. I remember reading 'Hunt for Red October' when I was in grade 5.

He showed me how men were supposed to treat women -- I never remembered my parents arguing. If they did, they must have done it behind closed doors so I escaped the trauma of seeing my parents fight. He showed me what faithfulness and love meant. He always came home after a week-long absence due to his work as the company dentist of a sugar central which was located far from Bacolod. He taught me how to give massages, allowing me to walk on his back until I became too heavy, that is. He showed me what it meant to be a man in control of his emotions. However trying the circumstances, he never raised his voice nor his hands. Only once did I see him do anything physically violent -- he kicked a chair in frustration over the outcome of one of his 'adopted sons' life because of thoughtlessness. He taught me the value of generosity and affording other people their human dignity no matter their social status in life. He had a clinic at home and we would get patients sometimes in the dead of the night. He never turned them away even when they had nothing to pay him with for his services except for some farm produce or live chicken they had with them.

He introduced to me the world of classical music. I can still remember lazy Sundays where the only sound heard at home were the strains of the Ride of the Valkyries or the overtures of Swan Lake. He opened up to me the different periods in music history and the great artists that peopled them. We used to listen to these masterpieces on a record player otherwise known as a turntable. He also taught me some tai chi movements for no other reason than he wanted me to learn them. In short, he knew a little about almost everything -- Jack of all trades and master in some.

I miss you Papa. Happy Father's day. Thank you for loving me.

Reminiscing

Once a birthday rolls around, one can't help but be a little sentimental. I guess its one's way of taking stock of how much one has received and given to life, in the hopes that God in His goodness will bless one with another year to live. After 28 years of existence, what lessons have I learned so far? Enough I hope to be able to make the next 28 years and more even more memorable and worth reminiscing about.

First lesson I've learned is the importance of choice. It is what God has blessed us with which separates us from mere animals that react instinctively. I have also learned that there always is a choice. Not choosing is actually a choice in itself. I can choose to be present to my present. I can choose to let my past define me or not. I can choose to choose or not to choose.

Second lesson I've learned is that God is big enough to handle the worst sins we can ever commit. He was there when we did it. It's not as if He didn't know what we were doing. So going to him and fessing up isn't actually for His sake, but ours. Only when I've confessed the wrong I have done can He show me concretely what He means when He says His love is unconditional.

Third lesson I've learned is that however much God has forgiven us for the sins and wrongs we have committed, there are still consequences inherent in the choice that we have to face. To face it though is one way God can use to strengthen us and use what negatives we may have incurred to become a positive for our lives in the long run.

Fourth lesson, God is a God of second chances and therefore I too, as His child, needed to learn to differentiate between the sinner and the sin. I have received mercy from Him numerous times therefore I learned to give mercy as well. Doing so has helped me become less uptight about things and have become more compassionate to those who err and have made some bad choices.

Fifth lesson, I am loved. Not just for the good that I do but even for the mistakes that I have made. He has loved me even when I was yet a sinner therefore there is nothing that I can do or say that will make God love me any less or any more than He already does. Loved this way gives me an assurance and a confidence that I will not be able to run so far that God's love cannot find me and make me whole. Such love also serves to drive me to be better for such love deserves nothing less. Yet to fail in the trying is no defeat. That same love compels me to get up, dust myself off and keep running until I see Him face to face.

May all that I do and say be ways by which I can love you, O Lord more perfectly than I did yesterday. Thank you for this life. Grant me the grace to live it well. Amen.

Fun Countdown...

I chose the beach and the moon for these are but two of what I love in nature. Spending time at the beach this past week during the STC (Summer Training Course) of CYA was such a blessing. The beach and the moon help me to de-stress and to recover my equilibrium. I'll write about that more next time.

Anyway, I came across the countdown in a friend's blog (thanks, Kate!). I thought it would be fun to post one myself. With 6 months to go, I still have a lot of things to get in order. O well, how does one eat an elephant? A bite at a time so . . . time to start biting :)

Lessons from Driving School

The worst thing that I can do is to just keep talking about doing something and never getting around to doing it. Words have no weight after all without the actions to support it. So I finally stopped talking about learning how to drive and just. . . did it!

The past week starting Tuesday until Thursday I sat behind the wheel of a Nissan Sentra, first the manual model and the last two hours of my classes the automatic -- just to have a feel of the difference. People keep saying its easier to drive an automatic but I wanted to challenge myself by learning how to drive the stick shift. After all, majority of the cars that ply our Philippine roads are stick shift rather than automatic. After 5 hours of driving class, have I learned anything? You bet! They are the following:



1. It's important to be aware of what happens in your vehicle. At times I would concentrate more on what was going on outside my vehicle that I become unaware of where my hands were in relation to the steering wheel and my foot was already pressing on the gas :)

In life, it's pretty much the same thing. At times we tend to focus too much on what is happening out there, we forget to pay attention to what is happening in here (in our hearts, minds, and emotions). Self-awareness is key. A balanced one for if we become too focused on what is happening inside, we might run into an immovable object instead and find ourselves stunned by the impact or worse.

2. Slow movements on the steering wheel translates to a large movement onto the wheels. I tended to keep the steering wheel turned either to the right or the left too long thus making the car move towards the other lane.

A slight change in life direction has a huge effect or consequence. These consequences need not be something others necessarily see. They may be changes in life perspective, in values, in goals and dreams. Its also not good to keep on in the same direction when that particular way is supposedly a temporary state to correct something.

3. Keeping the steering wheel steady is important. It doesn't move around -- I move around. My hands can't quite seem to stay on an even keel. My driving instructor observes that my right hand tended to keep pulling (ever so slightly, mind you) towards the right. So my left hand would try to compensate but in doing so, I was making the car swerve from side to side.

Just like in life, once we are in the right lane and in the right place, what we need to do is keep our steering wheel steady. We get somewhere faster and in safety at that. At times we also tend to fight with ourselves (our conscience) and with God too much. Instead of keeping to the straight and narrow we veer to the left or to the right.

4. It's all a matter of perspective. I find it a challenge to be able to assess the distance of the vehicle I'm driving and the side of a parked vehicle or a person on a bike. Too many times has my driving instructor taken hold of the steering wheel to steer us away from a possible collision or sideswiping an innocent pedestrian.

At times our view of things are not as they truly are. We might feel we are still far from the edge especially when playing with 'fire' but we fail to see that we are already in danger of hurting ourselves or others.

5. Stay in your lane and you will not be in danger of colliding with another vehicle. My instructor would repeatedly say, 'If you are centered properly in your lane, there is no fear of an accident happening.'

How others are positioned in the journey is not as important as your own position. Another person's state -- emotional, spiritual, physical, psychological are not as important as your own. Before looking for the splinter in your neighbor's eye, it is best to check our own eye for the log that is found there.

These are only some of the fruits of my musings on learning how to drive. There is a certain freedom in being behind the wheel but as Fr Joel Jason taught us in moral theology, 'Freedom does not necessarily mean license.'

I got this from my cousin, Melanie. It's good to go back to this list once in a while. . . After all, we live this life but once, let's live it to the fullest!

Great Advice for Living

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye.But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood.But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie.Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with the words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative-dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Mom's Day

Today is Mother's Day -- the one day set aside to honor all the mothers in the world. I wonder why we need to put aside a specific day to do that? Shouldn't we tell our mothers how we feel everyday? As for my mom...she and I look very different but I guess I'm one of those who can safely say, 'I will not trade my Mama for anyone in the world. I have the best mom ever!'.

My mom is a guidance counselor by profession. I remember only one time in my 27 years of existence where we actually really fought. I don't recall now what the cause was but I still remember how it felt. I remember telling her at the height of my frustration -- 'you should understand me, you are a counselor!' To which she answered, 'my counseling stops when it comes to my kids.' When it comes to us, we are first and foremost her daughters and not her clients but after that one argument, Mama and I never had any real shouting matches and the like. She never was one for shouting. She's one lady who can silence me with a look. Yet, she has her quirky side too. I remember trying to pay attention at mass only to be distracted when I saw her stick her tongue sideways at me. I am glad God gave me my Mama.

Though we don't look alike I guess I am more like her in attitude and mannerisms. I took another test from Tickle to see how closely I am like my Mama and the test proved that...




You've inherited your mom's Caring Spirit


Are You Turning into Your Mother?

Brought to you by Tickle

Here's their analysis:

Mitzi, you've inherited your mom's Caring Spirit

Imitation is the best form of flattery, so it's no surprise you mirror your mother's knack for treating others well. Maybe you and your mom don't share identical style or taste, but when it comes to who you are deep down, apples don't fall far from the tree.

Whether you're playing matchmaker with a friend, wiping the schmutz off a kid's face, or bringing chicken noodle soup to a sick coworker, you've learned to look out for others' best interests. Kind and caring, you've inherited all of your mom's classic values — whether you like it or not. Good thing mother knows best!

I am glad I have inherited Mama's values. I am proud of my Mama. Without her, I wouldn't be who I am today. Thanks Ma for being the best mom you could be to me. Thank you Jesus for giving my Mama to me.