I have been currently experiencing some downtime lately.
Tuesday, last week, I got a terrible headache. Could it be because I didn’t cover my head with an umbrella or a cap when I was out in the drizzle the previous evening? (By the way, is it really true that you will catch a cold when you are out in the rain?) Then I also had muscle cramps due to a 45-minute strenuous exercise after two months of stopping. It really was a pain to move my arms and legs. Then on Sunday, good ol’ Scarlet came. Why on earth did she choose to come on Father’s day? I wasn’t able to bake something yummy for my Dad. Instead, I spent the whole afternoon just resting. Then last Tuesday, I had a late lunch on an empty stomach which left me with a weird bloating feeling and later that evening I emptied out everything I had eaten on the water closet – rice, pork, veggies, mangoes and all. Ugh. I felt so weak and dizzy afterwards, and spent the whole night so restless and exhausted, and the day after.
Now, I’m glad to be up and about. It is absolutely important to take care of one’s health. I keep reminding myself this truth. Many many times. I even tell my friends to take care of their bodies, blah blah blah… you know, the usual ‘health is wealth’ stuff. Now, I’m getting a dose of my own admonitions. Hehe… oh well, sometimes I just take for granted what really matters most… my health. Ooops, it’s dinner time! Have to take care of myself, right?
By the way, aren’t Thursdays my favorite blogging days? Funny, but I notice I’ve been posting my entries on three consecutive Thursdays already.
It gives me such a strange warm feeling when I’m enjoying this breathtaking view of the sun’s setting down with its unusual mixture of hues. You can never experience the same sunset day after day, it is always a different unique show at dusk. And even though I’d always want to gaze at it for a longer time, it would suddenly fade into the horizon.
It’s just so ironic, why the sky displays its beauty at its utmost just few moments before giving way to darkness. All through the day, the horizon can be clear, bluish or cloudy, but just before the sun disappears and night sets in, it leaves your mind with a scene so amazing.
Isn’t it the same with life sometimes?
There are times when we experience great achievements and inspiring moments just before being beset with misery or pain. Like the sunset, our life’s glorious moments strengthen us to what lies ahead. We know the darkness won’t last long, and we will always have another beautiful sunset to look forward to.
It’s difficult to decide on a life-changing issue, isn’t it? But what made it even worse for me was that it involved a long-time dream and I had to think about it and weigh things over for only a short period of time. I had to make a decision within two days only. Sigh. I was in such a dilemma. I confronted myself with a lot of questions and it left me too tired thinking about all the pros and cons, it was like walking on a thin line between ‘yes’ and ‘no’. One moment, I was afraid to fall and the next moment I was fearless and so sure of myself.
Anyway, last Monday, that fateful day when I had to decide, it seemed as if all the unseen forces of the universe made everything possible for me to follow my dream. Everything just fell into place. Help came from unexpected sources, even from people our family haven’t known before. Circumstances made it possible for me to choose a big ‘yes’. All I had to do was to just let go of my doubts and worries, take another step forward and get out of my comfort zone. And so I took the fall.
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Just want to give you an update about these three candidates on my previous report:
Candidate No. 1 - Mom's watch is doing fine now, no more headaches for her, and no more trips to that watch repair shop for the nth time!
Candidate No. 2 - We already got the refund for the double payment.
Candidate No. 3 - Got the certificate with the correct name on it. I'd like to add that the guard was very accommodating. It was lunch time when we arrived at the DTI office, and he was busy munching away, but still managed to hand me the certificate even if he can just tell me to come back during office hours.
So, my trust is regained. There will always be frustrating situations when we cannot be serviced the way we expect it to be, and when times like these do happen, a little bit of understanding and patience is all it takes.
What to decide?
So many options.
What motivates me? Fear, greed, pride, anger, desire, love, faith?
Am I afraid to fail if I start something new?
Am I afraid to make mistakes?
What is my priority in life? What are my first things?
What are the relationships that will be affected by my decision?
What are the circumstances and events that could happen after I decide?
Life is a journey and there will always be that lure, that wicked enticement that draws one’s heart…
to do the easier way, even if it would result to dire circumstances, rather than to exercise the least act of self-denial that builds one’s strength,
to pass through the wider path, even if it would lead to self-destruction, rather than go with much difficulty through the narrow road that leads to the truth,
to compromise integrity in exchange for the fleeting attraction of gaining approval and popularity,
to exchange the value of the future with the whims of the present time.
Just two paths… and the choice I make now would very much determine what I will be tomorrow.
Since last Wednesday, Mom and Dad were out of town. They went to Mindanao, to be exact. Naturally, we don’t want the neighbors to know it’s just the two of us left, otherwise it would make us vulnerable to the ‘bad guys’ (one of our neighbors was robbed before). Well, I’m not really worried about that, but just to feel safer, we kept the gate always locked, which we normally don’t do. When one of our friends asked where Mom was, I just told her, she went somewhere.
My Uncle called up and asked my sis, “Kamo lang da duha? Wala man kamo nahadlok?” (It's just the two of you there? Are you not afraid?)
To which my sister laughed and replied, “Wala eh! Nga-a mahadlok man kami?” (Of course not! Why should we be afraid?)
He jokingly teased her, “Basi may aswang da ya?” (There might be a witch?) Haha… well, we’re quite brave when it comes to witches… but robbers or strangers breaking in the house? That’s a different story. Also, when my Mom called up one afternoon to check on us, she asked if my cutie sis was not afraid to sleep alone in her room upstairs. Grabe naman!
Anyway, with the house being two people less, it seemed different. Meal times are quieter than the usual, and on late evenings, I worked on the computer without a surprised Mom asking me why I’m still up. Then I missed Dad not being around tinkering with his tools and his usual stuff.
Finally, they were home last night! Suddenly, the house was bustling with non-stop conversation about news of their recent trip and the latest infos concerning our relatives.
As my cutie sis remarked, “Everything is back to normal again.” Hmmm… even the gate today is not locked anymore.
Ideas are powerful. A train of thought can make or break, build or destroy. The choice is ours. Our ideas become our future. I believe that life’s meaningful lessons are best learned when shared with others.
