Life, Day by Day

How does one define caring? It probably means different things to many people but I guess basically, it's concern, sensitivity and compassion. To me however, caring is not just about feelings but it's also about doing something about that feeling. You see, my nature is such that I have this habit of always trying to find a solution to problems or situations, in other words, I am never a passive onlooker...and the worst thing is that sometimes the problem or the situation has nothing to do with me at all. I would tell my friends that I am the last person they should call when they just want to talk about their troubles because I am not one who would just sit and listen especially when I see a solution, so if they don't want to hear my 2-cents worth of advice, then please don't bring me your problems unless you need and want help. Of course, some people just want to voice out their sentiments and they don't actually want help...unfortunately, I don't have the pa...

Now-a-days I need to remind myself that inspite of all the troubles in the hospital and controversies thrown at me, life is still good and I can still laugh. All I have to do do is to think about the things that make me happy...and the favorite moments of my life: 1. sleeping with clean sheets and soft, fluffy pillows 2. staying in bed on a rainy day 3. watching the stars under a full moon 4. hugging and being hugged 5. drinking my favorite coffee while reading a good book 6. dancing to my favorite music while getting ready for work 7. being on a quiet beach with pristine white sands listening to the sound of the waves 8. sharing stories at the dinner table with family and giggling over silly things 9. singing my son to sleep every night up to age 11 10. slow dancing and holding hands 11. driving along in a smooth and calm road with a view of the sea 12. watching the sun set in a blaze of red and orange 13. sharing a good laugh with family,friends 14. Hearing from som...

Why do things happen? How did we become who and what we are today? Is it fate? luck? coincidences? We have a hundred reasons for why our life turns out the way it does and usually, it's never because of us. I guess it's easier to blame the world, the circumstances and say, I didn't have any choice...It's the will of God! But the fact is, our life is the way it is because of the choices that we have made. I do not deny the fact that there are things beyond our control and these can affect the choices we make. But the truth is, we do have choices ... I like the way Jason Kotecki said it in his blog " but here’s the really REALLY important thing: the choices may not be easy, ideal, comfortable, safe, quick, cheap, simple, popular or fun. Pretending you don’t have them is not realistic. It’s just wrong. "

When it comes to my personal life, procrastinating is one of my bad habits...but today I have decided that every month I will fulfill 5 things on my 2007 to-do list. Okay, I know that half of the year is over but there's still enough time. You see, I still have to make that list...haha. Seriously though, to prove my resolve I decided to write it down here for all to see because making my list public will "force" me to finish what I started, right?...so here goes! 1. learn at least 5 new words in French and Korean 2. speak at least 10 sentences in Spanish 3. finish a book 4. exercise 15 minutes a day 5. drink more water

I was in Manila for 3 days where I attended a convention/reunion with my fellow graduates of HLMP. It was good to see them and a needed break for me to get away from the pressures of work. One of the activities lined up was to watch 2 plays in the CCP, Palanca in my Mind and Hubad , both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. In retrospect, these are the things I miss most living in the province...the diverse cultural events, the bars and the bands, bookstores (although now, we do have NBS in the province), Mark and Spencers...what I do not miss is the traffic, smog, pollution, the floods, the noise and all the other unneccesary trappings of an urban lifestyle. Of course, what I need most when I do go Manila...is plenty of money...but that's another story :)

Last Friday, 2 people close to me passed away. One has been sick since the beginning of the year while the other was a family friend and co-volunteer in the Diocesan Lay Formation Center. Both deaths although not surprising were still unexpected...at least not as soon as this. I was in church attending a wedding as a primary sponsor when I got the text message from my Mom regarding Tito Nacing...my feeling upon getting the news was what a good way to die...no fuss, no long agonies...it's typical of him. He has had a few close calls before, so I guess this time was the right time. The other death was not a shock but the news gave me a lump in the throat. I got home from the wedding reception really tired and did not bother to check the messages on my cellphone. I was told that our administrative officer called earlier in the afternoon but left no message. I sat down to watch TV and after a few minutes decided to take a bath...I cleaned up my bag and saw the message..."Patay...

I was in a bookstore today and I saw this book about finding Joy in life and it dawned on me that the passion that I have been wishing for will forever elude me without joy in my life. But how? Joy is such a simple word so why is it not easy to find? My days are often filled with laughter but thinking about this as I type, humor is not quite the same as having joy, is it? I mean, there are so many things everyday that can annoy me but I also see the funny side of it all so that my stress level never quite gets off the ground. Yet, I realize that inspite of having humor and laughter in my life, there seems to be a lack of real joy. The kind of joy that makes one look forward to the day at hand..the kind that makes you want to wake up in the morning...the kind that makes your eyes sparkle and brings a smile to your face...the kind that makes one sing and feel energized. I want to be joyful like that, but where do I start? What is the biggest barrier to my experiencing joy despite any c...