What A Lovely Surprise

Odette, a friend, surprised me with a visit and gave me a brand new hardbound copy of Richard Paul Evans’ latest book entitled Noel Street. She is so thoughtful when it comes to providing me with books by my favorite authors. She gave me several books and blank journals in the past years. I introduced Richard Paul Evans’ works to her and since then she had provided me with copies that are not sold here. And she likes the works of RPE too. It’s always a “one copy for me, one copy for her”. Her kids who are based abroad know this 🌝🥰☺

I enjoyed our chats while we had dinner at KFC near our place. We both wanted to avoid the traffic so KFC was our best choice. She even bought a barrel of chicken and side dishes to bring home to Josef.

I love unexpected meetings. They are priceless moments that a friendship brings.

When friends meet, hearts warm👭🌺🍻

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Best Friends

He followed me one morning at the garden

Looked at me with those soulful eyes

while I took the first sip of my morning fix.

“Coffee”, I said.

Our eyes met then came the tentative touch,

One paw timidly placed on my lap.

Another one shyly touched my arm.

Before I knew, his nose came close to my face.

Best friends.

Love is unconditional.

 

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Life

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I Love Surprises

Gosh, I was like “oh, oh, where have you been” upon seeing the faces of my three friends two of whom I’ve last seen almost a year ago. And to think this is the first time that they came over here at the house to visit me.

Thank God for surprises! When He tickles you with one, He makes sure that it is really something you will treasure, maybe long after the laughter, the giggles and endless smiles are gone.  Yesterday was another day “worth-remembering”.  That’s really my favorite line, the worth-remembering people, events and surprises in my life. There are moments when you just look up and say a prayer or two that He is giving you another beautiful day to put in the treasure chest of your memories.

Yesterday was such a lovely day spent with friends from my Catholic apostolate group, the Apostles Filipino Catholic Community.  It all started about two years ago when Fr. Louie  Coronel, OP created an online page at Facebook. AFCC has actually been in existence  as a Catholic organization in Rome for the last twenty years. We cater to the global Pinoys and share reflections, news, ideas, and ways of strengthening our Faith and our own journeys as Catholics.  We finally met some of the members  in two successive gatherings  last year at Bahay Dominiko, Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City. Meeting face to face, realizing that they were not just names and pictures on Facebook was awesome.  Truly, God works in wondrous ways.  Forming friendship with people younger than you are, (they could be your sons and daughters) sharing their own spiritual journeys in life, sharing their own pain with you and  sharing their thoughts and aspirations are clear affirmations  that everything is possible when you look together and look forward in  the same direction. Friendship is a lovely thing, don’t you think?

Imagine six hours of sharing and laughter, talking about anything under the sun, touching on such serious subjects like life’s travails and  journeys  and yes, we even touched on subjects  like the stock market and how it works, life in a bank as an employee,  life of a OFW,  photography, faith, and places we want to explore and dream of visiting – they are an eclectic mix of topics alright.

We had a yummy lunch of grilled pork steak, roasted chicken, grilled liempo, sautéed mixed veggies and the ginataang santol which I cooked earlier. Reymon, Joan and Lilet said that this is the first time they have tasted santol cooked as a dish. It went well with the grilled meat. I jokingly asked them, “Did I pass?” and Reymon laughingly  answered,“Wow, ang sarap po Mommy.” Late in the afternoon, we harvested calamansi in the backyard for Lilet to take home.  It was such a joy seeing them enjoying themselves  picking calamansi despite the afternoon shower which turned into a heavy downpour before they left.

Oh, the joys of meeting and hugging each other, and smiling at the thought of shared jokes remembered – what a lovely gift – having friends!  And I’d like to end this blog with these words for they briefly describe what friendship is all about. It was written by Dinah Maria (Mulock) Craik.

Oh, the comfort —
The inexpressible comfort of feeling
safe with a person,
Having neither to weigh thoughts,
Nor measure words — but pouring them
All right out — just as they are —
Chaff and grain together —
Certain that a faithful hand will
Take and sift them —
Keep what is worth keeping —
and with the breath of kindness
Blow the rest away.

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Lovely Saturday, Quiet Sunday

It’s been a long time, literally, that is! For the past few days, all I came up for a blog were one and two-liner features that made it to my most read list, just the same.  Anyway, I just thought of updating you all with the weekend I had.

Yesterday, I met a friend way back in college and I remember that the last time we had lunch together was a year ago. Although we get to text each other once in a while, it is always a welcome change to chat, giggle, reminisce, hold hands  and cry a little while drinking hot tea and making the big effort of finishing off the Shabu-Shabu plate she ordered at Gloriamaris  Restaurant at Gateway Mall.  Would you believe that we’ve been through the same predicaments and problems in life (not in the same degree probably) while counting the years being cancer survivors?  I’ve always said that the best people who would truly understand what you’ve  been through and what you are presently undergoing are those who are on the same road with you and traveling the same journey. Precy, a friend for almost forty years now is one such gracious and caring lady who is ready to help – a shoulder to cry on, a sister, family and all.

We attended a seminar on health and healing at  Noble Life International (Phils.) They develop and market organic healing foods endorsed by world-renowned medical researchers and doctors.  Their products are used by doctors and medical professionals as food therapy. Yesterday I learned a lot from one of their guest speakers, a neurosurgeon.  For the past three months,  Precy has been taking these  all-natural supplementary food medicines and she says that they really help in her recovery as a breast-cancer survivor. Having such toxic elements in your body as a result of six cycles of chemotherapy makes you so wary of eating unhealthy food. I’ve been so careful of my diet since I was diagnosed of stage three colon cancer almost three years ago. And again this brings me to some friends asking, “how can you talk freely about your illness and what you’ve been through?” Well, having a light-threatening disease is not the end of it as some people perceive it to be. It’s true, you have to go through the drastic measures of treatments, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and all but I am of the thought that sharing it through my blogs would somehow ease the pain for someone out there undergoing the same health problems as I am. And I feel happy that in my own little way, I am  doing a bit of helping these people cope. It’s the reason why I put up this blog in the first place.

Nissa and Obet came over yesterday to have dinner with us!  They brought with them ingredients for a yummy dinner, pork sinigang in guava.  And Obet could cook, we let him labor in the kitchen, churning out a tasty and indeed yummy sinigang sa bayabas. It was a lovely Saturday, alright:) And I had the chance to see the photos forwarded by their official wedding photographers. They haven’t chosen yet what to put in the official album from around 2,000 photos which will be narrowed down to about 150 at the most. I suggested that we have the candid shots printed and have them made into one lovely family album, after all, it’s not every day that your one and only daughter gets married:) .

It was a quiet Sunday and I almost cried listening to Fr. Leo’s homily today!

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How Do You Comfort A Friend?

 

Your  presence is enough because sometimes words are inadequate but silence says a lot!

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Ramblings

I am re-posting this  because it exactly echoes what I feel at the moment, the trying times of seeking answers and finding everything jumbled.  I wrote this more than two years ago. I am glad though of having friends around who care, praying for me every step of the way.

I remember an old friend who used to say, “The journey to life is an endless struggle on  perilous paths of treacherous stones and storms”. For one so young he surely looked at the world with open eyes and between the two of us, I was more of the dreamer than he was.  I had this penchant for collecting quotes from almost every book that comes into my hands,  filling up three full notebook of quotations my entire college life. He was really a big influence to me –  appreciating  good poetry, good books and  yes, quotes that somehow played a big chunk of what I called my “sentimental” moments.

“Live the dream”, he would  say. I do. I did. And I like to think that somehow, in between wakefulness and dreamland, life was real. Why am I remembering?  Why the sudden recall?  Or is this one of those moments that makes  one wander far beyond, going far off to a place of childhood dreams?  I really don’t know.  I just saw the place where we used to walk and talk, and dream about big things that only the young would think of  and I suddenly pictured his smiling face, creating a sense of sudden longing. Memories sometimes have that power to make one lonely and alone.

I would have liked to share that I am going through a phase in my life full of so much pain. But I can hear his voice saying,  “Life is never perfect”. And he would understand.  And I would tell him that I am brave enough to face it all.

How true, life is never perfect and when you expect too much from it, you’ll just be disappointed.  Special thanks to my ever thoughtful friends Lovell, Lilet and Fr. Louie, thanks a lot for listening!

 

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But Life Has To Go On

The other day, I met a friend whom I haven’t seen in years and she asked how I was. I told her, I am sharing my journey now as a cancer survivor. Whereas before my blogs were all about my treatment and chemotherapy, now I get to meet lots of people through an online Apostolate, the Apostles Filipino Catholic Community and it makes life more meaningful!

Despite all the setbacks, life has to go on. And I am now beginning to realize that He put me here for some other purpose and I am doing it the best way I can. Reaching out, touching people and I get a real high when I hear from them and they treat me like I am a long-lost relative – a mommy to most, a tita to some, an ate to everyone . And to all of you there, even if not all of you have the chance to visit my blog, I’m grateful. You add meaning to my life.

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I Miss Reading Rod McKuen

The stars are out tonight sending sinews of hope for a better tomorrow.  Just looking at the pictures of the victims of typhoon Sendong and listening to the news  of  how more than a thousand died  and many more missing makes me feel depressed somehow.  As I have always said before, you can never really empathize  unless you were a victim yourself and experienced the same thing they are experiencing right now.  Typhoon Ondoy made me wary of the things it brought and the lessons learned and until now, every time it rains, I still feel that uncertain fear.  But life has to go on despite everything right?

Yes, in times like these, I resort to  reading poems or sometimes just focus  on inspirational books to get by. One of  my early favorites (aeons ago, since I was still in college when I found him) is Rod McKuen.  It’s a little uncanny when you find an author who exactly echoes your thoughts and what you feel right at that moment that you need to reassure yourself that everything is well. I miss my only book I had of his works but at least I could google him up and still enjoy reading his thoughts.

There should be some silence in this place so thought can harvest things it’s lately caught. I hope that you will take this as a resting space. A bench provided just before the clearing up ahead.

Arms around me these past years have not been commonplace, your comfort passed to me from out there, somewhere – dare we call it outer space, has kept me safe. Your thought embraces better than the memory’s triumph over time. I have longed for you, thought up songs for you, missed and mourned you as the times passed past. Here you are. Brought back to me by your wish mixed with mine. Noise cannot touch us here. I will try and make for you the calmest place there is within this loud and getting louder world.

No map to help us find the tranquil flat lands, clearings calm, fields without mean fences. Rolling down the other side of life our compass is the sureness of ourselves. Time may make us rugged, ragged round the edges, but know and understand that love is still the safest place to land.

The journey back is always longer than the forward run.

Cats have it all – admiration, an endless sleep, and company only when they want it.

Once I thought ideas were exceptions not the rule. That is not so. Ideas are so plentiful that they ride on air. You have only to reach out and snatch one.

Strangers are just friends waiting to happen.

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Glimpses From The Heart (Or The Things That Make Me Smile)

Oh well, the past few days have been simply that – happy to some extent. What a difference a day makes and what lovely thoughts one holds in a heartbeat.

• receiving an e-mail from a friend whom I haven’t seen for the last ten years.  She said she reads my blogs and I was surprised. “So I am updated on what’s happening in your life more than you know.” It’s indeed so touching to learn that although you don’t  talk much and communication is just a text or two once or twice a year, she never forgets.
• hugging a recently found book that I dreamed of buying for the last few months and it turned out that I enjoyed every page and was delighted in every stringed word. It’s one such delicious read that the characters linger long after I have read the last page and closed the book.  Sigh with a smile :), and that reads,  “Could I ever write something like that in my lifetime?”
• waking up early to see the sunrise I’ve missed for so long because the rains chose to linger, drenching everything in the garden. Even the Koi are probably happy to feel the sun on their backs while they are busy swimming back and forth, back and forth  until I give up watching because my eyes hurt.
• thinking of that one summer that I felt the touch of raindrops on my face, diffusing the heat for a while.
• counting the days till Christmas. I’ve blogged time and again that the Christmas season is my favorite time of the year.  And these are happy times that one cherishes and treasures.
• making my countdown on the big day – my daughter’s wedding. I am excited to see her walk down the aisle with the man she loves. A lot of friends are teasing me, “Would you  cry during her wedding day?” I probably would but they would be tears of joy.
• the joy of meeting new-found friends and seeing them finally after several months of online chats.  I could still remember the shared laughter and the spark in our eyes just being together – no holds barred, no rules followed.
• reading a tweet from someone I  never thought would read my silly posts on Twitter. 🙂
• experimenting with a new recipe in the kitchen and having that big smile on my face because the hubby and the kids like it.
• replenishing my TBR list and remembering to jot down lovely quotes while reading.
• ah, yes, eating dirty ice cream in  a hamburger bun instead of ice cream cone. It makes me remember those high school days in UST when having one during recess time is total bliss. That was how simple life was back then.
• dreaming of having my favorite Jubileum ensaymada for afternoon snack. It’s the best in town.
• Sunday mornings with hubby and the kids – lingering on the dining table while sharing cups of coffee, scrambled eggs and hot pan de sal.
• playing with our dogs in the garden – the errant Suki always trying to find an opportunity to run wild outside when the gate is open, our half-breed Rottweiler dog Meatloaf  slowly inching her way inside the house and stopping at the rug near our kitchen door, waiting for a signal that she could come in and stay inside for a while. Our aging dog Boo which has been with us for I don’t know how long. She’s the only one that never venture out of the gate because she’s really growing old. And of course, our youngest dog Gray always wagging his tail and sticking out his  tongue until we call his name.
• the sweet scent of Gardenia in bloom and the flowers growing in our garden. I recently bought some hanging plants and they are thriving nicely despite the rain.

• listening to the sound of those tiny birds outside our bedroom window early in the morning.

I could go on and on, there are just so  many things that make my day complete. Life is good, thank God!

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