Those Days

Do you remember?

The shy “hi” and “hello”

The hesitant smiles.

Then came the laughter

Listening to each other’s stories in between.

Crying on your shoulder,

And hearing those comforting words.

When friendship blooms,

Life alters.

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When The Sun Shines Again

The sun is showing its face again but yesterday, typhoon Pepito brought havoc to some towns in Quezon. Some roads collapsed due to heavy rain waters  which overflowed from the rivers and rice fields.  Towns affected by floodwaters were Gumaca, Lopez, and Guinayangan. The flood waters reached  as high as chest-level.

Around this time the previous years, we were on the road to the Amihan season, where it seldom rained but it slowly got colder especially at night. The weather bureau said La Niña will stay with us till the month of April. La Niña  refers to the periodic cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific. Typically, La Niña events occur every 3 to 5 years or so, but on certain  occasion, it  can occur over successive years. I hope by December we would no longer experience strong typhoons.  We were under signal number one yesterday and it rained all day.  We are just on the sixteenth weather disturbance and we average at least  twenty a year. It is during the months of November and December where strong typhoons occur.

Ah, I just smiled seeing the book I chose to read which I started the other day. It is entitled Thunder and Rain, another Charles Martin book.  I love the books of the author. When the prose is meaningful and poignant, you just can’t put it down.  The characterization tugs at you making you excited to  finish the book and maybe, just maybe start another one. I have read at least seven books by the author. He is that good.

I have a priest friend who said, “rain, a book  and coffee, perfect combination”. I agree but I prefer a spearmint and chamomile  tea on a rainy night.

I had a good chat with an online friend here who lives in Australia. It was her birthday yesterday.  I enjoyed our chat. Again, my birthday wishes to you Techie – good health, happiness and peace of mind. May you meet  more friends here through your lovely photo blog.

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Echoes

 

I spent some time in the garden early this morning. Removed the old and dried Zinnia together with my drying Four O’clock.  They have self-propagated, small seedlings that don’t need replanting. A few more mornings then I’ll be able to finish pruning and weeding too. Such a hard job but it has to be done.

Aren’t I lucky? I tried searching for John O’Donohue’s website on Facebook and what do you know, I finally found one and some of his writings are posted there. The page is maintained by the Director of John’s Literary Estate, Ann Cahill, in partnership with the O’Donohue Family. Beautiful! I won’t need to go to other sites except to his home page.

It is more complete and is being managed by his brother. Wow, I am enamored by  his words. Echoes of the past that create beautiful and lovely memories of the author.  You look behind and you look back and it seems like one does not really goes away but he stays because of his words. This is what we experience when we find something wonderful like a good book that lets you live and visit the places  with the author. Such thrilling adventures created by words alone.

Another author whose words touch my soul is Mary Oliver. Like O’Donohue, she left some wonderful works of art in her books of poems. She died last year. And this reminds me of another favorite author whom I discovered  a  few years ago and like Oliver and O’Donohue,  Peter Mayle died two years ago. And they have something in common, they all passed away in the month of January.  They were all gifted writers.

I am on my 94th read on Goodreads 2020 Reading challenge. Another lovely book I found  about India.

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A Promise To Keep

I’m sure we’ll meet again someday

One of these days I guess.

And we would smile and laugh

About those long-ago days

of our youth.

We’ll share more cups of coffee

Just the way you like it.

Friendship is such a lovely thing.

The stories get more interesting.

Along the way, we’ll meet again

That’s a promise.

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You Are Family

I found this on my newsfeed a few moments ago. Too good not to share it.

from dailynet.co

Friendship, that one word that makes the world go round.  I have my share of friends for almost half a century now and I love it that we still get in touch after all these years. And yes, my high friends are still there too. We have regular reunions every three years but I don’t always get to attend.

Doesn’t it feel wonderful when you find someone who is attuned with what happens in your life? Don’t you find it beautiful when they are by your side through thick and thin ?  Isn’t it lovely when someone laughs and cries with  you?  We are one big family.

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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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Comforting A Friend

My  neighbor (a kumare, I was one of the sponsors of her daughter’s baptism fifteen years ago) and I were waiting for the garbage truck to arrive a few hours ago and she asked me about Nissa. So I told her today is Nissa’s check-up with her surgical oncologist.

She told me about her plight nowadays. She could not stand now for long and when she walks she drags her feet slowly. She even said that when they are at the mall, people look at her askance on the way she walks. I told her to not mind them. A few months ago, she still could do morning rounds of walking at the village park. She was crying when she told me that she is just waiting  for the end of it all. I didn’t know how to comfort her so we just held each other tight. Those patients that she used to see at her doctor’s clinic are now on wheel chairs. She is suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease is progressive. It gets worse over time.  Symptoms start gradually, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. Tremors are common, but the disorder also commonly causes stiffness or slowing of movement. Back in 2009 when typhoon Ondoy struck and five families were in their house including us, we noticed her slow movement. That was the start.

Knowing how to comfort a friend. We are quite afraid at times that we might say the wrong words. It’s okay to just listen and empathize. Don’t act as if you know it all. Just tell them you understand.

Habang may buhay, may pag-asa. 

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Getting In Touch With Friends

The last few days were spent sharing with Nissa and some of our friends over the phone. It was so nice to get in touch with friends again and lovely to know they were praying for Nissa’s quick recovery. I got to see her sis-in law and brother-in-law at the hospital. Haven’t seen them since Nate’s kinder graduation last March.

Talking about anything under the sun from our pet dogs to our health and getting old. Yes, growing and getting old is one of our favorite topics. Sometimes you can’t help but think about it when you feel those aches and pains that suddenly manifest themselves and they catch you unaware. Last Thursday, I had a long trip (close to three hours going home from the hospital because of traffic. I almost could not walk when I alighted from the jeepney because of muscle pains. My legs were aching like crazy. Add that to the weight of my travelling bag 😦

I saw again that ice cream vendor at the university campus on my way home. He is the same man I used to see when Nissa was still studying there. Talk about the rituals of our lives. He seems comfortable selling ice cream inside the campus. There are lots of fast food chains and a couple of high-end restaurants inside the campus fronting the UST hospital, they cater mostly to students. You won’t need to go outside the perimeter of the university to alleviate your hunger pangs.

One of Nissa’s doctors asked me if I am her mom. I told him in passing that I am a survivor for ten years now under the care of Dr. Samuel Ang, a  surgical oncologist recommended by my OB GYN. He said that Dr. Ang is also practising in UST and that his son, a doctor too  was his schoolmate.  Oh to meet people who are caring enough to know a little about you….what a blessing.

Haha, Nissa and I talked about our doctors one night at the hospital and we were laughing when she said that most of them are so handsome in their white medical attire. So agree 🙂

Meeting friends all over again, meeting new ones, we are doubly blessed.

 

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Thinking Of Yesterday

Just saw this from the “memories”  app at Facebook. Back when Multiply was still alive, I had a little more than a hundred friends, both online and personal ones. I got to see some of them eventually. Multiply has disbanded sometime in 2012 I think but the memories remain.

What Are Friends For?

One of those close friends at Multiply then was Bella a retired teacher who taught in Thailand.  She  was sickly but I admired her wit and how she viewed life. She viewed herself as a fashionista here and depicted me as a gardener which I loved.  She was always the first one who would decorate her house as early as October with those Christmas trimmings and tinsels. Every year, the colorful themes and decorations made us uttered “ohhs”  and “ahhs”. She made the celebration of Christmas so beautiful.

There are friends and there are friends but a few of them touch you  and they’ll remain in your heart forever. Bella is one of them.

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And More Books

Saw this on “my memory”  app at FB yesterday.  I can’t help but repost it. The value of reading….priceless.

I marked this quote when I started another book yesterday. It’s by  Martin Luther King.

Faith is taking  the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.

Gosh, I just love, love this book. For a first time author, Amy Markstahler is pretty good. Love, family life, second chances – they’re all here. I cried at the scene when Tyler gave a eulogy on the death of Elsie’s dad. That was so sweet. Another book that I read in one day. It was that good. I was clearly surprised seeing that the author just followed my review at Goodreads. I hope I could find more stories like this.

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