Forget Me Not

Ave Maria:-) 

Coffee anyone? Strong brewed coffee -- I am a certified coffee lover, my hubby has the same passion for coffee.. of late , discovered too hot tea with milk - ayyy, masarap din pala - it is so soothing -- but of course nothing like the hot coffee "fix". And I never learn my lessons becoz I should never, never,never drink brewed kape past 5pm - if I do, I will be counting sheep, dogs, cats..and still be wide awake at 4a.am hahaha -- so rather than count mammals, maybe writing is a better option -- uy, just finding an excuse to turn on computer ...but seriously.......... At the Living Word Facebook site , there's a surge of postings, all sorts, from sharings, to videos, songs recorded by bros and sisters in the past -- to a deluge of old fotos -- from you guessed it -ollldddder foto albums, somebody should keep those albums under lock and key,  hahaha.

Recollection of happy memories, who would wouldn't love these..? it's a balm to the spirit, it lifts us up, certified instant "upper" , puts a smile on your face whole day long, and while realizing that you're much older , it adds another bonus happiness, that hey..! life was not a waste after all -- we make a hasty mental math, and say : it was a good life, a joyous one , that we probably did some right things. 

OOPSS PROBABLY.. OUCH.

Hehe, won't be the one to dampen happy spirits ( there is lots to be grateful for during an anniversary) ... but am just following a grand idea Fr. Vic Sadaya posed to us during the Claret Recollection:

 He goes (gist of it):

Those old memories of our painful past , we think we should shut them out.... forget them especially if they are painful ones... forget..bury them as deep as you can, be done with it, sooner the better.Kalimutan mo na, ibaon mo sa limot.

Fr. Vic continues: Pero alam nyo..nothing could be more disastrous or harmful to one's self ... it's alright to return to those memories, painful and atrocious as they may be -- not because we want to  endure the pain a second time -- but hopefully to learn from those memories ... to gain wisdom ... to be a stronger, better person ... that this is the best way to deal with the past, especially unhappy pasts.

Padre says : If we just bury them without learning from them, they could pop out again in the future..and it's possible we could be making the same mistakes all over again.. yikes  

So no wonder, we have the propensity to keep repeating the same gory mistakes -- maybe we didnot process those old memories  of our past. Hmmmmmm. 

In the context of faith , we 'd be wise to have those reflective recollections  but to do it with lots of prayer ( to the Holy Spirit), and perhaps even with  spiritual counselors ( choose well) to help us out.

Back to the foto deluge and anniversary postings -- for sure gazillions of things have happened to those very young faces, gangly, incredibly thin figures -- faces innocent, mischievous, hopeful -- just raring to go, heeeyahhh( Even at my father's side FB site , there are lots of , 50's 60's fotos posted --)

Knowing most of those young faces ... all are decades older now. Most of the youth were in their high school yrs.. some were able to stay on and serve till college , then after graduation welcomed adult life... others naman... as God would have it, remained in the community. There really is a wonderful plan that God has in store for each one of us. Sure we can say with all the conviction we can muster that : "I planned this, I worked hard... I made sure.. I was focused for this goal" --- but really in the end, it's the Lord who gives the go signal so that our plans materialize.

The youth were fortunate to hold several concerts then..and there was a fave no. taken from Joseph the Dreamer : 

Praise His Name and See it Happen ..

Let the Power of God Become Alive in Your Life , 

Just Praise the Lord, just praise the Lord

 Sing ALleluia ...Alleuia !

We laughed so hard, yes we enjoyed so many experiences but I'm sure no one..not one of us was prepared for what life had in store for us. The whole gamut of life ... in Tagalog , ka dramahan ng buhay

Serving Jesus in a community or church setting is easy compared to serving Him ( and obeying Him)in the workplace, in our families.. in our social circle ... in everything.

Singing and dancing for Jesus is such a happy thing, never mind if you had to have rehearsals where you had to stretch leg and body muscles that were not even familiar with the word stretching --- but taking care of one's family thru thick and thin... bearing with incredibly, unbelievably stubborn, obnoxious friends ... maintaining your sanity and Christian values at work and everywhere, anywhere -- trying to be a good citizen ... an authentic blessing to others wherever we be situated ---> that is where the real 

challenge is.

To date , I did say gazillions have happened ... Marriages, Break-ups.. Love found, love lost ( for some , a never-ending cycle, pls wake up na)... illnesses, disabilities... career success or the opposite.... 

For each face in those pictures  is like a soul standing at the shoreline of the Pacific ocean ... waiting for each wave to come.... small waves, playful waves... caressing waves.... threatening waves.. mean , huge waves .. colossal tsunami- like, killer waves .... that is life... And we always want to be able to overcome all those waves victoriously.

And all who have endured and grown older graciously, or have passed on to the next life have succeeded only becoz all this time, their hand was held tightly by JESUS. Holding hands talaga.

Good brothers and sisters , the community life is just a launching pad for the totality of life that God calls us to... I pray on our 32nd, God grants us fresh fire made possible by falling in love with Jesus the 32nd time around... Kahit san ka pa i destino, kahit sang lupalop ka naroroon .. just share the Good News Who is Jesus Christ. 

Humayo't ihayag ...Purihin Siya............................................................TC... te mye   

The Stuff Moms are Made Of

Ave Maria:-)

What's a common denominator we have ...well most folks have? Try this: Thinking you were born in this world and utterly singled out by GOD to have the weirdest mother. So you can change the word : weird, difficult, alien (E.T.) just plain different from the rest. It's either we have the strictest mom... or one who'd let you try bungee at age 5, hahaha ... either way , we probably go thru our questioning period and could have authoured Book of Lamentations in the bible, coz at one point or another we did say plaintively : "Why oh why oh why dear God did she have to be my mom.? I'm writing this becoz I'm actually overflowing with happiness, joy spilling out of my ears..not becoz I don't have my woes and authentic things to lament about

we all have our fair share ... but because when I remember even just one SUPERB Blessing from God ALmighty.. all those horrific things seem to vanish .. because joy and hope and love can outpower sorrow and the blues, anytime BIG TIME. 

I''ll  just focus on Mom to day... hey... moms for that matter.

Nanay Maye : "Josh uwi na tayo...  let's ride with Bro. Art and Sis. Ethel... (15 minutes after and home)  

yikes..!!! I forgot ..we brought a car. We left it at the church..  hahahaha .. will have to credit my son for bearing all these yrs with me.. I don't think I could have survived myself hehe. 

Mama Lydia : you're sick - confined terrible stomatitis , "singaw" blisters in your mouth tongue, throat threatening to go down intestines,iieeiouwweven to just swallow saliva is torture) She visits , I wanna bawl en grande , she cuts it short military style: "Don't cry , you'll only make it harder for yourself. ( well she was right , bawling equals more saliva down the throat, but c'mon Ma,Puede ba drumama nang konti , mother may I? grahbe... but Mother knows best.

- one day cut myself a nasty cut, you wanna play poor me to the hilt, right? (becoz you had to make the grand escape up the guava tree and Nawasa pipes so you  could bike and play outside - at the street ) but No sirree.... no "Oh you poor little baby...", it was  sermon muna (scolding 1st) before wound is attended to.        

- when Holy Monday starts for Holy Week ... you practically have to tiptoe , the piano is locked , there was just this reverence for the Passion of our Lord.. and then learning when to sit, kneel stand even when you're young -- this impacts our young mind because we learn that something very important is going on , the holy mass... or praying the rosary at home... just love the elders back then.

- getting a spanking, minsan luhod (kneel) for misdemeanors... ok,ok sometimes kurot(pinch) , what can I say? may kakulitan ang bata eh .... I think my mother had to give extra dose of discipline coz was an only child -- she knew what a hard time I would have if I grew up thinking I was the sun and all other earthlings were my planets hahaha. When we grow beyond our teen years..and start roaming the world it's baloney thinking we're master of the universe.

Try Lola Feling : my father's mom -- oh... from the stories..her children would also say what a disciplinarian she was.... Spanish style hahaha, with a belt to boot... was she a sadist? ... oh no... she just happened to have 12 very healthy, strong-willed children -- for sure Grandma Filomena made the 12 Little Injuns understand who was the Boss at home, of course Mom and Pop. Lolo Ramon Sr.  was like my father Ramon Jr. they disciplined with words that penetrated your very soul -- the Rambo stuff they left to their wife -- what's with guys anyways? hahahaha.

Mom Rose (mom in law) -- I miss her... she has 6 children ...  being a young Bicolana and very spoiled colegiala , it's a wonder  she survived  in a thoroughly Kapampangan setting -- boy did she learn fast. Mom Rose was a top notch homemaker... she was somthin' else. One minute she's a party girl just bursting with life, next minute, she's Mom Rose moving heaven and earth to help her children and apos.

Whether it's cousins, classmates or friends sharing stories about their moms' eccentricities ..unique ways of rearing their children .. it's heartwarming to realize at the end that for many -- our mom's incredibly unique methods in life were what saved the day for us. I'll know of cousins ..friends who'll bear witness to that .

Perhaps God in His infinite wisdom gave us what we specifically needed. Perhaps and this is something to ponder about ... perhaps God has planted other mother figures in our life, yes we have other "mothers" too -- to experience His healing love from their hands, from their touch. 

'Was blest with Yaya Pilar , my mother's old maid cousin who was also an elementary teacher at San Miguel School Mla. The Lord allowed me to enjoy all the "spoiling" from Tita Pilar ... she was south and Mama was north ... she would take me to all those Nora-Tirso movies... we'd ride the G. Liner bus, eat all the baaad food ... ok maybe  not that bad --- Mama took it upon herself to make me understand what life was all about. It was a cool joint venture between the two ladies  God is a Master Planner.  

Lest you think that Mama was a virtual dragon till the end..she saved the best for the last.. when I reached 13 and grew older..that was when she loosened up --- perhaps she thought , the important lessons were firmly planted in my heart.

In later years, even if I'd stray..and try some outrageously rebel stuff -- the values and lessons she planted were much too deeply imbedded... one could not possibly forget and remain unfaithful thru-out.

In closing must share how she taught me the value of suffering -- suffering not for the sake of misery.. but suffering and offering this so that others can live. Oh dear that's another blog in itself. She was not a saint... did I not say from the start of this piece how weird she was... not a saint then ... but probably a saint now. I love you so much Mama.. thank you for everything, funny how your memory pops out when wonderful things happen ..like this 32nd yr anniversary of our little parish community.. or when I rejoice in surviving life's challenges.. you prayed so hard for us then, you are still at it now,I'll bet. Well , in heaven we will have that long-delayed kiss and hug. 

God bless you my brothers and sisters, don't be so hard on yourself, our Jesus is patient and forgiving.. He knows everything in our life... Maaayos rin ang lahat , you'll see..just have faith in Him............ te mye