Celebrating Nanay Tessie

We all have something in mind that reminds us of our mothers—whether it is the smell of her perfume, her laughter or the way she prepares a meal. For me, it is my mom’s words of consolation and motivation.

“Don’t let it bring you down. However long the night, the dawn will break.”

“Everything happens for a reason.”
"You can do better than that."

Long before modern day life coaches have found ways to exploit these lines, I have heard those words come out of my mom's lips for a good number of times. Not as hollow expressions she would indiscriminately say, but rather as standby guarantees spoken at a time when I badly needed a shot of inspiration. Once in a long while I wise up and learn but most of the time the words passed one ear and out the other. Mom's real objective behind the encouragements would not sink in on me. Thankfully she is a patient teacher. She knew seriously well that good things come to those who wait. More and more masterful advices continued to pour in as days stretched into years. Sometimes by the buckets, other times in trickles.

“Don’t be anything less than everything you can be. 
"Pay little attention to critics.” 
"Tell me your friends and I'll tell you who you are."

“Insecurity stems from not knowing yourself.”

“You have what it takes to be what you want.”

And so when the clouds of youth stupidity finally cleared, in full view before me was a revelation that those words of wisdom were actually instruments designed to lead me down the path of self-awareness. Where my mom drew the faith that someday all these will make sense to me is purely mother’s instinct. The objective to introduce a son to his inner-self—where strength of character resides— was finally achieved. Much later, a hit song by singer Mariah Carey brought into currency her concept to a wider audience. "Hero" became more than just a song played on the radio. That song's lyrics mirror the centerpiece of mom's impact on me. She owns the copyright over those loving reminders... at least in my heart.

So to my nanay Tessie on this Mother’s Day 2011: I thank you for giving me your trust even before I have worked on earning it. Your commitment to motherhood’s daunting responsibilities is a testimony of your greatness and endearing charm.
To hear the Mariah Carey song over again. Just click here.

The Forgettable Flood of September '09.

LESS than a week ago, a horrifying storm trashed historic fury on my unsuspecting homeland. It left a trail of wrath unrivaled by any storm before it. And if it weren't for the age of instant communication, I would've been completely clueless and oblivious of the sad plight of friends and relatives from home. Each video and still picture I set my eyes on leaves me helpless. And why not? These are home folks whose sufferings have claims on my heart. Gravely affected unfortunate souls, dead or struggling to stay alive, are everywhere that the mere sight of it all made me feel insensitive saying to friends: "I'm glad you're okay and not among the unlucky ones." How dare me regard the word glad and the harsh reality of it all in one breath? I personally sensed in those words direct association with an awfully callous line from a song which goes "Well, tonight thank God it's them instead of you. [from Do They Know It's Christmas]" Nevertheless, I just hope that Mother Nature can now assure us that she is done showing her worst vindictive side.

No more postscripts. No more sequels.

MJ Overload

IF there were such a term as 'MJ Overload,' then it's the one I am sick of right now. TV shows, local and national news, radio programs, website pages, office chatters, car stereos, music videos and any other gadget out there have all talked about, played, showed, and even glorified anything MJ related. It's not that I want to consciously differ from the fad because I myself agrees to the fact that he's had flashes of greatness here and there that deserve respect and admiration. Maybe what really bugs me is the over-adulation from some avid sectors reaching near hysteria proportion. For me, the Man in The Mirror was undeniably great as a dancer, writer of some of the influential and era-defining songs of the '80s, was instrumental in getting the USA for Africa project off the ground, and was responsible for breaking new grounds in the world of MTV. Other than that, he was just another piece of the puzzle, like everyone else, in this great world we all live in.

I thank him for his contributions to mankind in general. I hope we can all pick and learn from where he left off.

He will be missed for sure.

But let's just stop right there.

Some days are better than the others

I believe in my heart that the sooner we let this maxim sink in our individual heads, the easier we can ease off serious nagging thoughts pulling us down. It has been proven that the mind can sometimes play tricks on us. Its joke may even follow us all the way to our beds at night.

I have to admit that I have had days when I made mountains out of mole hills just because the red lights got me more than once from home-to-work or vice versa. There were also moments of frustrations when I 'thought' I missed on something crucially important because I dragged my feet reaching a decision. Things can become even more alarming when obsession sets in and I start blaming the slightest unsatisfactory result to my lackluster effort. If you see me freaking out then, it is because an edit button was nowhere to be clicked.

But that was then and this is now. I have made amends with the misanthropic-perfectionist in me. I have kept my composure in check by psyching myself down that even seemingly best plans can go awry, but never my original intention. It is about forgiving myself for being human, for being flawed, and for being a work in progress. I even thought life is a lot like playing bowling: Some balls are bound to gravitate towards the gutter. I just have to make good on my next throw.

And that did it for me!

THERE's a great deal of truth that 2009 can be a very tough year given the current pressing economic situation we are all in. But haven't we've been here before? We've all stood before seemingly insurmountable hills and mountains of troubling concerns several times in our lives. There were some that even looked impossible to conquer when they were at their most troublesome period. Yet here we are, still standing because we were able to get past them through careful deliberation of possible solutions. And please don't we forget the sighs of relief and fulfilling joy we felt seeing these troubles all behind us. So isn't it but right to think we are properly equipped with all we need to keep us going in life? I seriously think I am prepared and ready...are you?

So bring it on 2009! We're bigger than whatever doubts and fears you have in store.

from my mail

I got this in the mail from my eldest son. Pictures speak to me and these two are no different. This is their way of saying: "Don't worry about us here...we're having fun!" Yeah!

Go For What You Need

DIFFERENTIATING what we want from what we need in life is not easy. The thin line that separates each part is often times blurry. And so we hear gripes about messed-up priorities, deadend situations, or immature life-changing decisions, all because the difference between the two wasn't properly identified. Now the truth that not one soul was spared of this mistake is just accurate. All of us, one time in our lives, have fallen victim to this human vulnerability. Fortunately when my time to pick a lifetime partner came, my compass pointed me to my true north.

The lady you see in these pictures is who I need to be with the rest of my life. She may not be the super sweetie type you can presume from these pix, but she's definitely more than what meets the eye. Besides her apparent natural charm, other disarming features she has include her being smart, kind-hearted, conscientious, and plucky. She is focused in life, retiring in nature but with an impressively high set of principles, the likes of which one can consider rare these days. She's also an outstanding mom to our son as she is always selfless in her caring ways.

Day in and day out, Dee is a real keeper in its truest sense!