Home Massage and Dreams...

Yesterday afternoon, i requested for a massage therapist at Asian Massage over Yahoo Messenger to go to the house around 8pm. She was not on time but their receptionist called ahead of time to inform me that they were already out but will be late due to traffic. When i opened the gate, there she was indeed already at the gate waving goodbye to their service.

Her name was Anna and she has gentle hands. I would have been thoroughly relaxed if not for the kids being so noisy asking me questions why Anna was there, is my back aching again, why am not dressed. She was just silent the whole time and very professional about it which i like. I don't want therapist who talks to much except to ask about the pressure.

Anyway, when an hour has passed i gave her a late night snack of goldilocks cake and del monte fit and rite. She waited for a little while at the living room but she said she will just wait by the gate. Their service vehicle was probably near already.

Anyway, i took iterax 10mg as prescribed by my doctor and proceeded to sleep. The kids sleep on their bed but sometime during the night, in moments of wakefulness, i felt that somebody was leading abby and help her climbed on the bed. Abby lay down on my upper thighs and then later on inched up to my armpit them embraced. It's seem like the Lady of Lourdes was guiding a crying Abby to sleep at my side. Not sure if it's a dream or it was just the curtain moving which felt like a dress illuminated by the street lamp outside. I was already awake by the time Abby embraced me. A few minutes after that, Aj climbed the bed next and laid at my right side. Hubby who fell asleep in their bed while watching tv was alone.

Anyway, I have started to attend the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help every wednesday since May of this year. And God has heard my prayer, i believe through her help.It's just this week that i haven't because it was raining the whole day and i just stayed inside the house and later at night , i totally forgot about it. Somehow, i really feel that i am relieved every time that i get to attend the eucharist and the novena. Perhaps, it is also a good idea to do the rosary everyday to ease up on the stress as inspired by President Cory. I really think, prayers has helped in the transition of living in the big city.

Damned if she does, damned if she doesn't..

It must be very difficult for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo now. Being faced with the allegations that she pulled out the security detail of the very popular President Cory Aquino. Although she did proclaim a 10-day period of mourning, and declared the day of burial as a special holiday and even offered a state funeral, that doesn't seem to be enough for the family. For the most part, it is understandable for the family to get hurt over something like that. But other people outside of the family shouldn't make it a big issue debating it over national television, rehashing the topic on air, it does not help bring about a conciliatory air.

I doubt if it mattered to President Cory. She wants peace for our land, for everyone. Why do we as a people continue to fuel small fires of enmity? I have no affection for President GMA but there is indeed some truth to her SONA. She has never said that she will stay beyond her term. I maybe naive but i think that is the reason why her political enemies are nailing her to the cross. Why can't we believe her and wait until 2010 if she really wants to remain in power? In the meantime, allow her to do her work in peace. If she wants to go to the wake, let her be. Even if she gets snubbed, she's another strong woman. Anyway, it is between her and God. We are only human. I am not saying it as an excuse but a reminder of our reality. We do things that may have hurt others but it doesn't mean that we are completely heartless. I really don't think President GMA is evil. Here is another wife and mother who wants to pay her last respects to another wife and mother. They may differ in so many things, see differently in so many issues, but both are presidents, wives, mothers. President GMA can't help but make it personal when President Cory called on her to resign. The wound is still fresh. The Aquino's battle with the Marcoses is entirely a different matter. Time has passed, the Aquino had already a taste of power when they ended the power of the Marcoses. So in a way, they were even already. The conflict of the Aquino and the Arroyos is fairly recent, the wound is still fresh.

Not everyone could be saint but President Cory is close to being one according to testimonies about her. I do not doubt its truth. President GMA is not a saint, i do not know if she aspires to be one. She is feisty though, and that maybe the exact quality that her administration needs. Let her do what she wants to do. In the end, in the silence of her room, it is between her and God.

The Yellow Lady Passes and EDSA Stood Still

Here's some shots taken when President Cory Aquino's funeral passed by EDSA on her way towards the Manila Cathedral...

A tribute to a wife and a mother

I bought Pan de Sal early this morning when I saw on tv that President Cory Aquino passed away. I have been thinking these past few days of featuring a yellow ribbon on my blog as part of the “tie a yellow ribbon” campaign but we’re unable to do so. And so I’m doing it now.

I have never given it much thought until now, but President Cory Aquino is my Ideal wife and mother along with my birth mother and mother-in-law. She is special in a way because I never knew her personally, and yet her strength that helped her raise her 5 children singlehandedly when Ninoy could not be around, the strength that made her accept the Presidency even when she would rather be at the background, the strength of a wife who stood by her husband, that strength is worth emulating.
But more than everything, it must be her faith in God that is the source of her strength and the inspiration to live a principled life. And so I admire her for her faith. I admire her for remaining simple despite destiny granting her the grandest of political office, that of being president.

Her critics during her administration often mentioned her being a wife and a mother and inexperience alongside their criticism. But maybe it was exactly being a wife and a mother that made her a fitting transition president. And being a mother to the last of her breath, her admonition to her children is for them to take care of each other. It should do all of us good as a people to heed her advice.

Working and having fun...

In one of my moments of web watching, i came across this article published at Dumb Little Man entitled " Should Work Be Fun? Not if you Want to be Successful."

The author expounds on the idea that what differentiates the A players from the B players is the willingness to do work that is not fun. That for you to be successful and at the top of your field, you should be discipline enough to do those gruelling, hateful tasks that your colleagues are unwilling to do in addition to the hard, smart , work that is normally required of everyone. He maintains that the most successful is reaping the most financial benefit because, he is the person that persists to do hateful tasks. His example was that of two economists of the same brilliance, one earns more, has a bestseller and is more widely known because he took the time to network and market himself, a task clearly un-fun to both academics. But the successful one persisted even though he doesn't like networking and marketing himself, he does it anyway because it is necessary.

Hubby totally understands this concept even though he is not fun of reading self-help books and articles. Sometimes, i think that he learns intuitively and follow-through on ideas and tasks needed to be done in order for him to be top of his field. Which is probably one of the reason why he is successful.

I, on the other hand, has some measure of success but not really what you would call at the top of my game. Precisely because there are some activities that needs to be done and traits needed to be out there. I am not fiercely competitive and a bit shy of my abilities and achievement. Really..

But success means differently to different people. And if there is onething new that I learned about myself, it is the fact that I could go out of my comfort zone if it means preserving those that are of value to me, like family. Right now, it is enough that i have work which allows me to have fun...sometimes.