This World is Everyone's

Workers of my in-laws found 6 pcs. of eggs about less half size of chicken eggs at the backyard where they will construct a garage this morning. Guessed those are snake eggs and to be sure they raptured one and out came a little python about 14 to 16 inches long and expanded to about 3/4 inch diameter when exposed to air.

We deliberated on what to do with the remaining eggs.

 - I told the worker to crush the remaining eggs but he was afraid to do so, for fear of the   

   mother python to go after him…

-   my husband refused to my insistence, said that we should not harm the eggs and             
    alter their condition, for nature’s balance sake

-  my husband took the eggs and brought them to a place where nature will take charge of      them…

The nervous me is fighting with my hubbydoo...

I remember our son's message to him at the church on our celebration of last Fathers' Day. Our son said our family don't fight with each other, though we often argue on many matters it's only arguing, and we are a happy family loving one another. He did not elaborate much, he’s a man of few words like his father. Our brethren may not have fully understood his message but we family knew what he meant.   

Our children when they became grown-ups also set rules in the family that we parents should also observe and respect. 

And what are those?

1)    Don't mess science and philosophy with religion.  

We parents should not be angry if we can’t bring them often to church just like when they were kids. My children have strong faith in God, in the Universal God not bounded by religion. Two of them may have renounced religion, but not their faith in the One True God. 

2)    Respect each other's stand on politics. We may have different views on politics. 

Politics divide people, but we should not allow it to do it to our family. 

3)    Gender Preferences  - just as there should be no 3Ls (Last, Least and Lost) in the  

academe where I work, and with their father’s ecological regard even to a tiny ant, we should apply the same regard and respect to all people of all walks of life.

We may have to argue on many issues, but as set by our family we practice regard to all people, animals, plants and all. After all, we are not the only creature of God, we do not own the world, we are only a little part of this world.

Going back to the python eggs, my husband took charge of them. Where he brought them may they find their own peace and sanctuary, and may they not find any need to look for abode in our domestic territory.  When they do, that's another story. People are also bound to protect their abode and family, against all odds... 

Journey to the Self - Accumulated and Hoarded Baggages for Decades

Part 2

#July 072017

Posted the first part of my personal journal “Travelling and throwing baggage on the road” on Facebook last July 2^nd  with concluding statement to be continued…

On the eve of the day that I posted it some close friends who cannot wait for the continuation of my journal chatted me in eagerness to know how am I faring.  On the following days others told me they are waiting for the said continuation.

Though I have shared it with loved ones and close friends and been busy during the week as always, I am compelled to continue with what I have started to post. As promised here is the continuation now, the same hot dish I have served to those whom I have shared this..

 Part 2: Accumulated and Hoarded Baggages for Decades

The most difficult part in writing a personal journal or autobiography is the responsibility of caution, caution not to slander the people involved in the circumstance, of not bringing those who hurt you in an arena where they are not present to defend themselves.

Much as I wanted to share my story with inspiration that others may learn something from it, I will take the shoes of the newscasters and reporters in bringing information. I will have to be objective and share the experiences as it happened, as factual as it is.

To my father, second wife and siblings, should I deviate from my position above and unintentionally take the shoes of commentators and be subjective, my advanced apology. Much as I wanted not to offend anyone in my journal, my apology should anyone be offended. This IS my story, and what I am writing is MY life…

  

I am the firstborn child and grew up with my younger brother in our grandparents’ house. My mother is their 4^th child amongst seven siblings. As early as five years old I have come to know that unlike my cousins who have their fathers with them, my brother and I have a father but we seldom see.

In our growing years it was our grandparents who provided for us, and sometimes with support from our uncles.

I remember I renounced toys in my childhood. Since there was no father to buy toys for us, we just borrowed and played toys of our cousins, but borrowing and playing toys with cousins becomes source of sibling fights. At a very young age I did not want to become like a beggar to my cousins’ toys. I grew up an unusual child, not fond of playing, and very fond of reading. In reading I had my own world, no cousins to fight with me, I renounced their toys and they don’t get my books or anything I’m reading.  In that way there would be no fighting between us. 

I grew up with the attitude of “I don’t mind if it’s not mine, and no one should touch with what is mine”. I hated being given materials things by my uncles and be taken back by my cousins’ mother, for reason that it should be for my cousins first. At an early age I learned to clarify first my ownership when things are handed down to me.

I value so much anything that was established as mine. As a growing child I realized that the sources of blessings and anything that I will have are given by my grandparents and relatives, gifts given as really mine, prize for games, bought by money given to me and payment to my little labors.

When I got married and built my own family I value so much all of my childrens’ belongings. How I value anything that we acquire went to the extent of not throwing anything even those already destroyed and of no use anymore. More than half of our house contents are my hoardings for the past decades, and becoming a source of anguish to my children. One of my daughters would question why on the world can’t I throw even a destroyed doormat.

As we travelled back home when we visited our old and sick father last July 1st, I said my brother and I had deeper sharings and testimonies, and we unloaded our hearts with burdens carried for many years. I myself threw my biggest baggage on the road, the pain of growing up without a father. I felt relief and not just counted but accounted my blessings, that I am what I am now, and I am made this kind of a mother, because I grew up without a father and I see to it that my children will not experience what I have been through.

As I arrived home and as days passed by, looking at the house where we live filled with hoarded baggages I came to understand why this is so. I hoarded everything that we acquired for many years because I was so attached to them, as if they are measures of my self worth. Things that are mine sort of gave me sense of importance, that our father failed to give us.

Now I see these hoarded baggages don’t serve their purpose anymore. As I threw my soul’s biggest baggage on the road, I’m on for a big clearing up of the house, detaching material baggages to the self that I’m finding free and going happier.      

To me: Happy clearing. To my children: Yes, joy to the world!

Thank you for reading. Thank you for your time...

Next epidode:

Part 3:  Breaking the Generation Curse 

Journey to the Self - Travelling and throwing baggage on the road

Part 1: Travelling and throwing baggage on the road

#July022017

Up at 8:00 am today with renewed spirit to attend Sunday worship.

Been on the road almost the whole day yesterday. Left home at 4:00 am and arrived home at past 11 pm. Went to Quirino province with my husband, younger brother and husband's nephew.

We went to visit our sick father who is now 81 years old. The father my brother and I did not have in our growing years. He had a second family with four siblings there.

It was quite a long trip with real convo with my brother, no fights, no arguments. On the way going to our destination we talked about our experiences, we reminisced our childhood and to what we are now. Surprisingly, I no longer feel the pain I used to have before.

Before going to our father we had a quick stop-over to my son-in-law's aunt at Maddela to pick up a rocking chair for my mother- in-Iaw. The conversation continued there and was shared to my son-in-law's aunt. I even expressed that it would be better and I would be happier if our father would not recognize me.

My wish was granted. My brother first approached my father and he recognized him. He told my brother that he was expecting and waiting for me too. My brother asked him to identify me. He looked at me and told my brother "asawa mo ba siya?" Many times and many clues yet he really didn't recognize me until his wife told him that it's me. He then looked at me and begin to realize and recognize.

The usual visit to a sick person. Bigay ng pasalubong, kumustahan, listening to their hinaings, payuhan on what to do on this, on that...

Parting time was difficult and hardest for my father, that's the time he started to cry...

On our way back home the convo continued, became deeper with lots of testimonies shared. As we travel we threw our heart's burdens and biggest baggage on the road...

to be continued... 

(got to prepare for Sunday worship)

#Pagninilay #HolyWeek2017

Yesterday during our service on Good Friday the 2nd speaker of the 7 Last Words of Jesus on the Cross asked each one of the members of the congregation: "If you have 24 hours left in your life now, and you are about to die after 24 hours, how will you spend it?"

Faced with a sudden question that called for immediate answer the replies of the members were stunning and ridiculous:

One said she would eat well.
One said she would go to the parlor.
One said she would choose the clothes she'll gonna wear when she dies.
Hubby said he would spend it just thinking and thinking.
One said she would repent all day.
One said she would spend it doing selfies...
I said I would call all my children for "todo habilinan"
And so on and so on...

When the speaker was about to expound his message on Luke 23:43 - And Jesus said to him "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with ME in Paradise" our deaconess asked him "And how about you, how will you spend your last 24 hours too?"
Caught unprepared too, the speaker's immediate reply was "I would clean our house" that made the congregation laughed.

Of course we know that those answers above are abrupt and most of them will be different when we are really confronted with our last 24 hours.

The Gist of the message:
Let us spend each day as if it is our last.

May we all have a meaningful LENT Celebration.