Reach Up!

It has been months since my last post in what is supposed to be a collection of daily thoughts. Amazing how the days pass by so swiftly that just as you are forgetting what the sunrise looks like, you are already witnessing a glorious sunset.

I now sit 10 floors above the busy Alabang-Zapote Road – from my window I see the Makati-Mandaluyong-Ortigas-Quezon City skylines outlined by distant yet all too familiar buildings, many of which I can identify by their silhouettes.

Every morning, I arrive to an empty office, and the distant view makes me appreciate the vastness of God’s creations. From my vantage point, I see large patches of green silently and peacefully wrestling with the all-too-familiar signs of development: rooftops of houses and buildings, concrete walls and roads, and the occasional soft arches of smoke emanating from factory chimneys here and there.

In the few minutes before the office spaces next to mine start filling up with people and the sounds of the daily grind, I say a prayer of thanks to our Lord. I thank him for the new day, my wonderful job, my great staff, my family and countless other blessings.

But I also thank him for the clear signs he gives me through the “green patches” in an otherwise grey world.

To me, the green leaves struggling to keep themselves above the pollution of everyday life is a very clear sign of “hope”. As the world encroaches into the natural habitat of these trees and plants, the once open air and vast amounts of sunshine are blocked out by the rising concrete structures of man.

So what does the tree do?

It rises above all these! It stretches itself upward. Up, up, up towards the sun. Where it cannot go upward, it will go left… or right. Branching in every direction – just to get a piece of that all too precious sunlight.

It never gives up.

Right below my window I see the top of an Acacia. Its sprawling limbs covered with millions of open leaves so strategically spread out that it catches the sunlight almost all day.

And then I realize: by spreading out to catch the sun, the Acacia provides a wide shade for the creatures who have invaded its natural habitat. In its desire to reach up and out for the source of life, it refreshes us who have caused it so much harm.

Yes, there is hope. Let us all stretch up and out – let us rise above ourselves, and go after that life-giving Son. Let us not be closed in by our work, our careers, our families, our friends and our selves.

Reach out. Reach up. Reach for the Son. Not only shall we have life, but our lives will be a refreshing spirit for others too.

"We are Holy..."

Last Sunday during Mass, my daughter – who had recently received her first communion – motioned to me that she wanted to receive communion by the hand.

“Sure, if that’s what you want” I said. “But I will not – our hands are not holy – that’s why the Priest is the one who should give us communion”.

My daughter looked blankly at me for a couple of seconds, and then looked back at the priest officiating the Mass. Then, as if having seen the answer to her question, she motioned for me to bend over so she could whisper in my ear.

“Our hands are holy because God made us holy.”

How many times have I forgotten this simple truth.

I have taught and emphasized time and again that God has made us in His image AND likeness. In fact, in a training program I co-authored with a former colleague of mine, we emphasized how God took the pains of creating us with his own hands. In Genesis we read how God created the world and all that is within it with His word – how he spoke all things into being. All things, that is, except for man. The bible teaches us that when God was done creating everything, He formed man out of the soil of the earth and breathed life into Man.

God actually got down on His hands and knees, and with His hands he formed man in His image and likeness.

Imagine this scenario:

Angel: “Uh, Lord, what’re you doing playing in the dirt?”

Lord: “I’m making Man.”

Angel: “That creature must be so special for you to get your manicure ruined.”

Lord: “Special – Yes – very special. Man will have dominion over all things great and small. He shall give a name to all that I created. He will be a reflection of who I am and what I am…”

I’m quite sure the exchange of ideas between God and his angel was much more eloquent than that, but you get the idea.

With a smile of knowledge, Julia confidently said with conviction that “Our hands are holy BECAUSE GOD MADE US HOLY.”

I stared her in the eye, and gave her a tight hug.

Who could argue with reasoning like that?

A Lesson from the Tooth Fairy

I carefully lifted Julia’s pillow to pull out a small, transparent, re-sealable plastic bag. Inside was one of her two front teeth, and a short note to the Tooth Fairy that read:


“Dear Tooth Fairy,

“I want P20.00 for my tooth… I Love You, Tooth Fairy.


“Love, Julia”

I quickly scribbled a note in my most feminine handwriting:


“Dear Julia,

“You have beautiful teeth. I am giving you P150.00. P50.00 for this tooth, and P50.00 for each of the two teeth that your Dada lost.


“GOD BLESS YOU!

“Love, the Tooth Fairy


“P.S. – I Love You too.”

I folded the note and, together with P150.00, placed it inside the little plastic bag. Then I carefully put it back under Julia’s pillow.


The next morning, Julia opened her eyes to find me staring at her.

“Mama told me she pulled out your tooth – did it hurt?”


She shook her head sleepily at first. Then, realizing that it was already morning, her eyes just opened up wide, she suddenly exclaimed: “The Tooth Fairy!”

In one smooth motion she literally dived under her pillow! She re-emerged a few seconds later – her big, boogly eyes staring in disbelief at what she held in her hands.


“Oh no!” Julia gasped, “I asked her for P20.00 – and she left P100.00!” (she did not notice the P50.00 bill folded within the P100.00 bill yet)

“Dada, how will I return her change?”


I was surprised at this reaction – oh she was happy alright – happy that she received the money for her all too precious tooth.

But she was also concerned that she received more than what she asked for – and that she had to return what she knew was not hers in the first place.

Honesty.

From a seven year old with a missing front tooth.

Tips for Living Life - Tip 4: Play in the Rain

It was raining hard yesterday.

What a way to spend a "special holiday". Now don't get me wrong - I like rainy days. It allows me to catch up on my much needed sleep - or on my viewing (believe it or not, I have not seen Transformers 2 yet).

Yesterday, I chose the former. So I curled up in bed underneath a warm blanket and just let the raindrops lull me to sleep.

And then she came.

She tugged at me and asked me one simple question: "Dada, can I take a bath in the rain?"

I got up and followed Julia Amaris into the kitchen, where she spun around and looked up at me with her "begging look" and pouting lips.

"Pleeeease?..."

It was raining hard enough, so I gave in and simply told her to be careful.

The joy immediately showed in her face as she skipped out the door.

I followed her outside to watch her. A couple of other kids up the street were already playing in the rain, and Julia Amaris was just enjoying herself right in front of our house.

"Why don't you play with them?" I asked her.

"No, I want you to play with me, Dada" was her reply. At first I said I'd just watch her instead, but before I knew it I found myself fetching a pail and tabo and filling it with water. When Julia Amaris saw what I was bringing, her face lightened up even more.

Yes, I ended up playing with Julia - in the rain!

I'd chase her with a tabo-full of water and try to drench her even more (though I stayed in the garage most of the time). Julia would challenge me to wet her if I could, and would just run up and down the street in front of me.

A while later, Jeng came outside, bringing with her a basin of ice (she was defrosting the freezer), and she started tossing ice shavings at Julia, who'd scream with delight everytime she got splashed with water and ice shavings at the same time.

As the rains started to subside a little I told Julia Amaris to come back inside to take a warm shower.

She obeyed without protest.

As she came in, she gave me a big, soaking wet hug. As she did, she said "Dada, I wish there was more ice and water". I said that she had had enough, and that surely she was feeling cold already.

Julia Amaris hugged me tighter and said, "I know. But if I'm feeling cold, then you will hug me more to keep me warm..."

Yes, it was raining hard yesterday - but there was a warmth that just couldn't be dampened by any amount of rain.

Tips for Living Life - Tip 3: Pick Somebody Up... Everyday

I still remember that day. Not the exact date - but the events of that day.

My first day in college.

The first part of freshmen orientation was done, and we had all been sent to have our lunch. I was not really familiar with the Manila area, but I knew there was a mall a short walk from my university. Since I had no friends yet, I decided to take a stroll down to the mall for some lunch.

A few meters from school, an elderly lady blocked my path and stopped me in my tracks.

"I need your help, please", she started to say in a forced American accent.

"I locked my keys in my car and I have no way to get them. Can you please give me P50.00 so i can go home and get my spare keys? Please?" She pointed to a car parked on the side of the road: a sleek black Mercedes Benz.

"Please?" She said. "I pay you two P50.00 when I get my keys from the home. My wallet - it is inside of the car also..."

Dressed in what could only be described as "useful rags" and continuing to jabber on in broken, sometimes undecipherable english, I couldn't seem to get her out of my way.

What was worse was the fact that I did not know how I should say "No" to her. I knew it was a scam - I didn't know how to let her down.

"Please... please... you help me, okay? Please..." she continued.

Suddenly, two men came along side me, one on each side, and in one scoop, they literally picked me up. My feet were off the ground and they held me up by my elbows.

Quickly carrying me past the old scammer, one of them just said "Walang pera 'to..." ("This guy has no money).

A few more feet onwards, my feet were on the ground once more, and the two gentlemen let me go.

My "friendly abductors" turned out to be a couple of my new classmates - blockmates, actually - from school. "Are you okay?" one of them asked in Pilipino. I laughed and said I was, and thanked them for "picking me up" when they did.

"Stick with us - you'll survive Manila if you do" the other one said.

I suddenly found myself with a couple of "friends" to have lunch with.

As I write this now, I laugh at the thought of what would have happened if my friends had not "picked me up" when they did. I would have most probably handed the old scammer a fifty peso note just to get away from her.

Today, I still try to find ways of "picking someone up", be it by encouraging words, a pat on the back, a smile of assurance or by literally "picking them up" when they fall.

It gives me a sense of peace and fulfillment.

And it gives the other person that glimmer of hope that there still exists other people who are willing to give others a helping hand.

Tips for Living Life - Tip 2: Say Goodnight in Prayer

We pray at night.

My wife, my daughter and I.

We gather together and sit on the bed and join each other in prayer.

I lead the prayer, then my wife joins in - and finally our seven year old daughter raises her prayers up last. Then we kiss each other and lay down for the night.

Last night, though was slightly different.

When it came time for Julia Amaris to say her prayer, she started slow.

"Papa God...(pause)...uh...Dear Papa God...(another pause)..."

And then we heard her sniff.

Then she continued her prayer as she began to weep.

"Papa God, please help me to be a good girl to my Mama and Dada..."

She was crying by now, and you could feel the sincerity of her prayer. My wife and I looked at each other as we listened to her prayer.

"...sometimes I am not a good girl... when I do not obey them and do not do my homework or my Kumon."

"Please let me be a good girl because I love my Mama and Dada and they love me..."

Her last words just trailed off as she continued to sob from the heart. I bent over, touched my forehead to hers, and whispered "Amen".

"Amen", Julia Amaris said with a sniff.

I kissed her forehead and lay her down to sleep. She curled up into a little ball beside me and I held her as her crying subsided.

"You're a good girl, Julia", I assured her. My wife reached over to hug her too.

Assured of our love, she fell asleep peacefully.

And so did we.

Tips for Living Life - Tip 1: Wake Up and say "Goodmorning!"

I woke up at around 4:00 this morning to the stirrings of my daughter. For some reason, she was awake early, and she was just tossing and turning in bed.

Sensing I was already awake, she reached over with her right arm and pulled me to her.

"Good morning, Dada..." she whispered in a sleepy voice.

"Good morning Sweetheart..." I whispered back, giving her a kiss on her cheek.

"You're up early... why don't you go back to sleep?" I asked.

"I want to be with you before you go to office" she said.

I hugged her and gave her another kiss.

"You know, this early, we can go watch the sun wake up and say 'Good morning" to all of us. First the sky will be a little red, and then it will become orange and then you will see the sun waking up. Do you want to see it?"

"Yes! Yes!" came the obviously excited reply.

So we both got up and peeked out the window. 'Twas then that I noticed that my wife had already gotten up and out of bed. She wasn't in the room though.

Julia and I stared out the window watching the surroundings slowly but surely brighten up.

"Wow! The sky is becoming red already!" Julia whispered excitedly. "God will say 'Good morning' to us already!"

She watched intently as the skies did brighten up little by little. No, it didn't turn red and then orange and then yellow with the light of the sun - the makings of a low pressure area kept that from happening.

But Julia somehow still saw the very faint hints of red and orange and yellow.

"Dada looooook! It's changing colors alreadyyy! God is awake!"

"Good morning Papa God!" she whispered with a smile.

By then my wife walked in with breakfast. Seeing us both at the window, she asked what we were doing.

"Saying 'Good morning" to the sun and to God" came my daughters' reply.

Everything went on as usual: I took my shower and got dressed for work; we had breakfast together (Julia tipped her plate over and soiled the floor with her food) and then we kissed each other goodbye for the day.

But somehow - and for some specific reason, the day seemed to start off far happier than usual, traffic seemed to be far more tolerable and the entire days' work already seemed to come into perspective that early.

All because of a cheerful and sincere "Good morning, Papa God!"

One Big Happy Family

A few weeks ago, my daughter and I were driving along the Alabang-Zapote Road when we spotted a "street family": a man and his obviously pregnant wife with their three children - one looked like he was around five or six years old, the second around three and the youngest maybe a year old at the most.

From the looks of it, they had been living on the streets for quite some time: dirty, tattered clothes, grimy faces and arms, and well-used cartons sheets on which they were obviously preparing to go to bed on. I had feelings of anger more than pity at what they represented to me: irresponsible parents who knew they had no place to live and hardly any source of income to feed their family, and yet found time and reason to bring fourth another life into their already dreary-world.

But then my daughter's voice brought me back to my senses. In her happiest tone, Julia simply said "Look Dada, they're one big happy family!"

I didn't have much time to give them a second look, but I did see that the two older kids were playing together, while the father gave the youngest a "horsey ride" on his leg. The mother watched the two older kids with obvious enjoyment.

They may not have had what I thought they needed - but at least at the moment I saw them, they had what they wanted: a happy family.

An office mate had earlier asked me how many people live in big houses but have incomplete families? Absentee parents or no parents at all?

I was amazed at the insight of my daughter. Actually, I believe it was more of my daughter's lack of adult insight that made her wiser beyond her years. She didn't see the street family through the eyes of a biased adult such as myself - she saw the happy family through the eyes of a child whose innocence still makes her believe that there is beauty in this dreary world.

No judgment. No hypocrisy. No biases.

Not the faintest hint of sarcasm or pessimism at all.

Just the simple and happy belief that this is still a beautiful world to live in.

I looked at Julia, and she looked straight back at me with the smile created by the scene of that "one big happy family" still radiantly displayed on her face.

Tempus Fugit

Time flies. For those of you who find that staying busy is therapeutic, this is an understatement.

A couple of weeks ago, I told my family -- my wife, daughter, mother and siblings -- to make sure that they get up early on Sunday morning.

"I'll pick you up at 5:30", I told my mother and siblings, as my wife eyed me suspiciously, "We can't be late".

When they asked what for, I actually did not know what to say, so I blurted out the first thing to come to mind: "We'll all hear Mass in Tagaytay, then we'll have breakfast at 'Bag of Beans'" (a personal favorite).

On the way home that night, my wife asked me when I had planned this early morning trip.

"Just a few minutes ago" I replied. She just smiled, and we planned the trip.

Now I'm not really an impulsive person. I think things through as much as possible. I do like taking risks - but calculated risks, that is.

But every now and then, we just have to take the plunge, don't you agree?

Life was meant to be lived! God meant it to be that way.

When he created Adam and Eve, God told them: "Now listen here: you've got this entire place to yourselves, so you go around and enjoy what you can because this is for you!"

But in His wisdom, God added a few rules. In fact, there was just one rule. "Obey me. Everything in this place is for you - everything, that is, except the fruit of that one tree over there. That is off limits".

Other than that, it was all good.

What else would you do in a paradise where you were allowed dominion over all things? I can imagine Adam and Eve in their early days: "Hey Honey! Come and look at this! This is one creature you've got to see!" "One moment Dear, I'm just finishing up with my exotic, all-natural, geothermically induced mud bath..." "That's okay, it swam away already. When you're done, want to take a dive into the Atlantic? We can swim with the whales..." "That would be great, just as soon as we bungee off that beautiful cliff the Lord made for us over there..."

Now THAT would've been living life. Enjoying all that God has given us - simply because it was there.

Hence the impulsive decision to just get up very early one Sunday morning, travel all the way to Tagaytay to hear Mass and then spend the rest of the morning enjoying a lazy breakfast and wonderful company -- all on a whim.

All simply because it was there to be enjoyed.

In this fast world, the Lord allows time outs.

He wants us to stop long enough to see that, amidst all the clutter that our own faulty human nature has brought in around us, there is still the beauty of that thing called "life".

Learn to enjoy your journey through life. Choose to enjoy your journey, and all those around you will smile with you. And before you know it, they will be planning and enjoying their lives just as you do.

"Let Go and Let God!"

The Lord is risen! Satan's plans have been thwarted, and hope has been renewed -- Happy Easter to all!

Truly God continues to change the hearts and minds of those who are willing to "let go and let God". And when we give in to His plans by sacrificing our own - the rewards are beyond compare.

While going through pictures in my brother's bedroom a couple of weekends ago, I came across some pictures from my high school days. I almost forgot how thin and lanky I looked back then, and seeing the pictures of myself in a polo barong together with good and real friends just made me smile.

As I shuffled through the stacks of pictures, I got to a picture of Reyniel Catabian, Ruter Agati and myself inspecting the progress of the construction of what was to become the St. La Salle Multi-Purpose Center in Pasong Makipot, Muntinlupa City. Ruter was sifting through scrap wood donated by parents of fellow students from La Salle Zobel, Reyniel was chatting it up with a construction worker, and I was just taking in the entire scene altogether.

The picture was taken sometime in the schoolyear of 1989. It was at the site of our Scout Units' second adopted community. Not many know of it anymore, but I believe it is safe to say that for Reyniel, Ruter and I - as well as for a few of the other Scouts back then - it changed our lives.

It all started at the start of the schoolyear 1988-89. We were in our third year of high school, and over the summer I had decided that I wanted to leave a legacy with the school. I came to know of the Magnolia National Youth Achievement Awards, and I planned to gun for that. I approached our Scout Master (Mr. Ruben Deseo - true green La Sallians from Zobel would know him) and told him my plan: a massive tree-planting project on the slopes of the Scout Reserve on Mt. Makiling. I had the finances planned and had already contacted a seedling bank.

He asked me one question: "Do you really want to make a difference?"

I said I did.

A week later, Mr. Deseo, together with my four patrol leaders and I went to a remote barrio in Binan, Laguna: Barrio Loma. We met with the barrio elders and told them our goal: we wanted to provide adult-literacy classes, child-literacy classes, livelihood programs and the such to the barrio folk. At that time, an average family from the barrio had to live on no more than Php200 to Php300 a week - if they were lucky.

I don't know what convinced them, but the barrio elders accepted our offer of help.

Now, seriously: "what could a bunch of 35 high school students do to augment and uplift the lives of an entire community?"

Reyniel, Ruter and I pushed those thoughts to the back of our minds and just did what we set off to do. Reyniel looked into livelihood programs. Ruter took charge of the LRC and child literacy. I handled adult-literacy and catechism programs. Other Scouts worked together on sports and recreation, socials and other activities.

I spent every single weekend of our third year in high school living in Barrio Loma. I had a different patrol with me every weekend. Before I knew it, the fruits of our labor was starting to grow ripe right before our very eyes. Barrio folks got more involved in working together to raise poultry to augment their income from the rice fields; barrio elders got together to re-organize the residents into stronger units that would cooperate in the ongoing projects. I had 20 students taking up typing lessons three days a week (thanks to Mr. Guzman who patiently taught us how to type), five of whom later on found jobs as secretaries in small businesses in the town proper of Binan. Barrio youth came together to form a formidable youth group - and an entire new Scout Unit was even formed.

By August, the St. La Salle Health and Learning Resource Center was built. Materials were provided by parents of students from Zobel - but the work and the workers were provided by the beneficiaries. I didn't know it then, but it had the makings of today's Gawad Kalinga altogether.

Dr. Antonio Tamayo worked with us by providing medical teams from the Perpetual Help Hospital every month to conduct free medical and dental clinics at the Center. His son, Anthony Tamayo, was also a student at Zobel.

On their fiesta, there was a procession in honor of Mary Immaculate - their Patroness. The procession was so long and so well attended that houses were actually left unattended such that a thief would have had a looting spree. "Mang Ehser", the barrio captain commented that never had so many people joined the processions before.

By the end of the school year, we were already looking into adopting a second community - the community shown in the picture I mentioned earlier.

What started as a selfish dream of winning a national award turned into a real act of community development, spiritual enlightenment and nation-building.

What began as a project with only 35 Scouts turned into an effort of the La Sallian Community, as De La Salle University provided certificates to those who finished a Basic Electrician's Course in Pasong Makipot.

What was once the project of a single Scout Unit became a project of the World Bureau of the Scouting Movement after a representative of the World Bureau flew in from Switzerland to inspect the projects - and then later grant La Salle Zobel some funds to augment the project even more.

What was once a weekend project of 35 high school students later became a project that involved parents, teachers and students from all grade levels.

There were trade-offs for me, though.

I never did go to either my Junior or my Senior Prom (good thing too - I don't dance anyway).

And I never did get that National Award from Magnolia. Heck, I never even applied for it.

But today, as I look back, there are living rewards that I can be proud of. Soon before our graduation in 1990, Reyniel and I received the news.

Two boys were born to two families in Barrio Loma.

One was named Reyniel. The other was named Tyne.

What could be better than that?

Crossing the Street

“You have to go to Tita Beng – it’s an emergency. And you have to go alone”.

This is what my brother told my six-year old daughter.

Just half an hour earlier, my brother JV picked my daughter up from her Kumon classes. She was going to spend the weekend at Mamita’s once again.

When they got home, my brother prepared lunch, and then asked Julia to “call Mamita” to eat. Julia went into my mother’s room and returned a few seconds later telling my brother that “Mamita was not answering and she was not waking-up.”

Mama was recently diagnosed as being diabetic. JV – who has been an insulin dependent diabetic for over two decades now – became very strict with my mother’s diet and sugar intake.

He realized immediately the Mama was unconscious due to low blood-sugar.

JV took her blood-sugar count – and indeed it was a deathly low 25. Being alone at home, he had to go get help, but he also had to stay with my mother. That’s when he told Julia that she had to cross the main road alone to get to our neighbor’s house.

“I can’t, I’m scared”, Julia said.

“Julia, you have to. Mamita needs help, and I can’t leave her. You have to go.” JV then started to prepare some sugar-water to try to administer as soon as my mother hopefully regained consciousness.

A few seconds later, JV heard the gate close and when he looked behind him, Julia was gone.

A few minutes after that, Tita Beng (mother of Felice Fernandez) and Tita Linda walked in. By then JV had already called a few people, and my sister-in-law Lanie was on her way to the house, as was Kit, a childhood friend of ours. My other brothers and I were likewise rushing home.

Mama is okay now, and as I type away, she is sleeping soundly and comfortably in her bed.

No offense to Mama, but this isn’t about her really.

It’s about Julia (again). And about all of us as well.

Sure, Julia is six, and a lot of six-year olds walk and cross streets alone. Lots of kids Julia’s age do so many things alone.

So this isn’t really about her crossing the street to get help in an emergency situation either.

It’s about her crossing the street when she was absolutely sure she couldn’t do it because she was scared to do it.

Julia faced her fears when she had to – and in so doing she actually and literally helped save the life of her grandmother.

And you know what else is amazing about it?

It was no big deal for her. As far as she is concerned she crossed the street because Mamita needed her to do so.

That’s it.

She found a reason to overcome herself and her fear.

I know of many adults – my age and older – who have not yet overcome their fears nor themselves.

There are those who shy away from relationships because they were hurt once or twice.

Those who put off doing what they want to do because they failed at it once too often.

Those who wallow in their sorrows because they feel no one would be interested to listen to them.

Julia faced her fear because she wanted to help Mamita.

Want to be in a meaningful and fulfilling relationship? Then work on it.

Want to achieve something great in your life? Then take the first step – and then the next.

Want to find comfort and a reason to move on? Seek the comfort of the people you call your friends.

Our Lord came into the world for one reason: to give his life so that we would have life.

He came into the world because of the future he wanted for us, not because of the past.

So when faced with your fears, forget the past.

And look into the future you want to achieve.

Then take the first step until you finally cross the street.


P.S. - I wasn't able to publish this earlier, as things were quite busy during the days Mama was in the hospital. Thank you to all who prayed for and with our family; thank you to all who visited and called. Like I said in one of my emails, GOD IS GOOD not only because he has watched over Mama and us, but also because he gave our family people like you. GOD BLESS!

"You're My Happiness"

Julia has been staying with "Mamita" (my mother, her grandmother) since Thursday this week. "Mamita" always loves having Julia around -- and Julia loves being around her too. You see, like every grandmother (or grandparent, for that matter) my mother spoils Julia no end.

"It's my job to spoil her... and your job to discipline her..." she always tells my wife and I.

Last night, while having dinner with my wife, my brother sent me a text message saying "Please call, Julia wants to talk to you".

And so I called.

As soon as she got on the phone, she started sniffing: "I want to go home now..." she cried.

"But I thought you wanted to stay with Mamita till Sunday?"

"No, I want to go home now -- because I miss you..."

"We'll be together again on Sunday when we pick you up."

"But I miss you... I want to be with you..."

I then said "Remember you promised Mamita that you will stay with her till Sunday? What do we do when we make promises?"

"We keep them", Julia answered.

"Don't you like being with Mamita?" I asked, pleased that I was making progress into getting her to calm down and stop crying.

"I do! But I want you to be with me" she said, still crying.

"I'm here -- and we'll be together again on Sunday. If you like being with Mamita, what's wrong then?" I asked.

"I want you to be with me because you're my happiness!"

My wife noticed that I had to choke down a tear or two.

Somehow, I finally got her to calm down and agree to stay with Mamita till Sunday.

"Julia, you're our happiness too. But you are also Mamita's happiness. You know she loves you... you know you bring her happiness. I want you to be her happiness too"

"Okay. We'll share our happiness" Julia replied between sniffs.

After that, we put down the phone.

"She told me the same thing earlier" my wife said. "She told me I was her happiness."

All we could do then was smile at each other and choke down a couple of tears of happiness and humility.

So here I am, doing what my daughter told me: "...share our happiness".

Hope I made you happy.

Swan Love

Last night, my wife, daughter and I were watching a new show on a local television channel. It was a show that featured the strong similarities between man and animal, and the very first animal they featured is a long-time favorite of mine: the swan.

It was a short feature about a real-life swan that fell in love with a swan-shaped pedal boat, similar to those pedal boats one finds on the waters of Burnham Park in Baguio.

Day and night, the live swan would stay beside the swan-boat. It swam beside the boat, it slept beside the boat, and it ate beside the boat. It literally lived beside the swan-boat.

At one time, the park authorities decided to take away the swan-boat. The live swan followed noisily as the swan-boat was brought out of the water and loaded onto a pick-up. The video showed the live swan raising a ruckus about the abduction of its’ “oversized inanimate lover”.

And while the swan-boat was away, the live swan supposedly did not seem to want to live the life of a regular swan.

And so the park authorities decided to bring the swan-boat back, and sure enough, as soon as the live swan saw the swan-boat, it followed it from the pick-up back into the water, and the two “paddled off into the sunset”.

The live swan and the human pedaled swan-boat.

Ironically, the swan is also the symbol of true, unconditional love.

Sadly, there are many people in similar situations.

People who choose to “love blindly” – often beyond all acceptable reason.

There is a world of difference between “blind love” and “loving unconditionally”.

At the onset, they may seem the same, but believe me, they are very, very different.

Loving unconditionally means loving a person despite and in spite of his or her past, present and future. Loving blindly is, just simply, loving blindly.

The first kind of love requires a knowledge of the other persons’ past, present and future. The second kind of love requires none of that.

Many people live the lives of the live swan. They waste their time pouring out their love and attention on people and in situations that will obviously not bear fruit.

They choose to love for the wrong reason. Often, their love is without reason at all. Like the live swan, they fail to see the other live swans swimming just around the corner, or across the lake or, in some cases, right beside them. Without their realizing it, they are actually depriving themselves of the love that may actually be waiting for them if only they would wake-up from the dream that they have created with the object of their misguided affection.

I have seen many cases such as this. I have counseled many in such situations. And, unfortunately, I have seen many lives wasted because of such inanimate love.

On the other hand, I have also seen the best of love.

I have seen those whose continuous love for another has brought about the miraculous change needed for love to flourish. I myself am a result of how true, unconditional love between people of different faiths resulted in siblings whose love for God is uncompromised.

In my work, I have seen how love has healed sick children, and how love has eased the passage of a person from this life to the next.

I have seen how love for family has provided employees with the strength and commitment to work long hours just to see a project through or to earn that extra hour or two of OT pay.

Jesus loves us unconditionally.

He loves us – despite and in spite of our past, our present… and our future. Just because he loves us despite our sins does not mean that he loves blindly. It means that he has decided to love us even in our sin.

But loving does not mean that we become exempt from the consequences of the choices we make. It is exactly because Jesus loves us that he allows us to choose the path we take. Whether it be his path or not.

But it is our choice.

To love in a manner that will set us free and bring out the best in us.

Or to love in a manner that will just lead our souls towards an inanimate future.

Raindrops

There really isn't much that you can do when you're stuck in traffic on Ayala Avenue and it starts to rain.

Not much but wait for the lights to change, the cars to move, pedestrians cross and time to just pass you by.

And then again, you could watch the rain.

It wasn't a heavy downpour this morning. It was more of a light and continuous shower -- just a little stronger than a drizzle.

As I sat in the back seat of the cab, I took special notice of the beads of rain that fell and clung onto the glass of the window. These little "orbs of water" ranged in size from less than a millimeter to probably two or three millimeters in diameter.

I noticed something that has always been right in front of me everytime it rained.

Every once in a while, a single bead would start to move down the glass surface. Whether caused by gravity, another drop of rain, the wind or the mild surface vibration brought about by the vehicles’ engine wasn’t important. The fact is, a bead or two would start to slide downwards.

Then it would eventually hit another bead – and they would merge into one and slide further downward, slightly faster this time, until it hit and merged with another bead, and then another, and then it would be much bigger than the original bead, and gravity would just do the rest and pull the “now enlarged” bead quickly down the rest of the way.

And then there were the other beads of water.

Some were just so big and heavy on their own that they slid down the glass surface almost as soon as it hit the glass. Others, for one reason or another just “clung” onto the surface and never seemed to be affected by other beads, the wind, the vibration or just about anything else that caused other beads of water to slide down the glass slope.

Amazing how people are much like these beads of water.

We all have our problems – some face bigger problems than others – but they are problems nonetheless. BUT, how we allow these problems to affect us – AND other people around us – is the source of our similarity with raindrops on a glass surface.

Some people are the beads of water that start their downward journey. They have problems that just seem to keep weighing them down. For them, life seems to have no “brighter side”, and every turn is just another slide further downward. When these kind of people start to unburden themselves upon others, they somehow take the other person down with them. In their depression, they seek the help and comfort of friends and family, but because of their own stubbornness, instead of accepting the encouragement of others, they take down with them those whose help they sought out in the first place.

Which leads us to the next group of people and the second kind of bead of water: the beads that somehow find themselves in the downward slope of the problematic? These are people who always seem ready to listen and to extend a helping hand – always with good intent.

But if these people are not deeply rooted in their faith – if they are not strongly convicted in their ways – not only will they not be of help, but sooner or later they will find themselves being pulled down by the very people they tried to help in the first place.

There are also those people who get in the way of the hopelessly problematic. They aren’t really involved, but just because they are in the way of this beads’ downward slide, they become victims who soon find themselves being pulled down by the first bead’s problems – often against their will. These are the victims of circumstance: the bystander who gets shot in crossfire between police and car thieves; the depositor who gets shot by robbers holding-up a bank; or the unborn child killed in the womb of a woman who gave in to desperation at becoming pregnant out of wedlock.

And then there are those who have found their place on the glassy slope – and stayed there.

They may listen and sympathize with the problematic – but they know how to keep enough distance so as not to join the downward slide of the hopelessly depressed.

They are those who can withstand the problems and trial brought about by the wind, the vibration brought about by the vehicles’ running engine or, for some reason, do not get hit by other raindrops.

These are the people who have rooted themselves well in their faith, and who have chosen to learn from their own trials and have chosen to “be firm and steadfast”, thus possessing the land on which they stand.

People are the raindrops. The glass surface is life. The wind, rain and engine vibration represent the trials, tests, problems and challenges we face as a result of our own or another persons’ or peoples’ mistakes.

Which raindrop would you be?

Temple or Marketplace?

Today is the third Sunday of Lent.

The Gospel focused on one of the few incidents recorded in the Bible when Jesus displayed an emotion we call "righteous anger".

Upon entering the synagogue grounds, Jesus is awed and stressed at seeing how the temple grounds, once considered absolutely sacred, had been demonetized to a state no more noble than your local provincial wet market or palengke.

Where worshippers once walked piously to and from the temples' many doorways leading to the worship halls, animal traders, tax collectors and other hawkers of various goods and "prayer necessities" set up tables and stalls in front of cages of animals ranging from cows to goats to pigeons. What once was a quiet plaza where worshippers began to contemplate their prayer hour at the temple was transformed into a noisy den of thieves and cheats, all using religion as the basis for their businesses.

Well, this kind of irked the Lord, and what follows is well narrated in your trusty Bibles.

Unfortunately, not much has changed.

Literally.

Notwithstanding the "physical church": the structure and building where we go to worship the Lord -- our "personal temples": our very own hearts and souls -- have changed little in becoming the temple of the Holy Spirit that it was and still is meant to be.

If the Lord were to walk into the grounds of our temple, what would he find there?

A true Spirit of worship?

Or a den of thieves bent merely on providing oneself with the semblance of worship, when there is really nothing more than the desire to fulfill one's needs.

When we come to church just to fulfill an obligation, we are no better than the tax collectors who are there to remind worshippers of their obligations.

When we come to church just because it has been a practice we have become accustomed to, we are no better than the hawkers who go not to worship, but because it has become a routine for them to be there to sell their goods.

When we come to church with anger, hatred, hurt, unforgiveness, bitterness or any other ill-feelings or intent towards others for whatever reason, then we are no better than the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Zealots and Scribes who hide behind holy garments that do little to hide their true and often hypocritical natures.

More than a clean structure and a beautiful facade, Jesus seeks the purity of our inner temples.

What would Jesus find in your heart?

A Temple?

Or a Marketplace?

While you contemplate this, I'll be sweeping up my grounds.