Tita Helen

A devoted mom, a loving daughter, a good friend and a thoughtful aunt. For more than 15 years, she's been working abroad as a "nanny." I salute her for inspiring our lives - how she genuinely cares for us and for others. We've been blessed to have you.

Thank You....

My Dream...

It has always been my dream to wear a gown designed by my Tito Dennis. My cousin, Martha, who just turned 18, was indeed lucky to wear one. That evening, I envied her because she’s stunning.

I neither had a debut party nor had a chance to join any beauty contest. But hopefully, my dream will become a reality- to walk down the aisle with pride of wearing a dazzling gown, designed by my brilliant uncle. I’ve told you, being single is not my choice, but to carry a “Dennis Fernandez’ creation” will always be my perfect choice.

Susan Roces or Alicia Alonzo?

Nope! She's not Susan Roces or Alicia Alonzo, two of the great actresses of Philippine cinema in the 60s. The sophisticated-looking woman is none other than my mother.

She is not the touchy-feely type. Believe it or not, I haven't heard her saying "I love you" to any one of us. But you'll be amazed on the tales of other people, how she fondly talks about her children. Her concern is always our future. Magnanimous is the best adjective to describe her.

One of her best traits is being a good cook. In our home, we're not obliged to do household chores so we have the luxury to enjoy a longer sleep during weekend. But we'll hurriedly get out of bed upon hearing mom - calling each of us by name and announcing, "it's time to eat."

There were several instances that I was mistaken as my mom and received comment like "Charie is not getting older." It's funny but it brightened up my day because my mother is a lovely woman. To look like her is the best compliment I've been receiving these days.

It's my pleasure honoring my mother on this special day. We're privileged to be entrusted under her care.

Happy Birthday Nanay!

Seven

On May 21, 2005, Benedict Constantine Gabatin, a seven-month old baby was born. That’s the reason why he was baptized as Seven – his nickname. But looking at Seven, you’d never guess that he was prematurely born. He’s now a happy and active toddler. You’ll be amazed as you watch him shooting and dribbling like a basketball star. At a very young age, he has been showing interest in other ball games like bowling and billiards. He is a darling to every one in our family.

Lola Ingga

Lola Ingga is 85 years old now. She stays young at heart because she never gets tired of loving us. My admiration for my grandma started since I was a child because she's the one who took good care of me. I salute this meek lady who was a widow at the age of 35. She reared her eight children through her own sweat and blood. Few years ago, three of her children passed away in a span of two years. An affectionate mother endured the pain in bringing them into grave.

My grandma continues to grow old gracefully through her unwavering faith. No amount of words can compensate for all her sacrifices.

Careless or Careful?

On my way to work this morning, I was riding a TamarawFX (PUV) being ran by a reckless driver. A vehicular accident I heard from the news which happened two days ago is still fresh in my mind. Now, I'm apprehensive if I'll be reaching my destination safely. I was upset about the lack of discipline I witnessed almost daily on the road. Suddenly, I thought of a friend who's celebrating her birthday. Her name is Annazel and is one of the "Seekers". She works as an Occupational Therapist in New Jersey. She realized her vocation of caring for older people and special children.

Life is really a choice. Finding your purpose will determine your success. Would you choose to be careless like the driver or careful like the therapist?

Seekers

we try to find love, joy, adventure,

fortune, relationship, peace, ourselves

in our journey, the search is endless

sometimes we feel weary….

but we may stop for awhile

as life has to go on….

no matter what we all seek in life

we should be always grateful

because we’ve sought true friendship

and our quest would be less tough

with the support and prayers of real friends.

nevertheless, our search is not yet over

we can find rest and refuge….

if we could learn to simplify our life

as we strive to live a good one

and seek the truth - God’s Love!

03-21-04

It's Not Easy

it's not easy - to trust again

it's not easy - to bring back your respect

it's not easy - to forget past hurt

it's not easy - to restore a relationship

it's not easy - to start all over again

with faith and love, still "it's not easy"

but you got the power to do things

that "aren't easy"

02-14-08

Real Sacrifice

I've never been a parent and I don't know if I'll be called to be one but I'm blessed to be cared for by two caring individuals entrusted by God in bringing me into this world. These special people are "My Nanay and Tatay."

As what they have done to us, my parents would be an epitome of what real sacrifice is all about. They chose to be away from each other in order to give us a comfortable life. For more than 25 years, my father is still working in Riyadh while my mother is solely looking after us. They continue to add value to our lives and to the lives of other people.

I'm thankful for the material comfort they've provided us, but I'm more thankful for the good values they've passed on us. Their unconditional love keeps on empowering us - to live a meaningful life.

Life is too short...

Life is too short, but i have a choice...

i'd rather give than receive

i'd rather love than hate

i'd rather praise than criticize

i'd rather understand than judge

i'd rather accept than deny

i'd rather forgive than blame

i'd rather persevere than give up

i'd rather believe than lose hope

i'd rather thank than complain

i'd rather surrender to God than lose life's battles

i'd rather live life to the fullest than regret in the end.

03-09-08

Stop! Look! Listen!

On my way to work this morning, seeing the traffic lights suddenly stimulated my mind. Then I was able to organize my thoughts and put it into writing using these three words: Stop, Look and Listen. I’d like to share some of my insights:

Stop – We need to stop and take time-out from our daily tasks.

Look – We need to look within ourselves and at the people around us.

Listen – We need to listen to ourselves, to others, and to the little voice of God.

May these action words guide you in your daily life. Good Day!

Black is Beautiful!

"Mr. Baltz" to his students, "Eustaquio" to his classmates, "Junior" to his family, and "Beteng" to his friends. He's the funniest mammal I've ever coexisted with on earth. With his natural wit and humor, life has become tolerable with him around. He's lighthearted, but don't take his blatant criticisms seriously, for you to get along.

Junior is still single but has a good sense of family responsibility. A dependable son, a supportive uncle, and a doting grandfather. Mr. Baltz is a dedicated teacher while Eustaquio is a notorious student. Behind that unique face with not so dark complexion you won't easily forget, is a beautiful person in and out! He's my knockout friend, Beteng! Blacky is beautiful...I'm sorry...I'd rather say, "Black is beautiful!" Long live our tribe!

Getting Bald?

Getting bald has never been a problem to the two gentlemen. They may not have the Adonis look but they have the guts to face anyone. With their innate sense of humor, they have captivated the hearts of two beautiful women, who are sisters by blood in their native town.

Seriously speaking, I’m all praise to these two family men because they have true sense of responsibility. Their wisdom of experience shows on their receding hairline that makes their respective family proud.

Where are you going?

"You don't understand how I've been brought up."

"I can't help it, it's the way I was born, I can't change myself."

"I didn't mean to hurt you, I can't just forget my traumatic past."

These are some of our common expressions when we fall into same patterns of sin. Though genes and life experiences have a huge impact on us, we should be glad that there's a gift called salvation. With God's grace, with faith and with the help of our Christian friends, we can still change our ways. Because God's ultimate concern is not where you've been, but where are you going.

"Though your sins are like scarlet, they can be as white as snow. Though your sins are deep red, they can be white like wool." Isaiah 1:18.

We're all "Seekers"

"Seekers" is how we call the group of my grade school buddies who've remained the best of friends for more than three decades now. We're so young then and curious about so many things in life. Life may look simple for all of us but it's somewhat complicated due to external pressures in the small world we live in. With our need to be accepted, we always wanted to shine and prove our worth. We tried to seek pleasure in almost everything we do. We're inseparable and we're always on the go.

We're different people with different personalities but pursuing one goal - to be happy. We're all "Seekers" in this world. It's indeed a continuous search of happiness. We're thankful that we've already found one of those things that matters most in life, that is, true friendship. We've been blessed by the love and joy we tremendously bring into each other's lives.

Reward Yourself!

After a stressful day at work, you may consider rewarding yourself with a savory meal or an iced mocha latte. You may choose to pamper yourself with a body massage or a foot spa. You may afford to treat yourself with a nice pair of shoes or a branded shirt. You may relax by finding time to read a good book or seeing a hilarious film. Those stuff could relieve your stress and could make you feel good.

In reality, those gifts you've thought of giving yourself are oftentimes associated with things that money can buy.

Haven't you realized that the best gift you could ever reward yourself is for free? It's just being kind to yourself - by learning to love and accept yourself for who you are. Accept the gift now and relish each day of your life!

Missing My Sis...

The thought of giving our family a good life propelled my only sister to face up to the challenges of working abroad. She is an OFW just like my father. Coming from a close-knit family, I admit having suffered from loneliness in the beginning when she decided to leave the country.

Before she left for Singapore, she made a Powerpoint presentation entitled, “The Story of My Life – Evolution.” It’s a collection of my pictures from childhood up to present. It’s hilarious as I view myself evolving from an ugly duckling into a fair lady, with the help of science.

There are times that I really miss her especially when I’m strolling in the mall. I can’t forget her little surprises on my birthdays. She is also gutsy in posing like a sexy star and singing like a diva.

However, almost every weekend, she finds time to call us. There’s a delight in my heart whenever I can hear her voice. Upon hearing her contagious laughter, my longing is instantly replaced with joy.

Little Ones!

Almost everyone has a natural fondness for children. They are little angels created by God to remind us that life could be lived simply and joyfully. With a lot of stress we handle each day, these little ones could perk up your day. Their smiles and giggles could soothe your troubled heart. Their priceless hugs and kisses could relieve your anxieties. As we take our life's journey, let's not stop being like the "little ones." They are easy-to-please, carefree, and forgiving. Just love them and they'll love you back, more than your expectations.

Bea Franzcheska

Bea is bubbly and cheeky. She’s growing up so fast but we still treat her like a baby in our house. The whole family is very much fond of her. Sometimes, I get annoyed by her being pushy especially when I’m surfing the net. It’s a little bit of pride on my part. I must admit, this girl has been teaching me a lot of new things on the web. I’m amazed by her skills in writing letters and story-telling.

We simply adore her!

I Love Myself....

As the song goes, “learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.” I could say that I do love myself because I enjoy looking at my reflection in the mirror, more than 10 times a day.

My friend reminded me of Narcissus in Greek Mythology - a youth who fell in love with his own image in a pool of water and was transformed into a flower. So I thought of a word “narcissism” which means excessive admiration of oneself or one’s appearance, most likely originated from that Greek character.

I may not have the best physical attributes, but I just love being me. I appreciate the uniqueness in me!

Burnt-out?

I feel lazy to go to work. My patience to callers grows thinner each day. I easily get tired. I always want to extend my day off. It’s tough, overcoming these feelings of burnt-out. It’s when routine works seem to bore me and dissatisfy me. But I carry on with my day-to-day task because I need a job – to sustain myself and to support my family.

Then I chose to divert my unhelpful thoughts to my blessings in life and blurted out, “Thank God, I still have a job.”