How time flies...

I cannot believe it is already half of the year.

We celebrated two birthdays during the first two weeks of January after enjoying the new year blast. On the 3rd week, my mom's belly was swollen, got operated 2 days after, and diagnosed with the big C. It was the coldest month in Baguio since 1960's I guess. Then there's the end of January.

The Flower Festival of Baguio was not that grand this year. I barely felt it, or maybe I did not care that much. Valentine's Day passed by just like that. It was our company's evaluation month. We visited one of our boss's private pool in Los Baños, Laguna while he was in the Philippines. It was then still cold. Then there's the end of February.

Campaign procedures for election candidates started. TVs are full of ads and streets full of trash. I left for Singapore as a tourist for a few days after stressing myself out from Bureau of Immigration's lousy processes. Chemo started and ended March for my mom. Salary increase in the company is being laid out. Then there's the end of March.

Holy week was the starting point of April. I have been working from home for two weeks to be with my mom on her 3rd chemo. Days just passed and the sun started to bring heat to the Earth. Our payslips have changed since the increases were reflected. I took hold of a bigger responsibility. I heard many wedding bells this month. I was involved in an accident along Marcos highway while I was on a DeLuxe Victory Bus. It was a total wreck but all I have are bruised knees, scratched left elbow, and a traumatized feeling. Praise God. Peso was beginning to strengthen. Then there's the end of April.

The beginning and 3rd week of my birth month were to support my mom in the hospital but Labor day introduced the month. TVs flashed the last-minute Ads for candidates. Election day finished with violent endings and unavoidable failures. People started to peel off trashes from street walls. I attended a wedding in Olongapo. I stayed with my family during my birthday and enjoyed dinner at home. We went out with my brother's daughter whose 7th birthday is on the 27th. We had fun bumping cars and winning tickets from the machines. Then there's the end of May.

And then now, 5 days off from June. Classes in public schools have started. Peso is at its strongest, 45.718 against the dollar. But lower profits for Business Process Outsourcing firms. We have a company outing on the 9th at La Luz Beach Resort, Batangas. Then there's the beginning of June.

Great Trough of 2007

The wheel is turning. The travel is towards the trough. And I am afraid. But the constant reminder that God is the greatest helps ease the pain. Kaya ng Diyos ko yan!!! Battles continue to emerge, consistently testing my strength and faith. They even overlap sometimes or happen in succession, which puts more pressure into the soul, seemingly no time for good news. But no matter what, keep focused. A new day is already a blessing. Having food to intake is another. A family who cares is present. And most of all, Almighty God who loves us is good all the time. Thus, be thankful.

That trough I am referring to is cancer by the way, not me, but my beloved mother. Ovarian Cancer Stage IIIC. Total Abdominal Hysterectomy with Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy plus Omentectomy were the emergency procedures, which lead to the diagnosis. Nothing to find there anymore because everything has been removed. But the cancer cells have spread.

Six Chemotherapy sessions come next. Probiotics intake starts. More courage required. Greater Faith to establish.

With this, I pray for healing...

Like a Wave...

Like the wave, it has its crests and troughs. We all live a life like this and we don't know when the next crest would come or when the next trough would attack. And to be able to complete a wavelength, we need to bring along strength, faith, and determination. Otherwise, only half the wavelength is drawn and we may never be going up the crest again, if we never try. This is especially true when fear overcomes everything. We don't take the risk and we end up being scared all our life. But that is the adventure we need to taste. No matter what the ending is, I believe we have to be thankful that we tried. Failures are those that really give us the lesson. Some people would say that they cannot really relate when they don't experience it first hand. And when they do, they would tell you that the lessons really are true. But for the empathetic people, listening to other people's stories are already a lesson to them. But this does not mean they would never be undergoing the same case. For some daily situations, our minds and hearts battle for the decision. Which one do you listen to?