It is now the beginning of another year and it is important to reflect and learn all the things that we should be thankful for. There are times when we feel so gloomy, and discouraged but after a while when calmness creeps in, we realized that we are still very lucky people compared to others that we see on television and in the papers.
Some people never find satisfaction in the things they do have, but spend their entire lives wishing for things they don’t have. They are never happy with where their lives are going, they feel empty in their relationships, and therefore they find it impossible to give thanks for the many blessings they have been given.
As Catholics, every prayer we offer unto God should acknowledge the many wonderful things that He has done for us. God gives good things to His children, and we should be thankful for all that we have.
Good health is on top of the list that we should be thankful for. We hear of friends and acquaintances that suffer from this and that. We could only feel sympathetic for them but at the same time thankful that it is not happening to us. One can never know for sure what will happen to us so our health should not be taken lightly, our body is like a machine that proper and regular maintenance is needed to keep it going so no surprises will come our way.
I am thankful that my husband, Ruben, my partner, my best friend, and my mentor is still healthy and alive. He is one person who has given me so much love, making me feel so special that I consider myself to be lucky to have found and married him. Ruben takes his disability in stride; others would have given up but not him. I constantly show him how lucky he is that he is still alive. He has not stopped giving me unconditional love and affection. Ruben’s work in Balita is ongoing and he is still the inspiration that makes me work harder on making the newspaper keeps the lead in the Filipino community, of course I thank our advertisers and readers for helping us.
Did we ever thank our parents that sent us to school when we were young? If not for the education and degree that we got from home, we would not have the guts to come and adventure into a new world here in Canada or anywhere. I’m thankful to be the daughter of two very loving, supportive people. They are both gone now but thinking back, they let me go abroad regardless of how sad they felt and must have cried buckets of tears when I left.
I am thankful for my siblings that are all around me here and in the Philippines. I am so happy that we have good relationships. In laws sometimes can cause havoc in a good family, but in my family, our brothers and sisters in law have become real part of us that there are no jealousy, no competition, and everyone has genuine concern for one another.
Our family Christmas this year was not the same because half of them decided to spend Christmas in the Philippines. My youngest boy Edward went with them. Our children are all fascinated with the way of life in the Philippines that they all want to go home whenever they have the chance.
For our children, we are thankful to the social networking Face book that connects all of us and has become a major tool for the closeness of our nieces and nephews regardless of their distance. They are updated of the happenings on their lives.
My three boys, I am thankful that they did not give me any problem along the way and that they fulfilled my dreams of having them all university graduates. Two of them are married and I have two beautiful grandchildren and another one on the way. We do our bonding by traveling together. They have accompanied Ruben and I on a number of trips all over and those times we really cherish.
I thank my friends and acquaintances, the number is countless. I know I can count on some of them because they are good people and they care about us. It is time to really think of who matters to us most and forget those that are constantly getting us into trouble. At my age now, I have tried my true friends, I truly value all of them and I keep getting more and more as I aged. You will never have enough of good friends around you
But of course you should be a nice person as well in order for them to keep you. I’m hardly perfect, but it’s good to know in my heart that I’m a kind person. I’d never intentionally hurt anyone. I don’t believe in being mean. I hate to see anyone cry and love to see people smile. I genuinely appreciate and care about people. We should always walk away from people that don’t make us happy.
We should be thankful for the kindness of strangers. With Ruben’s disability, we have met and experienced meeting some beautiful and good people. I love it when someone I don’t even know open doors for us, offers help in pushing Ruben’s wheelchair, carry stuff when we go shopping and just smiles and say hello to us. People all over the world are now very accepting of people’s handicap and are willing to help whatever they can. They do it with just the satisfaction of helping out. Traveling for Ruben and I has now become easy because of wheelchair friendly places and facilities that cater to disabled.
For Ruben and myself, our four years of waiting for our two bedroom condo in the Philippines is finally ending. By December, we will be on the 16th floor of Eton Tower and because the first eight floors are commercial, we do not have to go anywhere for shopping and food. At least, that is another big thing to look forward to.
So for 2011, we can make life easy if we want to, but first enjoy and go easy on yourself. Be nice, stop being sensitive; Get in the habit of being punctual. No one is given the privilege to be waited upon, always think that some may not be forgiving.
If you belong to an association or a group, work with them, not against them, if you can’t, then get out and let others do it. Never think of yourself as the only one, who could run things, nobody is indispensable in this world. Work in harmony with co groups, never raise a voice, never insult anybody and learn to communicate. Always think that things did not progress because of you alone but from collective efforts.
To be the leader of a group is not the only way to help. Be down to earth. You are the leader of your own path and do not cross others.
Think of the people that helped you in the fast. Don’t give people a hard time. Delegate work without being dictatorial. Say thank-you a lot. Learn to apologize. Laugh. Feel beautiful. Reminisce.
Experience each day on its own merits, we do not know what tomorrow will bring. Survival is a challenge, so put God first in everything. Happy New Year to all.****