The Holiday Season can evoke nostalgia on everyone. The season can bring fond memories of loved ones long gone and of happy times spent together.
It is like a magic blanket that relives those moments all over again, reuniting families.
This year despite all the rough and tumble in life that I have been through, I can still say that I am just as good as before. The grieving over my husband Ruben’s passing continues to be part of my daily routine but I have learned to cope through understanding and acceptance.
I always prepare my house in the same traditional way for the Holidays, with festive lights, red table clothes, different colored candles, and Christmas ornaments all over. With this, I feel secure and fulfilled, also contented and at peace with myself. This was the holiday ambiance for many years when Ruben was still around.
With my growing family, five grandchildren, they are the gifts that now occupy my time. I take great comfort in bonding with them, watching them grow and to be mindful not to miss any of the magical kiddy moments.
Holiday Season is also a time to thank those amazing, insightful, and caring people who stuck with me through thick and thin, and those who continue to give me guidance and support to this day.
I am thankful to those for whom believe in what Balita is fighting. They continually persuade me to fight till we find the underlying cause of everything and to expose the people responsible.
They really helped to put everything in perspective, making me feel I am not alone in the fight. The community has become our eyes and ears so no more fraudulent activities can be hidden from us.
Who cares how much it costs when they start fighting back? It is a matter of fighting for our principles, and it is worth every penny spent.
Monies lost can be earned back with proper handling but when the truth gets exposed it will be recorded in the community history and people and the next generation will benefit through lessons learned. We uphold the truth, and we will continue to fight for it.
I did my share of soul searching. My frequent visits to Ruben’s grave have become a consultation of whether I am doing it right.
Somehow, I leave the cemetery with a clear mind, realizing that I have stopped what others called robbery in broad daylight that if I did not publish it, they could have escalated or done more.
The people with the same motives to eat and live at the expense of others. Thankfully, and I hope our community has learned and discovered that all along they have had and will not have it repeated.
Watching those who wanted to harm me together was like a picturesque view in my imagination now. Like what they say, birds of the same feathers flock together. They come in tow as if going to witness my hanging and eventual death. Disappointing, some benefitted financially from Balita for years and were spoon fed by us.
As our community grows bigger with more newcomers arriving year by year, we have seen that new frauds keep cropping up. With vigilance from our community, we can help and protect each other as always.
In all these trials, God is always in control. It is all in His hands! I believe that whatever may look negative now, in the end, it is still Him that would shed light to everything.
This year, it is our hope that a miracle strikes those people to see the light, make amends, and clear up mistrust and suspicions. We should not go on with life with a cursed name and with a shameful legacy to leave our children.
The Holiday is a time to celebrate with the message of peace, joy, and love. We wish you peace with your fellowmen, in your everyday life, and love in your heart.
On a personal level, I deeply appreciate the blessings I have received, making my life challenges seem insignificant, and how lucky I have always been, and for that I am very, very thankful.