Tag: 2012

People With History

Tina 17 Comments

Also known as: This was meant for the book blog, but I realized a post on friendship has a better place here :)
Also, a note: Look, I’m blogging two days in a row!
Photo credit: Ella — Thank you, thank you! :)

Sometimes, I’d like to believe that I have been lucky with my friends.

When I was a kid, I used to dream of writing a book. Not the kind of book I want to write now, but you know a non-fiction book based on friendship. I was big on finding true friends, in keeping friendships, and you know, just having these set of people you can count on whether you need them or not. I don’t know why I was so fascinated with that — maybe it’s because I don’t have a sister (but don’t get me wrong, my brother is awesome)? Maybe I read too many books and watched too many shows about friendship? I don’t really know, but I was in the search for true friends, and once I find them, I intended to keep them.

(On a sidenote, this is also probably why I can be slightly possessive with my friends sometimes. But that’s for another post.)

Anyway, last weekend, I met up with some book club friends to discuss one of my favorite contemporary young adult books ever, On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. I was excited for this because one, this is my one of my favorite books, and two, my adopted little brother was moderating the discussion. Oh, fine, I was also excited for this because book discussions have been a highlight of my month ever since this year started, but that’s already a given, so there’s really no need to stress that. However, the days leading to the discussion weren’t really my best, with a vacation that didn’t end so well, and having my iPhone sent for repair because of an accident. I wasn’t sure if I could stay for so long there, but I was determined to at least show up and see how it goes — little time is better than no time, yes?

Jellicoe Road Map - on cookies

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All Is Well

Tina 2 Comments

Also known as: Lessons from a Bollywood movie

Hello. It’s been a while.

I meant to blog, I really do, but as always, life gets in the way. I’ve got a list of things I told myself I’d write about since last April, but we’re almost at the end of May and I’ve only written one post, one of which wasn’t even in the list. So if you’re one of the three readers of this blog, forgive me for being so silent in the past weeks.

Truth be told, I also don’t have much to say now. Oh, I have a list of things I know I should blog about — like getting a new toy, running with zombies, going to Boracay for the first time and that awesomely fun time I had with my book club friends last weekend (one that merits a post here instead of the book blog — that’s a big thing). I have drafts of those posts in my mind, and I can write them now if I wanted to, but that’s the thing: I kind of don’t want to.

Not yet, anyway.

Maybe it’s because my vacation wasn’t exactly the most stellar vacation I wished for (oh it was fun. It just had a series of very unfortunate events that made it a bit more memorable than I wanted it to be). Maybe it’s because I’m still in some sort of suspension now with that toy I mentioned, and the unfortunate accident that involved that and some saltwater is still fresh on my mind. Maybe it’s because the sudden lack of a certain routine that I got used to for a certain time jarred me. Maybe, it’s also because I am currently wrestling with my lungs after a sudden bout of asthma attack that’s kept me struggling for breath (literally) for the past days on a week when there are things that I want (and need) to do that does not involve going home and resting.

Ah, don’t you hate it when things like these happen? I feel trapped, and all I feel like doing is snuggling under the covers and sleeping, if only sleep can cure all these wheezes and waiting and silence these thoughts away. I just really want to lie down and do nothing. Okay, maybe throw a tiny pity party for myself for reasons I cannot even determine. I’m pretty sure this isn’t hormones, so don’t even go there.

But wait. I’m not trying to be depressing.

Last weekend, I finally sat down and watched 3 Idiots, this Bollywood movie recommended to me a few weeks ago. Now, to the people who know me, I’m not really a movie person, much less movies that aren’t, you know, from Hollywood. But because I was curious (and a previous recommendation from the same person was pretty much a hit for me), I decided to watch it. It was a fun and silly (and long) movie, but of all the lessons it had, there was one that struck me the most. If I may quote:

The heart scares easily. You have to trick it. However big the problem, tell your heart, “All is well, pal.”

*cue hand to heart*

But anyway, I wrote that line in my phone so I could think about it further after the movie was done. Of course, there were lots of instances in the movie that emphasized this point (including a seriously cheesy Bollywood dance sequence), and it provided me with a lot of material (a flood, even!), but I found myself saying that line over and over again to myself in the last days to remind myself that, Hey, all is well, pal.

I’d like to believe that it isn’t a way of deluding myself and believing things that are not what they are now. It’s not even that bad, for goodness’ sake. I guess I’m just getting a beating that I didn’t expect, but it’s not a bad, bad beating that it would pull me down. (Except maybe, if I get a really bad asthma attack all of a sudden :P For that, I have to rest a bit.)

But the point is that: whatever happens, no matter how I feel physically, emotionally, mentally (and even financially), I have to remember that all is well. Because it is. Even if it doesn’t seem like it. If it’s not, then all will be well.

Because it will be.

Right?

Today is the day the Lord has made

Tina Leave a comment

Also known as: Easter 2012

…let us rejoice and be glad in it!

And so another Lent and Holy Week came and went, and it is now time for my favorite season, Easter. I used to say that I liked Advent and Christmas more than Lent and Easter, but now I’ve grown up (a bit :D), I realize that I may just love Lent and Easter more. Not that Advent and Christmas aren’t equally important as Lent and Easter, but the latter seasons are pretty much the defining moment of my faith, of our faith. Without Lent and Easter, Christmas means nothing.

Alleluia!
ALLELUIA! (Risen Christ image at St. Pio Center, Libis)

Lent. I meant to post more about how my Lent was, but March’s events got me so busy that I hardly found the time to post. I tried, but you know, it wasn’t easy especially when I was always out. But I didn’t take Lent easy this year. I tried something new, which I think are efforts that were blessed. I’ll post about it in the next few days (I promise!), but suffice to say: this Lent is probably the most meaningful one I’ve ever had.

Triduum. For the first time since I can remember, I managed to participate in as many church activities that I can during the Triduum. There was the usual Maundy Thursday mass, followed by Stations of the Cross on Good Friday (with actual crosses!) and Veneration of the Cross, and finally, Easter Vigil on Black Saturday. I used to think that Good Friday and Black Saturday were best spent at home in silence and reflection. But all the podcasts I listened to were right — the real best way to really and truly understand and feel the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus is to attend these activities because the Holy Week is meant to be spent in community with the church. :)

I can’t remember the last time I felt a holy kind of excitement in my heart until the Easter Vigil at our parish last night, and my heart was thrilled when the lights in the church were turned on. If I could shout, I would probably shout “Alleluia!” out loud. :)

Then, Easter Sunday. Bright and sunny (and hot!), and it felt like everyone was so full of cheer. Like there’s a new beginning.

And you know what? I think there really is a new beginning offered to each one of us. Because Jesus Christ had conquered death, we are free. And most of all, we are loved. :)

The best and most tangible feeling of this freedom: I gave up some things for Lent — these things aren’t bad things, but things that I could live without. It was hard to give up, and I broke my fast a few times. I almost thought I wouldn’t make it until Easter. But when Easter finally rolled around, doing the things I gave up again felt like such a huge gift. It felt like I was suddenly free to do those things again, when the only thing stopping me from doing those things were myself in the past 5-6 weeks. It’s like things were made new again. I was given another chance to live, but this time mindful of the fact that I should do these things I gave up for Lent for His glory and not mine because my Savior suffered so much to set me free. :)

See. I love Easter. How can you not love Easter?

Happy Easter, my dear friends. Today is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Jesus has risen, indeed. May this Easter bring you new hope and new beginnings. :) Alleluia!