I live by ‘Go big or go home.’ That’s with everything. It’s like either commit and go for it or don’t do it at all. I apply that to everything. I apply that to relationships, I apply that to like sports, I apply that to everything. That’s what I live by. That’s how I like … Read More →
My three siblings in the US once sent me a Thanksgiving prayer citing our parents for the gifts we continue to receive even after their deaths. There will be one Thanksgiving day that I will surely join in their celebration. In honor of Thanksgiving Day, I have a lot to be thankful for today and … Read More →
Lighting our candles and remembering our children’s smiles, Is the perfect combination of our children’s lights and lives. For their lights still shine brightly and help us to see the way, The 17th annual Worldwide Candle Lighting of The Compassionate Friends will be held on Sunday, December 8, 2013 at the Kiosk area, Church of … Read More →
Seven days after Typhoon Yolanda, and relief is slowly getting through. I will not talk anymore of the devastation but the many emotions that face us today and probably for the next few months. Denial , anger and shock are the initial reactions from this massive devastation caught on photos and videos. I was appalled … Read More →
In every meeting of The Compassionate Friends, we provide positive ways for grief management. We believe that the only way to truly relieve the pain is to work through the grief. Once we had “Creative ways of Remembering your loved one“. The topic was about “Healing through Journaling” or Grief Journaling[/tag] by Leah Eriguel, a … Read More →
Treat yourself like you already are what you would like to become”Wayne Dyer You know the saying bilib sa sarili (Believe in oneself) can come off as conceited or even narcissistic. Yet, I practice it all the time. Believing that I am actually a confident person until I actually become more confident. Four years ago, … Read More →
Positive thinking is something I had to re-learn as family tragedies befell one after the other. With 5 deaths in my immediate family (including my son), it might seem I am immune to pain. It never gets easier. Along the way, I learned to improve my life, change and reinvent myself. Allow me to share … Read More →
Numb feelings. That was my defense mechanism during the peak of my grief. I needed to shut down the emotional part of myself to survive the unspeakable grief that befell my family. I shut down the part of me that felt anger, sadness, fear, joy and perhaps, love. It was an unhealthy move. It is … Read More →
I cannot always control what goes on outside. But I can always control what goes on inside.- Wayne Dyer It’s so easy to notice what’s wrong. It takes practice to see what’s right. I don’t know why negativity thrives in some people. Maybe they lived around negativity for years. They have become skilled at attaching … Read More →
Do you feel trapped or helpless? Do you feel like inaapi ka (you were victimized)? If I have learned anything from my past, it was my awesome ability to find misery in any situation, even the most wonderful of circumstances. Shoulders bent, head down, I shuffled through life taking these blows. How many of you … Read More →
Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend. – Albert Camus Of course you know one of my advocacy is The Compassionate Friends (TCF). Woe me , I should really be more careful when I promote TCF. … Read More →
“Are you paranoid , mom?”. One of my daughters noticed the red and green colored fire extinguishers I placed in every room of the house. I ignored her question as I pointed to the fire exits in their respective bedrooms and gave a quick lecture on how to use the fire extinguishers. One daughter asked, … Read More →
It takes two to make a relationship work. It is easy to blame the other partner if something fails in a relationship. I used to blame my husband for every little thing without even checking if I too had my faults. When I took away the focus from my husband and turned to myself, wonderful … Read More →
Every third saturday of the month, there is a monthly meeting of the Compassionate Friends, a grief support group after the death of a child. It’s the time to pay forward and give comfort to newly bereaved parents. Sometimes I cannot even imagine myself in their shoes, going through what they are feeling today. Oh, … Read More →
Touched by an Angel e-book is now available for purchase. Just click here to order.
This is about me ( a Filipina mom) and my journey to a "new normal" after the death of Luijoe , my beautiful 6 year old son.
Recovery is a work in progress.... read more?
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