No matter what you’ve done for yourself or for humanity, if you can’t look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished?
– Lee Iacocca
I felt so blessed during the beatification of Pope John Paul II. Perhaps because he once blessed my daughter at the Raigiubeleo celebration of the Jubilee for Children at the Vatican on January 5, 2001. It is indeed a blessing that a family member was touched by the Blessed Pope. I was deeply comforted upon reflecting on his thoughts on marriage and family. His teachings made me appreciate the trials and tribulations of our marriage as I recalled our 26th wedding anniversary, two days from now.
Marriage was not an easy journey, but my husband and I held on to our love and vows before God. Our union brought us three beautiful children, two with us to love and hold, the other to dream, cherish and love forever. Our bad times made our love even stronger. We made it this far for better or for worse and that calls for a celebration and a time for affirmation in prayers.
““Always remember this: ‘A kiss will never miss, and after many kisses a miss becomes a misses’.” John Lennon
Any wedding makes me feel so giddy and romantic. Next week, my husband and I will celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary so I am feeling quite romantic. My husband and I were watching the Royal Wedding. Well, I told him to watch it with me.
He sat just in time when Kate and William came out of the Buckingham Palace to kiss.
The first kiss seemed so tame. I guess they were feeling overwhelmed. When they kissed for the second time, my husband teased me. Haha , I think the second kiss was longer and more endearing.
I am happy for couples in love who tied the knot especially those that have had long engagements. Kate and William were together for 8 years . I know how that feels. Butch and I were a couple for 7 years before tying the knot. No wonder they are thrilled to be married. They have gone a long way. I read excerpts of the book, “Will and the Real Girl” from the Vanity Fair. “The path of royal love rarely runs smooth, and Prince William and Kate Middleton certainly stumbled along their way, not least over all the other gorgeous young women in the prince’s orbit. ”
Their message shows their sheer joy after all those challenges:
“We are both so delighted that you are able to join us in celebrating what we hope will be one of the happiest days of our lives.
An official photo of Prince William and his fiancee Catherine Middleton, released April 28, 2011. (Credit: Mario Testino)
The affection shown to us by so many people during our engagement has been incredibly moving, and has touched us both deeply. We would live to take this opportunity to thank everyone most sincerely for their kindness.” , a statement from Kate and William.
They even wrote their own prayer which I hope they will remember throughout their marriage when the going gets rough. Here is their prayer which all newly wedded couples should also bring to heart:
Prince William and Catherine Middleton have written their own prayer:
God our Father, we thank you for our families; for the love that we share and for the joy of our marriage.
In the busyness of each day keep our eyes fixed on what is real and important in life and help us to be generous with our time and love and energy.
Strengthened by our union help us to serve and comfort those who suffer. We ask this in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Amen.
While everyone else is busy with this Royal Wedding coverage, I curated photos and some Twitter reactions as the Royal Wedding unfolded.
BBC Breakfast compiled on the best bits of the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
We must not be surprised when we hear of murders, killings, of wars, or of hatred…If a mother can kill her own child, what is left but for us to kill each other? – Mother Teresa
As countries across the globe observe the Day of the Unborn Child today (it is Day of Unborn in Manila) , I will be celebrating the 25th birthday of Lauren , my eldest daughter. I don’t understand why the Catholic church here in the Philippines calls it the “Day of the Unborn” which pretty much sounds like some creepy horror movie like the “Undead”.
Those against the Reproductive Health (RH) bill say they are pro-life and label RH advocates like me as “evil” or pro-abortion.
Who would have thought my beautiful and smart sister, Myrna would now be appointed vice-mayor of her city in California ? (She won a seat in the council last November 2010. The mayor and vice mayor are appointed by fellow council members)
Did it even occur to our family that she’d dabble with politics?
Nuh-uh. If you asked me who among my siblings would have made it to politics, Myrna would be the last in my list.
Back in our college days in the state university, she was the least politically inclined among the siblings. Myrna with her frail, petite features seemed too fragile to fight it out in street rallies. Lorna, my eldest sister was an activist, cut short when my dad threatened to bring her back home to Cebu. It was the same predicament with me too. I then chose to be active in campus politics, being safe from arrests. Ruben. my brother was a photographer for the Collegian and was even brought to jail for taking shots of a police tearing down a poster. The youngest sister though not as politically inclined was a leader in her college organizations. Read More →
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.” T. S. Eliot
Despite the challenges that our country face in 2011, I am excited of the possibilities and eager to start things rocking and shaking. Around 15 minutes before 2011 came in, Butch and I ate our traditional media noche such as our bam-i, a Cebuano noodle dish for long life, buko fruit salad, embutido, and sparkling juice. Read More →
“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.” – By Hal Borland Lauren views Singapore cityscape December 31, 2010
Tonight’s New Year’s Eve celebration is the first time that our children are away from home. It will just be the two of us. Butch and me, well the two cats and my trusted two helpers. The last couple of days were rough on us especially the cancelled family vacation to Singapore, my surgery and being away from my kids for the first time in my life. Yet all that is in the past.
I will affirm the good things for the New Year 2011. I will offer a prayer, wait and expect good things to happen to me and my loved ones. Whenever I wonder what is coming, I tell myself the best is coming, the very best love and life have to offer, the best God has to send. I open my hands to receive to claim it and it’s mine.
I see the best in my mind and envision what it will look and feel like. Then I let it go without obsessing over it. Instead I become excited and express gratitude for all that I have achieved this year, all that I am and for all that I will become.
I am thankful for all the blessings for the year 2010…
1. Having the opportunity to interview 7 presidential candidates and empowering myself to understand the electoral process by being in it rather than just being an observer.
2. Getting a part-time contract to work with Vibal Foundation as their associate editor for the features section of the Philippine Online Chronicles. It is my first paid work since I left employment to be a full time mother in 1987. (I always thought companies stopped finding you useful when you reach over 40. I should know. I tried getting a job.)
3. A siblings’ reunion in San Francisco, in happier times, not funerals. I miss them a lot. We are so close even if we are continents apart.
All of us have had the experience of a sudden joy that came when nothing in the world had forewarned us of its coming – a joy so thrilling that if it was born of misery we remembered even the misery with tenderness. Antoine de Saint-Exupery
That’s not the surprise gift yet, well almost..
Butch and I promised not to give each other expensive Christmas presents because of the planned holiday trip to Singapore. We told each other “Let’s just shop there”. As most of you know, that did not happen. I still gave him a token gift, you know something to open, having that element of surprise and wonder during Christmas day. He had none to give me that day. I know him to be a generous person and I just shrugged it off. Maybe he didn’t have time to shop at the last minute, having to deal with my surgery and taking care of me. While recuperating in the hospital, I only thought of “what could have been..” if we were all together during the holidays. My husband often assured me there will be more family vacations so to “just get well”. I kept my optimism high, letting only positivity reign my life and focused on my recovery.
I am sure I am not alone in using Skype to greet family members. Family members in different parts of the world would want to be together but are unable to. Skype has brought a new level in Christmas traditions for those that can’t spend Christmas together. Just a few minutes ago, my daughters (who are right now in Singapore for the holidays) called me up in my hospital room. Read More →
My heart grows tender with treasured childhood memories and love of family when the Christmas season comes. I believe we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. It is an exciting moment for me.
Everything was planned at the last minute. My daughter, M based in Australia called me December 10 that she was spending Christmas in Singapore. I entertained the thought of spending it with her too. It was all set. Butch, Lauren and I were booked to leave December 23. I was looking forward for family bonding moments. Things didn’t quite happen the way I envisioned it. On December 22, while on my way to the bank to prepare our dollars for the trip, I felt this excruciating pain in my middle abdomen. To make the long story short, I had an operation on December 23 at 3 PM. I had bilary colic. I knew I had some gallstones in my gallbladder but they were small , and didn’t need immediate surgery. Two small stones lodged in the common bile duct causing my bilirubin, amylase, liver enzymes to skyrocket and the terrible pain. Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy was not possible because the surgeon wanted to run a dye in the biliary tract to trace the stones. The surgery took 3 hours and I was told it was a complicated surgery.
