Sunday is supposed to be family day. But both girls were engrossed with their school activities. Lauren as Associate Editor of Katipunan Magazine needed to… Read More »Pampering Couple Day: Relaxing spa
My husband and I attended the third session of the Biblical Portrait of Marriage. The topic for the night was : Helper- The Role of the Wife. Helper means as in the one who assists, encourages and supports her husband. Not katulong (the literal translation of helper in Tagalog)
To our amazement, there were 2 biblical principles that we re-discovered that night. We only learned this after Pastor Larry finished his lecture.
Surprise! Surprise!
Me first!
The key priority of the wife is her husband, not her work, ministry or child. Somewhere along the way, I thought the children were the first priority because of their young age and innocence. Hubby can easily fend for himself, I thought. I was so wrong. Maybe I didn’t know how to balance my act. Only when the kids left for college did I re-focus energies on my husband. Well, it’s never too late. It’s precisely the reason that husbands are the first priority because children leave some day and we are left with each other . We’re even experiencing the semi-empty nest syndrome these days. The mere fact we’re attending a bible study on [tag]marriage[/tag] means we continue to strengthen our relationship as husband and wife.
And my husband’s discovery…
The wife is to actively “manage the house” under her husband’s authority. Remember how I mentioned that he is my co-homemaker. Hah, now he knows that managing the household is my duty. I think he grew up with the notion that a husband’s duty include management of the household. No wonder he takes on my job to do the grocery, plan the menu or what not. I let him be that way because he loves doing it. Lately, he’s been buying these home improvement magazines like “Real Homes” to plan on the interiors of our new home . I believe some men are gifted with home maker roles. We learned that in a healthy marriage, the wife should actively manage the house. Maybe after this session, he will give me free reign of my kitchen. hehe. I don’t mind.
Behind every great man there’s a great woman… and a
surprised mother-in-law (another entry some day) *wink*
I’m not a party animal but this weekend was something. I attended 3 parties. Two were birthday celebrations while the other was a high school… Read More »Birthday Celebrations and a High School Reunion
Last week, Cathy invited us to join the Tuesday [tag]bible study[/tag], A Biblical Portrait of Marriage by noted Christian author and speaker Bruce Wilkinson. It drew my interest. The study covers six part series on diverse topics such as sex to spirituality, from in-laws to God’s laws where Dr. Wilkinson addresses couples at every level of maturity and happiness. It was only the second session then and we could still make it. I quickly messaged my dear husband in Google Talk but he gave me a lukewarm response “how far!! I’m lazy . I can only leave at 7:00 PM“. I was determined to convince him that night.
In my sweetest and loving mode, I cuddled close to him.
The poetry therapy at the Compassionate Friends meeting yesterday made Butch and everyone else in a jovial mood. (see pics here) In our meetings, we laugh and cry as we share our stories. But yesterday, laughter rang out more often the tears. Our facilitator, Victor Emmanuel Carmelo D. Nadera Jr. is a brillant poet and therapist. This poet had such a great sense of humor. He was able to draw out the hidden poet in all of us. Everyone agreed it was one of our most enjoyable meetings. The session probably helped ease the depression of most of the bereaved fathers in the room because right after the meeting, Butch celebrated his cheerful disposition by having dinner out. Normally special occasions like [tag]Father’s day[/tag] bring out twinges of sadness in him . Fortunately the 2 girls joined us at the meeting but were late for the actual session.
We had dinner at Jun Jun’s Cebu Lechon Restaurant at The Fort. The famous Cebu Lechon Inasal (Roasted Pig) , Cebu Pochero (Filipino Beef stew) and Cebu Paella (Spanish Rice dish) was our main course. If you’re a Cebuano, you usually don’t dip your lechon meat with lechon sauce. That’s what I told the girls but probably they are so used to dipping sauces. The lechon meat is already flavorful right to the bones that the sauce just mask the unique taste of our Cebu Lechon. It was a great meal fit for an advanced Father’s Day celebration. Today, we are busy packing up as the girls move out to their dorms tonight.
The blog is indeed a nifty tool for long lost friends who want to reconnect with you. With the aid of google search, two friends… Read More »Reconnecting with long lost friends
Today I will indulge in the joy of celebrating my 49 years. For too long, I have been hard on myself. Others have spilled their… Read More »I’m 49 years old and loving it
My husband’s office is in Intramuros and we often date at the quaint old coffee shops like the Illustrado . As students in the late seventies, we went as far as Luneta Park just because we were broke. Old Manila and its splendor enraptures our heart . The atmosphere is just romantic for sentimental couples like us. During all the years we’ve been together, we never caught the [tag]sunset[/tag], overrated as it is, my daughter often says. So who cares? It’s the company you keep. When I fetched Butch at work last week, we dropped by the boardwalk just to stroll. No we were not broke. We just wanted to walk and talk. Sadly, the boardwalk was closed or abandoned. Corny as it is, the sunset was breathtaking especially since I was walking hand in hand with the love of my life. I couldn’t get a clear shot because the ship and the boardwalk covered the sun.
That’s my younger brother , Reuben who died on June 11, 1990 due to fulminant Hepatitis A. He left behind a young wife, a three year old and a three week old infant son. There is more to his death than just an illness. This feature article written by my sister Belen thirteen years ago explains it more. (Read here and here)
Reuben Veloso Lardizabal, 28 , was a young family man, a writer, a labor ogranizer, and a law graduate student. He was in other words, full of promise and conviction. But death spares no one. He is the Hepatitis epidemic’s first casualty.
Last May 1-4, 1990, our family helds it’s first reunion in Cebu City, including our children, husbands, and wives. Little did we know that this joyous occasion would also lead to one of the saddest moments in our live.
Three weeks after our reunion, I, my brothers David and Reuben, my sister Lorna , and niece Lauren were struck down with Hepatitis A, a viral infection of the liver transmitted through fecal contamination of ingested food or water. We were unaware initially that several other residents and neighbors in the Lahug district, Cebu City had also been suffering from hepatitis since May. Surprisingly , most of the victims were from middle to upper income bracket.
On June 11, 1990, my dear brother Reuben succumbed to the ravages wrought on him by acute viral hepatitis. Our family held a second reunion- this time , for Reuben’s funeral. (Continue reading here and here)
My husband is quite a character. I thought I knew him so well. After all, we were steadies for 7 years. Living together revealed an unknown facet of his personality. He likes to market in the palengke (wet market) and do the grocery. Not only that, he is very nurturing and more motherly than me. A fussy father er mother. He loves washing the dishes and even doing the laundry (when the laundrywoman is not available). This was quite a surprise revelation and a minor irritant at first. He can even iron clothes. I can cook, bake, organize and clean the house but I don’t relish the idea of laundry or ironing chores. When the kids were sick with asthma, he stays up all night and monitors their breathing, and give their medication. I grew up in a family where dad was the sole breadwinner and left household chores with the females. My 3 brothers were spoiled by their sisters and my mom.
