February is Lauren’s last month in college or school at that. Her graduation is still on March though. When she wailed that she had 28 days left before school ended, I wailed along with her. “That means I am old. You’re not my baby”. Every milestone is significant in our children. Their first smile, their first walk, their first day at school and all the first firsts. Did time fly that fast? Wasn’t it just yesterday that I held this adorable little cutie in my bosom? That I held her hand on her first day of school? That I was her whole world. That she could trust me with her future?

That little girl is now a woman , I know. Lauren will be the first grandchild in both sides of our family to graduate. I can feel her confusion over her future. At this stage of her life, she is [tag]job hunting[/tag]. She is on her road to getting her first real job where someone other than me pays for her bills.

“Where will I go? I don’t have a direction.” I often hear her say this.

Just because one doesn’t have a job yet doesn’t mean one doesn’t have a direction. She wants to go into business . I advise her (through years of research with entrepreneurs) that being employed is a training ground before one embarks on a business. Sure , there is the webhosting business but that was so manageable when it was small. (I have since taken over).

Most graduates don’t really know where their field of interests like until they start on their job hunt. My only parental advise is just send resumes, inform friends of your job hunt and grab opportunities when they come.

I held her hand. I assured her that her special gift in creative writing and winning appeal will get her places. She bewails the fact that most job offers are management, accountants or business positions. There is always a market for other careers. It’s just that high paying jobs are in management or Information Technology , none of which interests her.

You could be a lawyer like your dad, if you wanted? If ever, you will be the fourth generation lawyer. Think about it.
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Ahh [tag]Spring cleaning[/tag] in my mind. A clutter-free existence is something I always look forward to all the time. This time I have the perfect reason to nag family members to get their butt moving because we’re transferring to our new home by the second week of March. Whatever junk they choose to pack will be carried over to their new rooms. It’s their problem. The Lady cat in our home is flustered as she sees stressed-out-old me clearing up the junk and what not. It’s difficult for me to let go of memories as I held the girl’s ballerina tutus in front of me. I decide “This goes to the “For Keeps” corner”. Lady , the cat lies down on the tutu and observes my “Goodbye Gulo” activity. Even if you’re not moving homes, it’s best for everyone to have some semblance of a clutter-free existence. Clutter causes stress, the feeling of not being in control or the absence of peace of mind due to panic searching for needed items. What about dust that settles on useless items.

So what have I tossed out?

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If you remember my New Year Goals, you will note that my first two goals were

1. Start the construction of our new home by February.
2. Move in to our new home before the year 2007 ends.

Unfortunate circumstances can turn into blessings. I posted my New Year Goals entry on January 2, 2007 at 7:00 AM, the first working day of the year 2007. Determined to start on my goals, I hied off to the seller of the lot we wanted to purchase so I could check on the documentation. The journey to the seller’s residence was daunting. Taytay is an alien town to me. Driving in circles, I gave up and parked my car by the tricyles stand. Showing the address of the seller, I hired a tricyle to drive me over there. Riding a tricycle terrified me as I hadn’t ridden one in years. Besides, the barren land opened my mind to all sorts of gruesome imagination. What if the tricycle driver robbed me and dumped me here? What if no one knew where I was? I didn’t tell my husband that I was on my way to Taytay. Anyway, I have a point. I finally reached the seller who was supposed to be the authorized person to sign any legal documents. It took her two freaking months to get the “Special Power of Attorney” (SPA) from her sibling. I eagerly looked for it so I could pay her the full payment within the week. Much to my consternation, the SPA came from the US Military not the Philippine Consulate.

I said “this won’t do.” The seller whined that it will take another two weeks to get the SPA I wanted. I was furious inside. That means a setback of another month in my plans. Then my fury turned to my real estate brokers. I thought “how dare they let me go all the way to Taytay? I could have gotten killed going here! How could they not have checked the papers?” Not about to give up, I told the seller that I would type out the SPA myself and email it to her sibling.

I drove back to my real estate broker but she was in Japan! Her agent (my aunt) excitedly told me about a lovely house and lot that I might want to consider. She said this was the house for me. I didn’t want to see it because my mind was already set into building a house. The property was also 500 thousand over my budget and I became more suspicious of my aunt’s motives “she just wants a higher commission”. My bad mood just clouded my mind for a minute. Since I loved my aunt, I grudgingly said I’d see it out of curiousity.

You know how it is when you fall in “love at first sight”. The minute I laid my eyes on the pretty house, I fell in love.

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