My Graduation Dress

At my elder son’s grade school graduation, the mother of the valedictorian went onstage in a low back dress. I kidded my 2 boys, “Make sure you’re in the top ten when you graduate from high school and college. I’ll wear a backless dress lower than that.”

Even if they were always (more or less) in the honor roll in high school, they both shaved off a few points to avoid landing in the magic circle. I somehow think that was deliberate on their part to prevent their embarrassment.

Last week was graduation season for us again. One of my dreams was fulfilled – to have a college graduate son! One down, one more to go. I felt like I graduated, too. His diploma was my diploma. I guess all parents feel that way. It is quite an achievement to be able to nurture a child from birth to that point when he walks up on stage to get that precious piece of paper. It was a fleeting moment. I even complained to him that he walked too fast for me to get a good picture with my low tech camera from where I sat. Praise God for the official photographers. They descended like vultures when we got out of the car to pin their marker on my son but they were useful. That moment will be recorded for posterity.

For this single mom, his college graduation is a double achievement. He was three when my husband died. In this day and age, to raise a son who is drug-free, who loves and serves the Lord and who graduates with a 1.74 GWA from the University of the Philippines is a gold medal.

I honor my son who survived the hassles of living away from home. Who chose to continue serving with the Youth for Christ instead of joining some fraternity. Who kept away from bad habits and bad influences that could have messed up our lives.

I thank God for the people who blessed us with their generosity. My parents, my aunt, my in-laws. I thank God for my friends in my LOJ community whose prayers were ever ready at the hint of the slightest problem.

I still haven’t gotten to wear that backless dress. Even if his grade was cum laude level, he didn’t get the honor because of his underload in the first sem. Oh well, there’s still my younger son’s graduation. There is hope for that backless dress.

Service & Happy Hormones

Tuesday is my day to work on the South Feast bulletin. Even if Wednesday night is my deadline with the printer I stick to this schedule because I like having a comfortable lead time. Last week my schedule was thrown off. On Tuesday morning, Papa asked me to go with him to the eye doctor to get his cataract checked in far, far away Edsa Shang. That night we had a Leaders’ Meeting.
So my Wednesday was pretty hectic – getting Bo Sanchez’s article, hounding Bro Arun for his article, choosing the photos, asking attendees’ permission to print their answered prayers/thanksgiving. There were also a couple of work requests from other ministry heads I had to pencil into my planner. And since we are maid-less add to that the housework I scheduled for the day.
In between tapping on my laptop and scrubbing the bathroom tiles, I got around 5 prayer requests from people in the community and South Feast attendees. Some for health concerns, others for work problems and the most heart tugging one from a young girl who attends the South Feast. She was asking for prayers that her school will accept her promissory note so she can take her exam. As far as I know her mother is a single parent. Being a single mom myself that just brought on my sniffles.
In spite of the rush and the juggling act, I did not feel stressed at all. Doing service for others must have released some of my happy hormones.

Something Funny Happened On Our Way To Heaven: The Keyboard

As servants of the South Feast, our lives are stress-filled, our schedules hectic, our patience stretched. This happens during the week when we prepare for our ministries and most especially on Sundays when the South Feast is held.
A blessing that keeps us sane is the gift of laughter. South Feast servants are happy people. And sometimes God throws in His own brand of humor.
One Sunday, the staff of our sound system supplier dropped the keyboard. They did not tell Belle, our Music Ministry head, what happened. Upon doing the sound check about an hour before the start, she discovered the keyboard was busted. Now, how will we sound without this instrument?
She asked Boni, Ushers head who lives nearby, if he had a keyboard. In her panic she did not go into details. He said he has one and rushed home to get it.
After a while, he was back. He called joyfully to Belle as he waved the package in his hand, “Sister, I have the keyboard!” . Belle wondered at the lightness and compactness of what he was holding. No wonder it was small – not knowing it was the organ we needed, he brought his computer keyboard.
The problem was not solved but God blessed us with a good performance sans the keyboard that day. And a good laugh when we heard the story behind the missing keyboard.

B.A.G. IT!

Life becomes a fulfilling journey when we are able to see the wonderful things God blesses us with each day; feel a sense of accomplishment when we are able to do what we were put on this earth to do; and when we are able to make a difference in the lives of others.
Our daily grind in pursuit of our daily bread often blurs our vision of how blessed we are; causes us to feel we have not done enough – making us feel aimless with a low self esteem; leads to insensitivity to the plight of the people God has entrusted to us.
We need to bring around with us a heightened consciousness of these 3 things: Blessings, Achievements or Accomplishments and the Good we have done for the people whose lives we touch daily. Toting these around will equip us to become better persons and help us reach our final destination as the joyful, successful, good person that God created us to be.

Today, I praise and thank God for my wonderful blessings...

Family...

Friends...

...and a wonderful home set within a big garden lush with many trees that are giving us sweet & healthy fruits this summer season.