For two years I had been planning a “spa-mper me” birthday – a relaxing time of pampering at the spa. A whole day spent in quiet solitude getting beauty treatments I normally don’t have the time or the budget for. I dreamed of going to the Fitness First Spa as it looked so luxuriously inviting every time I passed by to go to the gym.
But for two years, something always came up to derail my plans. In 2008, I mapped out my day: mass, gym, lunch with my singles Caring Group (CG), the rest of the day at the spa (it was a school day so our family dinner had to wait for the weekend). I got as far as the lunch. Then I was called for an urgent business meeting to plan the launch of our website, Proudly Filipina.com. No time to have even a single nail polished.
2009 rolled in and I planned again: gym, merienda with singles CG, spa, mass (solo – I was trying to wean my parents away from the idea that I still needed adult supervision), semi-surprise dinner party hosted by the Feast Council and other community friends. Still a school day – calendared family celebration for the weekend.
Everything went according to plan except for the spa. The day was too packed with activities. I had very little time for pampering myself. Aside from that, I made the wrong decision to look for a spa in ritzy Alabang Town Center. The price range was horrific. I just had my nails done. I did get my spa though sometime during the month. Naty gave me a gift certificate for The Spa. But it wasn’t my birthday anymore when I finally got my massage.
This year, I gave up on the planning. I still hoped to spend the day at the spa but I left everything in God’s hands. My day was clear but you never know. We already had a joint celebration (for Rollie and me) with my mother CG last Wednesday. That’s one item down. I started the day preparing breakfast and my working son’s packed lunch. Then mass with my still-not-weaned parents. Spent time on the phone with a dear friend in need of a friendly ear. Worked on the Feast Alabang bulletin layout. I had an early lunch so I can free the whole afternoon.
And there they were – several hours gloriously free – lines in my planner just aching for the word “spa” to be written on them. I escaped to the new SM Center right outside our village. First, I went to the parlor to get my hair colored. Then with shiny, blow dried hair that swung with my every step I sashayed over to the spa for that much longed-for facial and massage. It was bliss!
As if it was planned, my “spa-mpering” session ended right on time for our family dinner. We had a pleasant, relaxed time getting acquainted with Mediterranean cuisine. More bliss, especially when my sons surprised me with a gift I had been wanting for quite a while – a purple yoga mat.
Like clockwork, dinner was over in time for me to make it to my last appointment, our community mass for Naty’s dearly departed brother. I got there right when they were serving dinner. Naty loves to cook and she prepared quite a spread. Everyone had a laugh when I invited them to partake of the food like I was hosting a birthday party. Although it was a sad occasion, joy filled me because I was surrounded by my community, by people who love and support each other in good times and in bad.
It didn’t end there though. There were more treats. The next day, I spent the afternoon with graduate school friends. At our Media Ministry meeting that spilled over to Music Ministry practice that evening, I was surrounded with more loving co-servants. My Media Ministry members even prepared an audio-visual presentation for me.
Oh, did I tell you that I got a call this morning from the Fitness First Spa? They’re giving me a certificate for a free massage in honor of my birthday.
After two years I finally got my “spa-mper me” birthday and more. What was different with this year? I let God do the planning. I just went along for the ride. And what a blissful ride it was.
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