Blog Project, 2013 : Simple Things, Great Joy

I have been reading blogs there and everywhere. Some of them did the 30-Day Blog Challenge once, some twice, and even thrice. Looking and reading around, I find it neat, cute, and interesting.

Try or not to try. This post marks and bears that it's a...

YES! :) 

Try.
I am on.
It's my turn. 

But I will be doing a revised version.

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So, this is how it will run: I will be posting 20, just 20 of something. This project will go from October to December, maybe. As for me who is up for the challenge, I want to create a habit of bringing into remembrance simple things that bring me great joy. 

My Blog Project will be rolling tomorrow. See you! :)

What's on my Mind?

What's on your mind? Ahm... What's on my mind?

This is what Facebook always asks. When your mind is overwhelmed, you can answer in a heartbeat and type it all away.

More often than not, I have an answer to that but sometimes, I answer elsewhere. For the past few weeks, come, take a peek:

So, that Something that Joined the Green Side has been rolling. It's obviously been working well for me. Quite a breather, huh?

How about you, What's on your mind?

Random Thoughts, III : The Heart of Understanding

“Only a man of understanding 

really understands.” 

~ Unknown

“The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of… We know the truth not only by the reason, but by the heart.” ~ Blaise Pascal

“It is only with the heart 

that one can see rightly; 

what is essential 

is invisible to the eye.” 

~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“Every act displayed in public 
has a back story; 
we can’t take what we see 
at its face value.” 
~ Grace D. Chong

A Parallel on Life & Death

This post has been very difficult to conceptualize and write. 

Writing about life is one thing. Writing about death is another.
Writing about life's triumphs & failures may come in a heartbeat. 
But writing about death & grief may make you skip or lose a turn saying, Next question, please?

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This picture will be very memorable. You will understand and hopefully feel with me as you read along.

August 26, 2012, on Aunt C's 70th birthday.
With me: Aunt D (left) and Aunt C (right)

On mother's side:
Aunt C is the eldest. 
Aunt D is the youngest.

Both of them passed on last month.
Aunt D passed away on the 5th. 
Aunt C passed away on the 24th.

Aunt D lost her battle to Big C.
Aunt C lost her battle to Big D.

I spent my birthday on Aunt D's wake.
We spent Aunt C's supposed to be birthday on her wake.

Oh, how our clan grieved! 
Reality struck us right in the face. Just when we thought we can start to process and recover over the loss of Aunt D, guess what? We were mistaken.

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As we in the family have different stories and memories with Aunt C and D, I'd like to re-post my sister's thoughts on Aunt C on her social network page:

“Now that I see that you turned out well & life has been good to you, I can say I am happy. I am okay.”  ~ Aunt C

This one of the many reasons why my sisters and I will never forget our Aunt C. Although we deeply grieve for her passing, she lived knowing how grateful we are to her and how special she is in our lives. She understood and shared a special communication bond with me and my sisters.

In 1994, Aunt C volunteered to take care of us after our mom and our fourth sibling passed away. I was 13, Jo was 11, and Karen was 5.

We were able to thank her for one of the heroic things she's helped us with. Six years in total. This she did without asking for anything in return. Never heard her of any blame or complain. And in one of the many special times we had with her, after she's seen and been with us in some crucial life events, she said, “Now that I see that you turned out well & life has been good to you, I can say I am happy. I am okay.”

On August 24, 2013, two days before her 71st birthday, Aunt C passed away.

In honor of Aunt C's memory and life, we remain grateful and privileged to have been unconditionally loved and cared for. She lived knowing that we loved her, too.

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My absence from the blogosphere last month has a lot to do with this journey ~ a journey on life and death. Grief took its turn from life's rhythm and paid us a big time visit. Grief became too personal to be discussed, yet too evident to be hidden.

Nonetheless, I am greatly comforted with the truth that our dear Lord is very mindful of us. He is very mindful even with the smallest details of what happened and what we felt. He knows, He cares, He feels, He loves. That brought me comfort in an instant! Literally! 

With His grace we were able to bear it and, with that same grace we will continue to live. 

Still with a thankful heart, I will keep on living, I will keep on writing.

I Don't Want to Miss a Thing

I am still here, just so I know. I missed blogging for a month. :(

Just when I thought August would be the grandest month of all (at least for me) to post, I missed it. Totally.

I have reasons, of course or, should I say stories of what transpired last month. It was full of unexpected turnout of events, circumstances that flopped from side to side. I was totally caught unguarded and more so, by surprise. Well, as they say, who no one perfectly knows what each day may bring:

An unlikely celebration of life,

a not so ordinary package,

a journey on grief,

and others in between.

I am holding on and hoping for an inspiration of a higher dosage to transcribe the stories one by one. 

I do not want to miss it this time. Not a thing. Not a thought.

I hope you won't miss it, too.

This I Choose

Read this with me:

PSALM 136 (NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION)

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
² Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

⁴ to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
⁵ who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
⁶ who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
⁷ who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
⁸ the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
⁹ the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.

¹⁰ to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
¹¹ and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
¹² with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.

¹³ to him who divided the Red Sea asunder
His love endures forever.
¹⁴ and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
¹⁵ but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.

¹⁶ to him who led his people through the wilderness;
His love endures forever.

¹⁷ to him who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
¹⁸ and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.
¹⁹ Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.
²⁰ and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.
²¹ and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
²² an inheritance to his servant Israel.
His love endures forever.

²³ He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
²⁴ and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures forever.
²⁵ He gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.

²⁶ Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.

This again I say, HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER.