The World of Second Chances

Moms

February 21, 2017

Life & Love

If a mother prefers to continue working after giving birth, is she less of a mother than those who quit their job to become stay-at-home-mothers? The answer would depend upon the situation like in my case, we need a double income household for us to live a comfortable life. But just because I’m a working mom is not an excuse not to be a hands on mom. I prepare my children’s breakfast, I bathe them, I dress them up for school, I help them with their homework, I help them with their school project, I bring them to Sunday worship when my husband could not make it. I don’t sleep at night until they fall asleep. I wake up when one of them needs a trip to the restroom; disrupting my precious sleep.

If a mother is forced by nature to bottlefeed, is she less of a mother than those who breastfeed? The answer would depend upon the situation like in my case, I’ve tried malunggay soup, malunggay capsules, breast massage. I gave up pizza because the quality of my milk would taste like onion. I bought a manual pump to stimulate my milk production but to no avail. My baby was crying. I was desperate to feed him. I tried mixed feeding but my breasts were not producing enough milk. I held the baby close to me during bottlefeeding. I wanted him to feel loved.

Motherhood is a unique experience. What is a common experience among mothers is just the tip of the iceberg because the deeper the experience goes, the more we discover the uniqueness of it. When a mother brags about how good she is because of her choices, I feel that there are closures that she needs to address like an approval for the decision that she made. A really good mother knows and understands how other mothers feel. A really good mother does not need to put other mothers down so that she could stand taller than them.
Who Goat! (Hugot)

February 1, 2017

Life & Love

Yung tinangka mong kalimutan lahat ng pangit at masakit kasi gusto mong magka-good vibes lang.

Yung alam mong baka hindi na pwedeng ibalik anuman ang magandang samahan pero ginawa mo para maging masaya lang.

May mga bagay talaga na hindi mo pwedeng pilitin.

May mga bagay na mahirap nang ibalik.

May mga bagay na hanggang doon na lang.

May mga pagkakataon na sobrang napahiya ka na sa sarili mo at ayaw mo nang maulit pa.
Pissed Off

January 31, 2017

Life & Love

I was looking for the phone cable that I lent to my husband. He said that he doesn’t know where it is. It was a Tuesday morning and mornings mean rush hour to me. I repeated the question and told him that I hate it whenever he fails to safe keep the things that he borrow from me. Moved by this, he got up and opened his bag. The cable was inside it. I punched him in great annoyance!

He knows that I hate misplaced items. What I don’t get is he’s into the habit of fueling the building up of my emotions until I erupt. I know his weakness, too and I can be the nastiest bitch in town when emotionally provoked. But my point is, does he really need to resort to making me mad before listening to me?

Some days are not full of love.
It’s Not About The Other Person

January 26, 2017

Life & Love

Have you ever felt great insecurity over another person?

He doesn’t have to be a love rival or a direct competitor but his actions are enough to make you feel less worthy.

I’ve been there, I’ve done that and this is what I realize: it’s not about the other person’s actions that make me feel insecure but a reflection of my own perception about things that are non-existing. It’s not about the other person’s initiatives that get into my nerves but my own silent admission of helplessness and uselessness. Hurting one’s ego even if it’s unintentional is enough to knock down one’s common sense. And if a person is sensitive, the more she becomes prone to insecurity attacks.

I acknowledged the fact that I was insecure and feeling unworthy. To address that, I found ways on how to be of value. In short, I managed to bounce back from the imaginary hole that I put myself into.

The next time you feel that a person is “epal,” ask yourself if it is just insecurity that’s eating you. 🙂
Accidental Negligence

January 5, 2017

Wedding & Family Life

An 8-year old girl from Pasay suffocated to death while accidentally left sleeping in a borrowed car.Her foster family borrowed the car on Tuesday night ( January 3, 2017) and returned home the following day at 3AM. Then, the one driving returned the car and did not notice the young girl sleeping. Her body was discovered several hours after the family realized that she was missing. A case of negligence will be filed against her foster parents.

Lesson learned: No matter how tired you are, always check if your children, especially the young ones, are inside their room. Be a little paranoid about your children’s health and safety. Avoid tiring yourself too much to the point of exhaustion. Exhausted bodies have exhausted minds.
ECU at the Capitol Medical Center

December 15, 2016

Health & Beauty

Health is wealth and if your company pays for your annual physical exam, then by all means, comply!

I am entitled to the following for my executive check up (ECU) at the Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City: FBS, cholesterol, ECG, stress test, pap smear, chest x-ray, pulmonary check up, eye check up or ENT, urine test and stool test.

For FBS or fasting blood sugar, the last meal must be 8-10 hours away from the extraction. I took my last meal at 11PM so I’m good until 9AM. Beyond the 9AM cut-off, I’m already at risk for over-fasting. The male attendant brought me to the extraction area and good thing, the one who performed it was so efficient; I didn’t feel a thing!

Second test was the chest x-ray. The radiologist asked me to remove my bra and retain my t-shirt. There was no need to use a lab gown, he said. He asked me to put my hair in a pony tail then we proceeded with the xray. Extraction up to the xray just took me 10 minutes.

The attendant asked me to have my breakfast and go back to his office after 30 minutes. My initial plan was to drink coffee at a nearby coffee shop but I remember him telling me that anything with caffeine must be avoided for the stress test. I just went to the cafeteria to order omelet, ham and rice. It was not good as I expected but I needed to eat for energy.

After finishing my meal, I rested at the lobby area, withdrew some cash at the ATM and refreshed at the restroom. As agreed, I went back to the attendant’s office for the next test, the ECG.

The ECG lasted for about 15 minutes including the preparation. After the ECG, I proceeded to the treadmill area for the stress test. Passing rate for the stress test is 85%, I survived until 92%. My legs were aching and I felt uncomfortable, too. The first stage of the stress test was just the walking speed, followed by brisked walking speed and then, the inclined brisked walking. I don’t know what the next two stages are.

The result of my x-ray was read to me by a pulmonary doctor at the old building. The result was good so there was nothing to worry about.

Next was the dreaded pap smear performed by an OB-Gyne; it did not hurt but the instrument inside my vaginal canal was awkward. The OB-Gyne said that to have accurate results, women must avoid having sex two days prior to the pap smear.

The last was the ENT exam. The doctor said that enlarged lymph nodes at the nape area must not be taken for granted as it could be a sign of throat cancer. He checked my tonsils and throat for any abnormality and as well as my nose.

“You are perfectly okay! Get back to work!” he said.

It was the sweetest thing to receive from a doctor–the assurance that your body is still functioning well and you can still do the things that you need to do.
Storm

December 7, 2016

Life & Love

My blood pressure has been unstable for one week now. I feel terrible. I feel used and abused. I am very angry. I want out. This isn’t healthy anymore. This is not my usual self. I used to be full of sunshine and now, I feel like I’m trying to get out of a powerful storm. This is not depression because I’ve been there and I know the difference. I am furious of the things that should have been prevented had a careful planning was done ahead. I am sick and tired of people who see things as they are thought and forget the gray area between black and white. I am not being honest about myself and how I view things because I want conformity and now, all the pent up emotions are trying to get out of my system, knocking me off.