The World of Second Chances

Some Ice Creams Are Not Meant For Us

May 6, 2015

Life & Love

I love ice cream; double Dutch in particular.

We live in the countryside so I’m limited to buying any available flavor of an ice cream.

Some two weeks ago, after the kids’ check up at their pediatrician, I decided to bring home a gallon of my favorite ice cream. I lined up at the take out counter but the cashier asked me to proceed to another counter.

There was a long queue of customers at the other counter and I didn’t want to be a cause of delay so I readied my cash. The transaction took less than a minute but this bully of a guy had the nerve to indirectly confront me by telling the cashier that customers who did not fall in line should never be entertained. I looked at the guy who said that; surprised by his animosity. The guy was trying to provoke me into verbal argument. I just said my piece and walked away.

While traveling back home, I wondered, “Do I deserve to be verbally abused by a total stranger just because of a gallon of ice cream?”

Some ice creams are not meant for us. LOL.

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I love Magnum ice cream and I was thrilled to know that the store near our house was selling it. After deciding which flavor to buy, the store owner told me that that flavor was already reserved for another customer. LOL.

Some ice creams are not meant for us.

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At work, there were some assignments that I wished were given to me instead.

Well, instead of feeling bad about it; let me just apply the above principle that maybe, some assignments are not meant for me. Move on. LOL.

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I was thrilled to reconnect with some old acquintances. Just like the weight loss plateau, the rekindling of our acquaintanceship came to the point of a straight line—yes, boring and unreciprocated. Instead of feeling bad about it, I just accepted the fact that some relationships are just like an ice cream—it melts and it’s never the same again. :p

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When I was a child, my parents buy us an ice cream only during special occasions. Now that I have a family of my own, we eat ice cream once or twice a week. (We’re wary of the sugar, of course!) I don’t understand if the cost of ice cream is more expensive during the 80’s or my kids have a better quality of life than me. 🙂
Steep

April 10, 2015

Life & Love

Note: My personal interpretation for this song way back 2002.

Softly, gently

I will let you down

‘Cause I don’t love you

In the same way now

A lot of things has happened for the past two years. The straw that broke the camel’s back was when you failed to do what was expected of you. I still love you, yes, but not as strong as it was two years ago.

I can hold you

But not with lover’s arms

‘Cause you are more of

A brother to me now

My heart secretly belongs to someone else now. Ironically, that someone else is not even aware that my feelings for him exist. This hidden feelings for someone else affects my emotions for you.

‘Cause I can lie next to you

But I can’t lie to you

I’ve always been honest about my thoughts and opinion but you never cared. You always think that I’m just passing through a difficult stage in my life.

(Chorus)

So walk into the sun and watch me

Run into the rain

For you, the future’s easy, so don’t weep

For me, it’s getting steep…

You have better chances than me of meeting someone better. Actually, I don’t feel any better than the rest of you. To be honest, I don’t even think that I stand a chance with anybody.

I loved you for

Exactly who you are

And I’d say we’ve come

The nearest yet by far

‘Cause I can lie next to you

But I can’t lie to you

Love, the love that’s been suffocating me, poisoning me and slowly killing me. It’s not fair to be treated any lesser by the man who should be putting me to the pedestal and to be disregarded by this someone who thinks I don’t deserve him.

(Chorus)

So walk into the sun and watch me

Run into the rain

For you, the future’s easy, so don’t weep

For me, it’s getting…

Steeper

From where the dark that’s where I want to be

Steeper

From going somewhere you won’t want to see

I can feel that I’m going through the downward spiral. It’s a depression that you don’t understand. You could have at least asked me if I needed professional help.

So walk into the sun and watch me

Run into the rain

For you, the future’s easy, so don’t weep

Yes, I will watch you

Walk into the sun and watch me

Run into the rain drops

For you, the future’s easy, so don’t weep

For me, it’s getting steep…

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That was my emotional and mental state of mind in 2002. I’m glad I’m done with all those emotional rollercoaster. LOL. I always remember people with scent, season and song. I just happen to hear this song this morning. Unrequited feelings, a girlfriend who was taken for granted, confused feelings—aaaawww! What a perfect recipe for young love! LOL!
I’m Done With My Yesterday

April 9, 2015

Life & Love

I’m not a Facebook addict and I’d rather interact with friends in person rather than through social media but this technology helps me to reconnect with people and events from my yesterday so it’s a useful tool for me.

Last night, I realized that I’ve finally come to terms with some of the unhappy events in my past. Accepting the things that made me sad and angry in the past is a long process for me; I actually started this backward journey in 2013 when I reconnected with some of the people that I hurt. Personally, I found it more difficult to face the people that hurt me than apologize to the ones that I intentionally and unintentionally hurt. It was because I’ve readied myself to the rejection (of those people that I hurt) but I was not ready to be hurt again by the people who offended me in the past.

It takes a lot of understanding to forgive those who offended you. It feels a lot better to be free from emotional baggages. When you have finally accepted your past (be it a sad event or people who hurt you), healing takes place and moving forward comes next. There were friends who did not stay with me and I felt very bad about it in the past. Now, I realize that people just come and go but the best ones are the ones who would stay with you through thick and thins. 🙂
Bye, Liezl.

March 21, 2015

That’s Entertainment

takem from the web

When good people pass away, we feel this empathy for the family that they left behind.

I was eating lunch when I learned about Liezl Sumilang-Martinez’ demise last week. Affected much daw ako, sabi ng husband ko. Affected much as if she’s my friend; she’s not even an acquiantance.

Perhaps I have this soft spot for cancer patients because my mother died of cancer six years ago. Since then, I always get emotional whenever I learn of somebody suffering from the disease. My mother’s cancer pushed my empathy button towards cancer patients and their families.

It was in the 90’s when I first saw Liezl on television while she and her family were being interviewed by the press while pushing their carts at the airport. It was Liezl and Albert’s homecoming and Alyanna and Alfonso’s first time in the Philippines. Back then, I knew that Albert was an actor and I only heard about Liezl being Ms. Amalia’s only daughter.

After that, Liezl became one of the hosts of SST (Salo Salo Together) together with Smokey Manaloto and Anjanette Abayari (the rest, I could not remember; it was a long time ago). I was watching SST because of Liezl. Don’t you agree that she has this certain charisma plus the fact that her face was very pretty, it registered well on screen. If I remember it right, she was already in SST when she had Alyssa. Hindi naman halatang fan ako, ano?

What I liked in Liezl was her simplicity and her devotion to her family, same thing with Albert. Sabi nga namin ng officemate ko, if you have a wife as beautiful as Liezl and a husband as handsome as Albert, panay kang inspired! In their case, it’s not physical beauty that glued them for almost 30 years but their good characters simply complemented each other. In a (showbiz) world where partner swapping, unfaithfulness, separation and others is the norm, their marriage is something that’s worth emulating.
Bienvenido Papa Francisco

January 16, 2015

Life & Love

(link courtesy of youtube)

Not a Catholic anymore but I’m thrilled of Pope Francis’ papal visit.

I was a teenager when Pope John Paul II visited the Philippines for the World Youth Day in January 1995. Eh wala pang internet nung panahon na yun so kelangan pang manuod ng TV para makibalita. Sa nakikita ko, ka-level ni Pope Francis si Pope John Paul II pagdating sa charisma.

I hope that everybody will experience the gift of love.

🙂
A Simple Prayer

January 10, 2015

Life & Love

Dear God,

Please give us the faith that we need to fully trust in Your plan.

Please guide us in our decision-making especially if it will affect the people around us.

Please remind us to be humble and forgiving, open-minded, respectful and loving.

Please shower us with optimism and please give us the gift of being the sunshine on anyone’s cloudy day.

Please keep us away from harm and sickness so that we can still help to spread the word of God through kindness and charity.

Lots of love,

Us
When Life Gives You Lemons, You Do What?

January 9, 2015

Life & Love

(Picture taken from the web)
Life doesn’t have to be complicated, sa totoo lang!

Through the years, my role in life has always been the patient listener and empathizer and to some extent, the unofficial peacemaker. What I realized from the problems shared to me were the following:

1. Problems are mostly created by us, therefore, only the “perpetrator” can solve the problem. A friend like me can only offer a shoulder to cry on but I can never solve somebody else’s problem. What if the problem is money? I can only offer up to a certain amount but unless the person do something to solve his money problem (like maybe finding a better job), then there’s no way that I can be of absolute help.

2. Don’t problem somebody else’s problem. Believe me, it’s emotionally draining! You can empathize without ruining your plan for the weekend just because you become too affected by somebody else’s problem. But you need to be sensitive of your friend or loved one’s nature of problem, too. It’s unethical to flaunt about your latest designer bag to somebody who has money problem. It’s hurtful to show off your holiday vacation with the love of your life to somebody who has just been dumped by a lover.

3. There should be a balance between being optimistic and being pessimistic. If you tend to look at the positive side of things, he might get too hopeful. If you do the opposite, he might lose hope and end up suicidal. Being a patient listener is striking a balance between giving positive and negative opinions about the other person’s problem.

I’ve always believed that when life throws you lemons, make a lemonade and I’ve always shared this thought to friends and loved ones who are in trouble. Aside from a good support group, a strong relationship with God helps during life’s trials.

Cheers!

Good vibes!