...and baby Sasha makes three! Three Princesses =)

Sometimes, what wont bend will break

Girls, in life you will encounter may things-  difficult people and odd circumstances. Im here just to remind you that at the end of it all, what matters really is how you choose to respond to 'these' rather than merely reacting to them. Life doesnt always catch us prepared. Not all people choose to be kind or think along those lines. They will just react callously or thoughtlessly. And if theres anything I want you to grow up with, is the ability to react with thought and deliberateness. Yes deliberateness, but one that banks on goodness and character-  not a flawed sense of superiority or authority.  Yes, there are many rules. Yes, they should be followed. But be wary where they come from.  Yes, we go where life takes us and we have to condition ourselves that the only permanent assurance is that everything changes. Even the rules. Even the ones who make the rules.  Sadly, even the standards and morales do- even those that dont need changing.  That said, you have to be firm but flexible. You have to stand up for what is right and good, but know when you need to sit out and combat through silence and prayer. Not all battles need to be fought and for each battle you pick, endeavor to rise up only to worthy opponents and worthy accounts. In time you will achieve the wisdom to know the significance of when, why and who. Do not be afraid to bend if needed because it does not and should not mean you are compromising.  It only means you know what battles to fight and which ones to let go of in favor of a higher force taking charge.  In time, you will know the difference. It should be that simple.  We cannot do everything on our own. Remember, everything is possible only with God's grace.  Even an aged tree knows well enough it has to let its branches and leaves sway with the wind otherwise, it will inevitably break. At the end, everything will reckon with the omnipotence of nature and realize only the greatness of God.

Had a rough day starting at work. I figured, there has to be something good that comes out of this one.

Love you girls.

Mom

Praying for wisdom to get things done the guided and the right way. Praying for kindness to get things done the gentler way. Praying for character that I may bring to the table only the best I can offer. Prayer for endurance that I may be sustained through all that comes my way. Praying for patience that I can see beyond self the needs and shortcomings of others. Praying for understanding for those who cannot see beyond my own shortcomings.

Embraced by Our Divine Mercy

http://www.ourdivinemercy.blogspot.com

I am all empty of kindness stores. It has been depleted, not fully, but scarce enough to feel empty of it. I cannot give what I dont have so this moment, this very moment, i choose to let go, recharge and come back to myself.

"Keep and seek only what you love and your home will truly be yours."

Dear Girls,

Perhaps you've noticed that Ive been revamping the house a little bit. I just want to manage to make it a little bit more cleaner, a bit more organized, a bit more functional and a bit more prepared. Im even taking an online course now on interiors and Im hoping in the next couple of months, I could put it to some good use- at least for our home. If I were as mobile as I hoped to be, I'd fix the Tanauan place up for us too- which would probably please your Lolo. Anyway, someones taking care of that so lets let that be.

The thing with redoing everything or even a little it that you hit a slump everytime you consider the resources you need to get things done. Ive tried to work like an ant. Go on top of it, under it, around it, through it even....with the least economic impact on our resources. Ive managed a couple of improvements but I guess it takes really a lifetime to get all this done. (If only I can visualize that door that needs fixing as a shoe, Id probably have spent on it faster.....thats mu reality check....)  I guess, no one makeover will do. No one makeover will solve every issue or concern that I want closure on. We have to work together as a family with what works- working dad, working mom, multitasking parents and toddlers abound ! Tricky as it sounds, its all but fun memories for me.

When we go out there, when I hit the idea books and the catalogues, it can get confusing, you know? There's so much out there in the shelves, in the malls, in print and in visual media seeking to capture our divided or undivided attention. They set the standards, the benchmarks, the what you have to have or must haves for this type of lifestyle, family or dream.  Whether they tail on mere perception or an actual reality, its debatable, really. The bottomline is, we're the target and our perception is the bait. And I for one, have been perpetually captured by these things. Sometimes, you just want to stop looking altogether and isolate yourself. Yeah, really. Sign...if only.....

At this time, I'm settling into a nesting stage (it seems to have come early) and Im heck bent on cleaning and organizing the house and turning it into the home that I want it to be for everyone.  Weve managed to do a little decluttering here and there....and while there seems to be much more work impending, I relish in the fact I am helped  and supported through the process by the people that count.  At the end of the day, yes, we can breathe a little bit more better, feel a tad more cozier. Despite what malfunctioning areas are left to be tended to.....knowing that we've sought only what we need and we're keeping only what we love, our house truly become home.

Stay happy. Play like there's no limit to the space. You are home.

love always,
Mom

I am made up happy.

Everyday there are crossroads and dead ends. Much is left to personal choice how we are going to confront it. So far, a creature of habit that I am, I am going through the cycle of repeatedly making it and breaking it- much to my dilemma and joy (depending on my success rate! Hahaha) I decided this year I will up the ante. I will not hit that dead end and I will make it over that crossroad.

Many times, we tend to overdo multitasking and presume we are superwoman et al. I know I have. I guess you could call that midlife. At thirtyish, (yes thirtyish, who are we kidding denying this??), we are midlife the average life span of this living generation. On the other hand, it’s debatable to say whether it’s at crisis level. But definitely, it is at a point where you have to make positive happy orderly changes- or lose.

Truth be told, if we don’t make it easier on ourselves, it’s most likely because we’ve undertaken simply the complicated. When you finally find yourself carrying too much at a time, consider that you have reached boiling point. Decide to cool and simmer or blow your lid off. It is good to make conscious attempts (and re-attempts haaaaay!) to achieve a sense of wellbeing and order for self. I was telling my friend Kris that I’ve made a raw decision to try and piece my life together like a weave in one place- at least in writing to begin with. The multiples of places I find myself in make it difficult even for me to find my voice. After all, I am a composition of all parts and phases of my life- beginning at home, going through work, resting on recreation and founded on my spiritual beliefs- alongside all the people I have been blessed to encounter.

I am myself, a wife and a mom foremost, a daughter and a sister, a friend, both a colleague and a peer as a working executive in a man-infested industry at work, a makeup artist unwrapping her spontaneity and a happy bookseller at last. Most of all, I am bound by my trust in God’s divine mercy and love. Leave one out and that weave is incomplete. As it is, I’m already planning to take my usual tactical risks at texture and color to life.

Life, I realized for a time now, cannot always be planned. That’s why sometimes you have to manage to find yourself in places and put the picture together. That makes up your life. Everyday is a chance to contribute to our masterpiece. I believe submitting to a higher Divine order allows God to paint His details into our bare canvass. We are placed where we need to be and we can only appreciate the beauty of life, the color or the absence of color symbolically in as far as we allow Him to take the lead.

So there are indeed potholes and bumps on my road but I’m driving steady and avoiding road rage. Submitting in absolute trust, taming myself, discovering who I am in the process and how purposeful I could make my day to be for myself, my family and others- I finally see that I am indeed and from the very beginning born to embrace joy in everything. And thats exactly what I am made of. I am made up happy.