I Am Content, I Love.

Disclaimer: Modesty is temporarily quarantined and suspended in this post.

I am content at how I turned out to be as a person. In equal measure, I can honestly say the same for all my siblings. None of us became civic leaders, youtube sensations or influencers of the sort but we’re no thieves, arsonists, or mercenaries. Neither do we side with any of them. We love God and we love our families. What formed us, you ask?  In the beginning, we had someone to love -our dear mother, Leonila. She was a gentle soul. So beautiful, so kind, so soft-hearted.

We, my 3 brothers and a sister were our mother's biggest headaches as she concerned herself with nothing but our well-being, day in and day out. We loved our Inang dearly and even now that’s she’s gone, our love for her is manifested in our looking out for one another. We are who we are because I firmly believe, we loved our mother. I miss and think of her everyday.

This is my theory: a person who loves his mother is a good person. Though maybe not absolutely, but generally.

Celebrating a cousin's birthday. Good ol' days.

Now, I am content at how my children are turning out to be. All two of them. They may one day be influencer-leaders contributing much to society or just to the people around them. They will most likely be because they had someone to teach them to love God and respect others -their mother. I often hear them saying one day, they’ll send her to Europe for a vacation. Me included, of course, but that’s for a Father’s day post. Andre, in his Facebook greeting post to his mother a few days ago, even declared proudly that he is a mama's boy. Nikkei wrote about the comforting texts she gets from her mother while at work and expressed her forever love.

These are the same children who bicker now and then and every day -but that’s ok. I am not losing sleep and hair any further because I know that they do care for each other. They also love God. They also love family. They also show respect. They are turning out to be and will turn out to be good people. Why? Because they love their mother.

My dear Nerissa, I thank the good Lord because our children have a mother worthy of this love. The Bible says, “We love because He first loved us.” This love is one that is sacrificial. This is the kind that you mirror so clearly, so beautifully. Your children love you because you first loved them.

Thank you, dear. I am content, and will ever be. Happy Mother’s day! We love you.

Milestone

お誕生日おめでとう！

I must welcome you, dear, into the “for the rest of our lives” part of our militant existence. You do know that I’d rather be Kon'nichiwa-ing with you if only to memorialize this milestone but we are held prisoners by something smaller than a speck of dust. But I can't let it arrest my thoughts and senses. This day may pass sans pomp and a brass band but not without this: 

I’ve honored you most for all that you do, but since there’s not much to do now, here’s to honor you for the things you do not do:

You do not cause me to burn a building in anger, just to burn with passion like the morning sun;

You do not look into my eyes, wicked cold and careless, but with a comforting warmth more soothing than a cup of coffee in your hands;

You do not hit me black and blue, but bring color to my world like red, yellow, green and blue; and ok, lavender, too;

You don’t drive me into madness, but to be MIL with you even more like a bee to its honey;

You don’t keep me away from my dreams, but help me make them come true, like one and one is two;

You do not smile for nothing, laugh for nothing, breathe for nothing, live for nothing;

You don’t do things ordinarily, but put extra into everything, like ube in ice cream.

You do me good. You don’t-do me good, too.

There’s also something in between, but that’s just for me and you.

Soon, after this ECQ, we’ll be hitting the reset button and start anew. 

Life’s been pretty and good, pretty good, I’d say. And in this new one that’s coming, we’ll make it prettyay.

I love you doe-a-dear. Happy birthday!