"A HAPPIER LIFE"

THINK BEFORE YOU COMPLAIN

One day the wife told her husband, “Are you not tired of this life? We spend the whole day in the field. We sleep and then wake up the next morning to be in the field again. Seems like nothing’s happening to our lives! When will we ever have an easier and peaceful life!?”

There was a brief moment of silence. Then came a soft answer from the husband, “Probably, when you learn to stop complaining.”

The story of this couple is also our story. We complain, we get tired and we get frustrated over difficult situations.

 We do not fight.

Truthfully, I always complain. And in fact, I complain of almost about everything.

However, one day, I remembered one story about a man who never complained no matter how hard the situation was.

He was then the Son of God, but for some reasons, he was somewhat demoted by His Father to become human. He never complained.

He was mocked for they did not believe that He was really the Son of God. He never complained.

He was nailed and died on the cross to save the true sinners. And yet He did not complain.

His name was Jesus.

So then, I asked myself, “Who am I to complain?”

You should ask the same question to yourself.

Who are you to complain?

Come to think of it. I’m begging you. :)

ASK BUT DO NOT QUESTION.

Let me tell you two true short stories. But before reading, I would like you to think of two persons. First, think of someone who is currently ill. Second, think of another person who is arrogant and selfish.

Okay, at the end of the story, pray for the healing of the first person and forgive the second person.

Ready? So here’s the story:

A woman with stage two cervical cancer asked God, “Lord, why of all people, you chose me to suffer from this sickness? God, whatever your plans are, please help me get through this test that you have given me because right now I am weak and powerless. I am therefore surrendering to you all what’s left in me. I pray for my healing Lord.”

The woman prayed hard for her healing every waking day of her life.

After series of chemotherapies and over a year of pains, the woman recovered and was pronounced cancer free.

You see, God will answer your prayers in due time. God may not give everything to you in a click of your fingers however in His time everything will be delivered at your doorstep; sometimes, more than what you’ve asked for.

The second story…

A successful businessman was caught in traffic when a boy knocked on his window selling rosaries. The man did not pay attention. The boy knocked once more on his window. The irate man rolled down his window and yelled, “I don’t need that so stop!”

The businessman, at the height of his career, met an accident that very same day and died instantaneously.

Moral lesson?

Never question His decision nor His power because those maybe incalculable by our human minds. 

God did not kill the man in the second story. The man killed himself. His ungratefulness and overwhelming pride cost his life.

THE SICK SOUL

  

When you are sick to whom do you go first?

Yes. The doctor.

When you are troubled financially, where do you go first?

Yes. Cebuana Pawnshop.

When you are broken hearted, to whom do you go first?

Yes.  Friends.

Okay, let’s do something different this time. The next time you get sick, go to Him first before your doctor. Remember, God is the ultimate healer. God just uses our doctors as instruments of His Divine Power to heal. God is the one who made you so He knows how to repair you.

As I see it, no matter how you cure the body, if the spirit is ill, healing will be superficial. But, once you treat the illness of the spirit, the healing of the body will follow.

Next, when you are financially distraught, turn to God first. He might not be able to instantly drop bundles of money at your doorstep. However, He might have the best idea to give you on how to solve your problems.

Then, the next time you broke your heart, turn to Him first before your friends. He is your first love remember? He is your lover. No matter how many times you broke His heart, He remains in love with you. He never stops loving you.

Exodus 23:25

So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will

take sickness away from the midst of you.

FAITH HEALED A DYING MAN

Uncle Tony was dying few years ago. Yes, he was dying spiritually. He was hooked to alcohol, smoking, and women. I remembered his story about a train ride from Manila to Bicol. He met this young lady aboard. They shared stories the whole night and before they get off the train 9 hours later, she was already his girlfriend. (ANG GWAPO MO NA LANG.)

Anyways, he was also near to becoming an alcoholic. Actually, he would not go home until all of his drinking buddies already passed out. If only his liver had feet on its own, it might have kicked his throat. Aside from that, he’s also like a chimney. Perhaps, he smoked more than he breathed. Just kidding!

Years later, I was shocked to see a different Tony. Instead of holding a bottle of beer and a stick of cigar, he’s holding a Holy Bible. Yes you heard it right. A BIBLE.

I saw a different glow in his being. He’s face lightened up and he’s really in good shape. And so I asked him, “What happened to you?”

 He just smiled.

He is now an active member of their church.

What did Uncle Tony find in the Bible that changed him? Yes correct. He found the powerful words of the Lord. Too powerful that he himself could not resist.

Truly, we can really never know what His plans for us are. Today, we might be in a dark alley of our lives. And tomorrow who knows, we might be traveling the same road together with Uncle Tony.

GOD AND I HAVE LITTLE SECRETS

When I was a 9 –year old kid, I used to have dreams about death. I saw my dad died first, then followed by my grandmother and lastly my mother. I have the same dreams almost every night. That’s the reason why my brother would hear me cry at night.

In 2007, those dreams came true and take note, in chronological order. God gave me roughly ten years to prepare and I did not make the most of that time.

Dear sons and daughters out there,

Please seize every moment with your loved ones especially your parents. God will not give you forever to be with them. He has given you your parents for you to love and cherish. Show them how much you love them. Say I love you. Give them a hug once in a while. Kiss them. Talk to them. Never get tired of understanding them. Lastly, never turn your back on them. For when everyone only sees your faults, THEY will still notice that single piece of your worth.

Sincerely,

A Son full of regrets

Sometimes, God uses our dreams to speak to us and give us hints of what His plans are. We just have to believe.

Believe in Him and you will never be lost.

On my 21^st birthday, I only had pancit and pizza (donated by my girlfriend). All I had was forty pesos in my wallet. That night I dreamt of a man dictating numbers over and over again. Okay, first let me tell you a known secret, I am not good at numbers and I have a poor memory. Okay rephrase, very poor memory. You can ask everyone about it!

Anyways, so when I woke up, I tried hard to recall that dream. I remembered the man repeating six numbers over and over again. But because of my poor memory, okay, very poor memory, I was only able to recall five, 08, 11, 24, 19, and 39.

The next day, May 25, 2009, at the end of my afternoon prayer, I jokingly said to God, “Lord don’t you have a birthday gift for me?” Then I smiled.

After that I opened my wallet hoping that God inserted a twenty- peso bill to make my cash sixty pesos. Just kidding. But really I opened my wallet and pitied my self for being such a poor bachelor.

I was watching the afternoon news when I heard my neighbor exclaimed, “Kelan ba ako tatama sa lotto!”

Okay you got me there! So then it gave me an idea! It’s as if a bright light bulb suddenly appeared in my head just like in the cartoons! Tiiinnnggg!

So I went to the nearest lotto outlet to try my luck. In other words, goodbye forty pesos!

Just as you thought, I keyed in those five numbers and since I forgot the other last number, I put my Mom’s birthday, 15. So my numbers are 08, 11, 24, 15, 19 and 39.

That very same night I was anxious. I bet my precious forty pesos in the lottery. What crap did I do? So came nine o’clock (the official draw). The draw coordinator delivered his famous lines, “And the winning numbers are!” (drum roll please)

08, 11, 24, 19, 37, and 39!

OH MY GOD!!! Did I just get 5 numbers???

Yes, believe it or not I won in the lottery: maybe not the millions but a fair amount of money.

Again I am going to repeat my famous line: Most of the time, God does not give us what is best. Rather, He gives us what is fair.

So next time, never neglect the signs. These may be just coincidences, but who knows, these coincidences might be God’s tiny ways of showing how much He cares and loves us.

……………………………………………………….

God and I have little secrets. These are called dreams.

JUST LOVE AND FORGET WHY YOU DO

When my girlfriend asks me, “Why do you love me?”

I would simply say, “Hmmm. I don’t know. Should there be a reason?”

Then she would raise her eyebrows and take a deep sigh.

For me, loving someone does not require reasons. “You just do” is enough. I compare “LOVE” to “BREATHING”. Because when you breathe, you don’t seek for so many complicated reasons why you do. You only know one fact: you are breathing because you are alive.

Love is like breathing. You cannot stop from loving unless you die. It is a powerful spontaneous feeling that even your mind cannot control. You can deny that you don’t love a person. But you cannot deny the fact that you are lying. Right?

No one has died by holding his breath. Why? It is because breathing is spontaneous. Telling your mind to stop breathing is just impossible. Likewise telling your heart to stop loving is a big joke.

Okay put it like this, what if I answered my girlfriend with a reason when she asked me that question?

“Why do you love me?” And I answered, “Hmmm because you are beautiful, generous, loving, caring, God fearing and patient.”

Let me ask you. Is that a fair answer?

The answer is NO.

Love should not be specific. You don’t enumerate the reasons you we love a person.

If you love a person because he or she is generous, loving, caring, patient, etc. that is not love. You only like the person but you don’t love him or her. You only LIKE certain part of that person and not his totality.

Love should be holistic.

When God created us He did not expect us to be perfect. He knew that we would sin, make mistakes, disappoint Him big time and disobey Him. But still, he gave us our lives.

Now that’s what we call LOVE.

THE CALLING

What is your calling? Have you asked that question to yourself?

When I was a kid, my mom and dad used to ask me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

I would instantly answer, “I want to be a priest someday!”

Okay I’m serious. I wanted to become a priest before.

Guess what, I did not become a priest. Instead, I became a nurse. But even though I did not become a priest, my passions were still inclined to such vocation.

Honestly, aside from being a nurse, I have another mission that I wanted to fulfill. I want to become someone who would revive hopeless souls. I want to give cancer patients and all the ill hope to fight whatever is killing them from inside. I want to conduct talks and sharing of thoughts to these people and make them realize that life doesn’t end there. Life doesn’t end when one has cancer. That as long as we have God, no one should give up.

I believe that healing takes place when a person has the fortitude to get well. Giving up should not be part of the options.

I see myself standing on a flat form with these cancer patients as my listeners. The first thing that I will ask them is this question, “Why are you here?”

Of course I expect them to answer, “Because we want to be healed.”

Then I will disappoint them by saying, “I am not here to heal you.”

I, then expect some deep sigh so I will continue what I am saying, “ I am not here to heal you, but I will introduce to you someone who can heal you.”

So they will expect that I will introduce them to a known oncologist in town.

I will disappoint them further; “ I am not with a doctor today.”

I will see several faces puzzled.

“I am not with a doctor today but this someone that I will introduce to you is better than a doctor, believe me.” I will add.

Someone will ask, “Who is that person?”

I will point towards the ceiling and say, “Everyone, please welcome, Dr. God.”

(Okay, that’s just my vision)

Well anyways, let me just tell you a fact: the secret to healing is faith. Never doubt the power of the Divine Healer because as far as I know, miracles are much better than chemotherapy. ;)

 

ALMOST A MOTHER

I was inspired by the story of a woman who almost became a mother. Let’s just call her Po. Po was unmarried but when she learned about her pregnancy, she got excited about it. Her days seemed to be happier than ever. Her boyfriend, upon knowing, left. But she remained composed and turned her attention to her upcoming little angel.

Her friends supported her all the way. So everything went perfectly until one day during her check up, her doctor told her that her baby had no heart beat. She was saddened by the news but she didn’t lose hope. Days passed and still, she hoped that everything would be fine—that her baby will live. However one day, she bled profusely. After several hours in the hospital, her two-month old baby died in her womb.

Like any other mother who lost their child, Po got depressed. But, her depression did not conquer her entire being. Why? It is because she trusted God. In one of her blogs she said, and I quote, “Alam ko may dahilan ang Diyos kung bakit n’ya hinayaan ang mga ito.”

Her trust with God remained amidst her frustrations. And I really admire her for that.

Death is just a normal part of our lives. Dying is just one manifestation that God has not broken His promise: that He will take us to His kingdom and there, we will no longer feel pain and suffering.

I cannot understand why some women resort to abortion when there are some women who are willing to try anything just to have a baby. What is wrong with these people?

I have a friend who got pregnant when we were still in college. In her effort to hide it to her parents she wore tight pants until the forth month of her pregnancy. She would attend parties and drink liquors. When her baby came out few months later, problems started to arise. Her baby was in the incubator for months and spent hundred of thousands. The baby was blind.

You see, God will teach us in the best way that we will learn. God gave my friend a wonderful gift and yet she tried to ignore and hide it. And by the time that she’s ready to show that gift to the world, it’s too late. All she could do was regret the consequences of her actions.

For those who committed abortion, please ask the forgiveness of God. Value the gift of life for it is the most precious thing that you will receive from Him.

For the expectant mothers, please take care of your health and thank Him for the wonderful gift. As early as now, introduce God to your baby. And when he is born, let the name of God be on the list of his first spoken words.

For those parents who lost their children, please just be thankful that you lost them. God will never take them away from you without reasons. Trust in His decisions. Just give this thought of mine a chance to somehow give you a realization why you should be happy when you lose someone important to you: In this world, no matter what you do, you can never make your loved ones the “happiest” person. You can only make them a “happier” person.

Why?

In one of my articles entitled, “How to Become the Worst Person in the World”, I have mentioned in there that one of the requirements to become the “happiest person” is death. Yes you read it right, death. It is only in His kingdom that you will experience never ending happiness—happiness that is not temporary unlike here on earth.

For those couples that are constantly praying for a child, please continue your prayers. God will sometimes test your patience and trust in Him. Do you remember the story of Abraham and Sarah? They’re almost a hundred years old when God has given Isaac to them as gift. Now if God has not given what you prayed for, believe in Him still for everything has a purpose. Faith in God is one of the keys to a “happier” life.

For those single parents out there, continue raising your child in the path that God has paved for the two of you. It may be tough but remember that God will always provide. God is your friend, your lover, your father and your salvation. He is EVERYTHING. 

To Po (you know who you are), life doesn’t end when you lose a battle. You have to realize the reasons why you have failed so that next time you will be as strong as a gladiator. The people around you may not understand what you have gone through but be assured that there is one God who will understand your weaknesses and failures. Remember that the “happier” people on earth are the people who have experienced a lot of failures in life. These people are the ones who learned to appreciate life in a deeper sense. These are the people who embraced God in their most grueling fight against life’s crisis.

Po, be thankful to Him still, because even for a short time, you learned how to become a true MOTHER.

CAN A RELIGION ASSURE YOUR SALVATION?

Please forgive me if I will answer that question, NO.

So therefore, what or who can save you?

Before I answer that, let me tell you something. If there are two topics that I hate to discuss, that would be about politics and religion. Basically, these two topics draw a lot of discussions and arguments. I hate to argue, really.

Okay, so what or who can save if it is not merely religion?

1. Prayer.
2. Faith.
3. You.
4. God.

You only need four to be saved.

Your religion cannot dictate your destiny. It is only you who can determine where you want to go. That’s for sure.

For years, I have entered different churches. Not to change my religion but to somehow compare the teachings of my religion with theirs. But soon I have realized that no matter where you go and no matter what religion you are in will not matter. What matters is how you exercise your faith, how sincere your prayers are and how you believe in God.

Belief is something that should not be questioned. You cannot say that your religion is better than others or your teachings are better than others because I repeat, beliefs should not be questioned.

Now you’ll ask me, do you have a religion or you’re an Atheist? Well, I do have a religion. I am a Catholic. However, I do not rely my salvation with my religion. I rely my salvation with my faith with God and prayers. I compare a religion or church to a school. It will guide you to become a good person and teach you the ways to attain salvation. However, after learning it is only you who will direct your own path towards the kingdom of God.

A former drinking buddy of mine told me, “Pre ako di ako naniniwala sa Diyos mo”.

So I asked him, “Bakit naman?”

“Eh kasi wala ka naman ebidensiya na meron eh, pag may ipinakita kang ebidensiya sa akin na merong Diyos saka ako maniniwala!” He exclaimed.

So I asked him again, “Bakit ikaw ba may ebidensiya na wala?”

He paused, kept quiet and never opened that topic to me ever again.

Guys, you don’t need a lot of proofs. Sometimes, it only takes one solid faith to believe. 

FORGIVE AND…

I heard one of my friends say, “I can forgive but I will never forget!”

So I tried hard to justify her answer. I found out that it’s true.

A time will come in your life that someone will hurt you big time. But over time, you will eventually forgive that person. Now, when do you say that you have already forgiven that person? Okay, my friend is right. Sometimes, even if you have already forgiven someone, the memory is still there. However, if you have truly forgiven, even if you recall that incident everyday, the hurt feeling is no longer present. Often times, you may just smile or even laugh about the thought of remembering it.

Can we forgive in an instant? Basically, it will all depend on the situation. But most of the time, forgiveness comes after realization. You first have to realize that the person who has wronged you is also a victim of improper judgment. Well, for some it takes time before they can forgive. Nothing is wrong with that because what counts is the fact that you have forgiven.   

In my lifetime, I have forgiven a lot of people. I believe that beyond hatred, a more powerful feeling lies—we call it love. When love rises above hatred, forgiveness is an easy thing to do. The saying that “love can move mountains” is true. The impossible can only be done if there is love.

So forgive more and hate less. It’s one of the secrets of a “happier person”.

POWER MAKES A PERSON WEAK

This is not about super hero powers or anything for that sense. I am talking about influence in the society. Power or authority is not bad after all. What makes it wicked? Yes, the way a person exercises that privilege.

When a person starts to manipulate the people around him, that’s the start of the dilemma. I call these kinds of people the societal bullies. The over use of power begins when a person feels superior. He feels untouchable. Now what do you think is lost with these people? Okay, because of the overwhelming touch of authority they eventually lose the so- called humility.

Name it, political bullies, school bullies, office bullies, street bullies, or even the latest addition to the list; cyber bullies, we all have it. However, come to think of it, are these people really tough? The answer is a big NO.

When you have power as big as THESE, in the long run, you will become weak.

Weak? How?

You become weak to temptations.

Your faith in Him becomes weak.

Your family ties become weak.

You become vulnerable to sins.

When you are vulnerable to sins, you become a really, really, really weak person.

That love for power will eventually lead to greed for power. Now how do you stop this from happening?

Do nothing.

The idea is, when you oppose something, the tendency is that you will get the same level of resistance. Now, let that person get all the authority, all the power and the influence that he can get. By the time he gets all the power that he desires, he will eventually feel the emptiness. Believe me, it happens most of the time. That emptiness within that person will lead him to think what is wrong. Then realization follows.

Sometimes we have to let the wicked find its own wickedness. Let the powerful discover the true worth of power. And let the greedy find its own contentment.

THE BOY WHO ONCE PRAYED

A boy once dreamed of becoming a priest. Let’s call the boy, Boy (sorry I cannot think of a better name). Boy was raised in a religious environment. His grandmother taught him how to pray when he was just three years old. And by the time he was five, he can already initiate the holy mass (no kidding). He knew the sequence of the mass and all the songs. He would sing at the top of his young lungs. At the end of the mass, everyone would pinch his nose and say, “Ang galing mo naman kumanta”.

Boy was an ordinary kid with extraordinary ambition. When his playmates were asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Some answered, “I want to be a doctor!” Some liked to become a nurse, dentist, pilot, policeman, etc. However when Boy was asked he answered, “I want to be a priest”.

After that, silence was heard.

Before eating, Boy would pray. Before taking a bath, Boy would make the Sign of the Cross. When riding a vehicle, Boy would do the same. Before taking a quiz, Boy would still do the same (no wonder he always get good grades). Ooopps! Apologies Boy, good was an understatement. :D

Okay let me tell you a secret about Boy. Don’t laugh okay? Here it goes: before he went to the hospital for circumcision, he prayed 10 Our Father’s, 10 Hail Mary’s and 10 Glory Be’s. (Please don’t tell anyone about this it’s a tough secret.) LMAO

Going back to the story…

One day, Boy slept at his grandmother’s house. Her grandma lived in a small town. That night, as they were asleep, gunfires were heard from out of nowhere. There was an encounter between New People’s Army and the Philippine Army. Her grandma was awakened by the noise. She noticed that Boy was missing. She crawled outside the bedroom and found him kneeling near the altar. She asked him furiously, “What are you doing there?? Can’t you hear the gunfires?”

Boys looked at her and say, “Lola please let me finish my prayer. I want the gunfires to end because I am afraid.”

After hearing this, his grandma cried and hugged him so tight. Moments after the prayer, there was peace. Her grandmother shared that cute little story to everyone in the neighborhood. A vigil was offered as a thanks giving for no one was hurt by that incident.

Boy was just another ordinary kid with extra ordinary relationship with God.

Today, he is already turning twenty- five. Actually six days from now. Up to this day, after all the pains that he has gone through, the challenges, the heartaches and all the miseries, his relationship with God has never changed. Although he has not become a priest, he has not forgotten his true mission. And that is to share his words with others and become a blessing to the needy. 

Boy will never stop until his mission is completed. His visions are designed to make other people see their worth beyond their weaknesses. Boy has been created to bring joy and laughter to many people. He believes that a “happier” life is something that we should all desire about. Life will bring us pain, suffering, problems and deaths. But who cares? As long as we have God, nothing can ever stop us from reaching that “happier” life.

We just have to believe that there is POWER BEYOND WEAKNESS.  

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CARL

I was in college when we had this community service project wherein we had to adopt a family and be with them for quite some time. The family that was assigned to me was a family of four. The names of the parents were Marlon and Anita. They have a daughter and a son named Ashana and Carl. Ashana was 6 years old and Carl was 14.

Ashana was not studying at her age because her parents could not afford. Carl was also not studying because he had this condition called Down syndrome. When I first met Carl he was aloof. He would not communicate with me. I patiently tried to look for his weakness.

Alas! After days of trying, I finally got his weakness. He loves ice cream.

So our friendship started. He could not speak well but he was very affectionate. Every time that I would visit, he would give me a hug. He treated me like his brother. Her mother told me that it was strange because Carl was not like that before. But since I came, they said, he became very enthusiastic and playful.

By the third week of the project, Carl and I became best buddies. And guess what? He was able to say my name. Wow!

I taught Carl how to write his name. Eventually he learned.

Marlon asked me one day, “How did you do that Don?”

So I told him, “Carl needs your attention and support. That’s the best thing that you can give him.”

I explained to Marlon and Anita that their son is a special child. Why special? That is because Carl needs special care and attention. He needs a special kind of patience and love. All things should be special.

Why did God create people like Carl?

I can only think one reason. God has created them so that people like us would realize how lucky we are—that we should be thankful for the kind of being that we have. 

On the last day of the project, I brought a simple treat for the family. That afternoon, Carl looked sad. It’s as if he knew that I would be leaving them. He did not eat.

Before I went home, I told Carl, “I will now be leaving but don’t worry I will be visiting you once in a while? Continue writing your name okay?”

Carl seemed to understand what I said to him. You know what he did?

The poor guy hugged me so tight and cried like a three- year old kid. He kept on saying my name while crying. My uniform was wet with his tears and… saliva. But it’s okay. I guess? :)

 His parents cried as well. That moment was one of those that I would forever treasure in my heart. I became part of someone’s life. I knew that for once I helped Carl realize the feeling of friendship and acceptance.

People like Carl don’t deserve to be discriminated. Rather, we should give them the hope and understanding they need. They should be loved.

Carl may not know what love and friendship is all about. However, for a while his emotion has taught him how to react in that particular situation. We should love people like Carl because their friendship doesn’t hide any trickery or deceit –just pure.

GUYS, THIS IS TITA FELY

   

Meet Tita Fely.

She is the owner of an appliance store named “God Giving Marketing”. From the business name itself you would conclude that she is a religious person. In fact, she really is. I have known her for such a long time already…two months.

Two months ago, my girlfriend and I started this small business of ours. We opened a store. Since we needed a fridge we noticed this local appliance store in our neighborhood. So one day I approached the owner, Tita Fely, and asked how much the fridge was. When I greeted her good morning, her smile was the sweetest. She knew that we were just starting. After a few “getting to know” scenes, out of nowhere she said, “I’ll give the fridge to you on installment basis, no interest.”

Okay, so I was very happy. Imagine a stranger gave me an appliance loan without interest? Wow.

So there, she asked her helpers to deliver the fridge the very next day. A week after that, before I went to work I dropped by our store. Upon seeing me, Tita Fely asked one of her daughters to hand me a packed lunch. I’m a lucky guy huh?

Her daughter told me jokingly, “Mabuti ka pa pinababaunan ni nanay, kami hindi.”

We both laughed.

One day, I visited her in the store. As we talked, I browsed the items available at her store. I said, “Tita gusto ko nitong electric kettle mo, bibilhin ko to sa sweldo.”

She smiled and said, “Magkano ba laman ng bulsa mo?”

So I answered her truthfully, “I only have fifty pesos!”

“Kawawang bata naman.” She laughed hard after mocking my dignity as a person. Just kidding.

She reached for the kettle, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to me.

“Huh?Wala po akong pera pambayad dyan Tita. Sa sweldo pa ako magkakapera.” I exclaimed.

“Akin na ang singkwenta mo, bayaran mo na lang ako ng kulang pag may pera ka na.” She replied.

I teasingly added, “Eh pano po pag di ako nagkapera habambuhay?”

Tita Fely burst into laughter and said, “Malako ka talagang bata ka! Eh di wag mo na bayaran alangan ipakulong pa kita dahil sa takore!”

As a “kapalmuks” I took the electric kettle with me.

When I was ready to pay for the fridge and the kettle, I went to her store. It was early in the morning. I greeted her good morning and she wore the same sweet smile.

Me: Tita babayaran ko na po ang utang ko sainyo.

She: Wow madami ka na pera!

Me: Opo limpak limpak na salapi.

She: (laughed hard)

Me: Namiss niyo po ako?

She: Aba oo naman.

Me: Wow talaga po. Kung namiss niyo ako pag-almusalin niyo nga ako.

She: (laughed as if there’s no tomorrow) Sige ba!

Me: Joke lang Tita.

While making the receipt, I noticed her tears. She stopped writing and covered her face.

Me: Tita bakit po kayo umiiyak?

She: Wala. Wala kana kasi utang eh.

I was puzzled.

Me: Hindi ba dapat matuwa kayo at wala na ako utang?

She: Eh kasi di mo na ako dadalawin kasi wala kana babayaran.

I smiled fondly after hearing that and gave her a hug.

She: Naalala ko kasi sayo Don ang anak ko. Miss na miss ko na kasi yun. (still crying)

Me: Cute din po siguro yung anak niyo noh?

She: Aba siyempre! Pareho kayo.

Me: Opo alam ko yan wag niyo na po masyado ipagdiinan nakakahiya sa mga kapitbahay baka sabihin nagmamalaki ako.

She: (laughed hard) Barumbado ka talaga! Dito ka na lang sakin tumira para may bunso ulit ako.

Me: Sige po kunin ko lang gamit ko.

She: (laughed hard for the millionth time) Mapapadali buhay ko sayo Don!

Me: Pamanahan niyo po ako ng flatscreen na TV 32”.

She: (Laughed hard for the billionth time)

Before I left she handed me over the receipt with a note at the bottom that read, “God bless you. I love you my son.”

I kissed her in the forehead after reading that. She was still crying when I left.

Believe me, it’s just two months ago when we first met. ;)

Giving love doesn’t require time. It only needs one good heart. Along the way, we will meet people like Tita Fely who will share their love to us without asking something in return. People like her should be cherished because only few of them can give such.

Tita Fely shared with me few lessons in life. She told me that we should offer everything to God may that be sufferings or joys. According to her, to become happy, we should first think about the happiness of other people. And that happiness should be shared and not kept for oneself.

I agree with her because for me, happiness is the best manifestation of one’s deep appreciation for human life. One cannot appreciate life without other people. Happiness that is not shared is not considered happiness but selfishness.

 SO LOVE MORE. HATE LESS.

Enjoy life my friends!