A life left behind...

A few years back, I left the Philippines for the land of milk and honey. I did not want to go, certainly never meant to stay, but circumstances necessitated my journey and responsibilities warranted me to stay. I made my choices, and though at times I think about what could have been if I had not left, I am here, living a different life.

A life left behind... I beg to differ. I did not leave my life. I am living it. A different place, a different time, with different friends, but most certainly still my life. Some friends, now long gone, still, some remained the same. Life changes for sure, but life is never left behind.

Change... sometimes it is hard to keep up. Oftentimes we blame others for imposing changes in our lives. But change we must, because it is the only way to move on, to live life, to be alive. We can spend all our time looking back, wishing to get back what we lost, hoping to go back to what we had... wanting that life we left behind, but it would all be in vain. For time has moved on and what once was can never be again. It is hard, I kid you not, but live in the present we must, for it is all we have. What we make of our present will set the foundations of our past and pave the way for our future.

Choices... I made a lot of them, some good, others never to be repeated. All done with good intentions, these choices nevertheless imposed my will on others. Regrets? I think not. At times, I still question the wisdom of choices I made, only to realize that there is no need to wonder, but there is a need to understand, and a need to accept the choices made and the consequences that came with it.

As a parent, I had to make choices. I must initiate change. Years ago, I questioned why there was a need for me to follow. That is the folly of the young. I now realize, there will always be a time in one's life where we need to follow and a time when we will have to lead. When I was young, I followed and I questioned... now that I am older, I lead and get questioned. A life left behind... had I kept looking back, I would not be where I am now. I would not have seen the places I have been, nor would I have met the people I know now. I would have missed the opportunity life had given me, and that would have been the greatest tragedy... a life not lived because of the desire for that life left behind.

A Big Thank You

Wow! This is the first time I got an award for my blog, and such a great one too... I would like to thank Rachel, of Heart of Rachel for this award. I never thought blogging would be such a rewarding experience and a great way to gain new even if virtual friends.

I too would like to share this award to some people, who in one way or the other touched my life.

Ralline - She's a big woman with an even bigger heart, thoughtful and generous to her friends and totally dedicated to her family. She made my entire family feel like an extension of her own family. I feel really blessed to be her friend.

Ella - Usually the silent one in our group, but don't let that fool you. I admire her drive to go places and simply enjoy what life has to offer, as is evident with every picture she takes. A woman with very few but always meaningful words.

Carl - We've never really been together. I haven't seen him in years, but I always have this comfortable feeling about him. I am a great admirer of his work (Zsa Zsa Zaturna, among other things), not to mention he's been my "Papa Carl" for as long as I've known him ;)

two things...

Hu hu hu... my poor hand. Sprained a tendon (accdg. to Dr.) on my left wrist while re-shelving books at work. Since they are very strict with injuries at work, I had to go see a doctor right away. Waited long... as we all tend to do when we want to see a doctor. The Doc squeezed and twisted my wrist which made it hurt all the more. Now it hurts more than when I first got to the hospital to see him. And so he needed to give me pain killers which would render ME inoperable or rather incapacitated for the next couple of days.

And then I saw this(car on fire) on my way to my other job...
So I just said to myself, someone's day is worse than my own... shouldn't complain, hay!