Reminding myself to BE CAREFUL

I'm currently typing with my fingers on 'modified home keys position'. Thanks to the strict discipline applied by my computer teacher/uncle/ninong Kuya Erick in third grade, my fingers are very much at home, glued over the 'home keys' (redundant..haha), enabling me to type with my eyes on the screen and not on the keyboard. It has to be modified temporarily though because I accidentally caught my pinkie in the door awhile ago and now it's painful and inflamed, with some dried blood on the sides.

*I've actually taken a picture of it, but decided not to post it anymore. Dapat positive pa rin. I don't need a reminder of my lack of judgment. In short, ampangit lang ng hitsura...haha

No, I wouldn't consider this accident blog-worthy and yes, I am ranting...haha...because this latest minor injury of mine just seemed to be the icing on top of the cake of the many other minor injuries I've had since 2012 started.

I used to think I'm a klutz with fast reflexes- now I'm just a klutz who's just blessed that I haven't (and pray that I won't ever) messed up severely or hurt myself in a major way. My poor hand grip and carelessness has been bothering me and Ate for a long time now that I've finally decided to make BE CAREFUL! as my primary 2012 New Year's resolution. The fact that I'm ranting now speaks much already of how unsuccessful I've been...haha. To date, I have burns on my hands and tongue that I could have avoided had I exercised caution. A recent cut of mine just healed, and this I got even before another cut that preceded it healed completely. I hurt my knee and my head a lot of times too, bumping edges and surfaces I also could have avoided. I've also dropped and spilled foods and fluids in the kitchen and dining table and each time any of these things happen, I remember my resolution and my disappointment would be twice as much than in a normal situation.

The funny thing is that the frequency of the accidents I've incurred seem to have doubled since I've resolved to be careful. I thought that maybe just writing it on a journal wasn't enough to get it done so I've decided to write it here as well, hoping that this would finally seal the deal for me.

Katrina naman kasi (self-reflecting), be very very very very careful! Let the prudence that you exercise in making BIG decisions manifest in the smaller ones that you do each day. You're not a mutant so remember to use the pot holder, to blow/cool down any dish before tasting it, to be conscious of your surroundings and avoid  bumping unnecessary edges especially hot surfaces to lessen your burns and how-did-I-get-this bruises, to focus on what your hands are holding to avoid absent-mindedly dropping them, to stop your habit of carrying a variety of things at once to the kitchen or the dining table in your desire to save time and energy, and to exercise CAUTION if you want to live a peaceful injury-free life in the coming years. In your desire to be a very good cook, I have faith that you will acquire better knife skills in time but you have to be careful if you want your fingers to remain intact 'til that day comes. Take care of yourself as much as you take care of others so you could care for them better and keep on caring for them.

O ayan, here's to hoping that I'd really be more careful. Lord help me.

How Will You Measure Your Life

I'm no business person, but the lessons in this article are worth reading and sharing, whatever career/profession you have, or circumstance you might be in right now...

Think about the metric by which your life will be judged, and make a resolution to live every day so that in the end, your life will be judged a success.

Harvard Business Review- How Will You Measure Your Life

Here's to living life to the fullest and with purpose, this 2012 and for the years to come.

Merry Christmas from the Paglicawans! (2011)

It's obviously so late for this post but what's 2011 without my favorite time of the year- CHRISTMAS! Every year we spend it with our relatives on Papa's side with the 10 siblings (Papa's ninth) taking turns in hosting the ever improving Paglicawan Christmas Reunion!...haha

It was held in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro last year (still referring to 2011) and it was such a fun, definitely memorable and laughter-filled event. As usual, the foods were overflowing with lechon, different kinds of fishes (bangus, tapas), shrimps, a variety of pork dishes, make-your-own vegetable salad, plus the usual pansit, spaghetti, ham, fruit salad, buko pandan, bibingka, ube halaya, the local specialty aroz with ibos, and a lot more. We are a few short of a hundred in total- that's all my aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, and nieces combined although not everyone's present all the time. But the food's always more than sufficient to feed us all- most of us being certified 'above average eaters' at that. I remember when it was our turn to host the reunion, there were more than 60 of our relatives (yaya's included) in attendance and you can just imagine how every meal, even the regular ones, seemed like a feast.

But I guess we would all agree that we also laugh like we never do when we're in each other's company. All of us always look forward to our annual reunion because it would most certainly be a blast. And through the years, we have improved! We now have Christmas shirts, last year we had bingo, and then next year we will have a raffle apart from the usual exchange gifts and parlor games. They attempted to hold a talent show but we only had two willing contestants...haha. It was already announced early last year but although we would've wanted to join, we could not find the time; and fine, the inspiration, to conceptualize and really practice for a dance or song number. Pero buti na lang at hindi kami nagprepare!; else, we would've competed with our little nephew and nieces' impromptu numbers; agaw pa sa prize...haha

Here are snapshots of our 2011 Christmas reunion:

We skipped to Paluan to have a splash in Calawagan (very cold waters coming straight from the mountains) on the 23rd even just for a day. The one hour-ride from Mamburao was worth it. Paluan is our father's hometown and it's where our lolo and lola's narra house still stands with minor renovations. It's now where my Tito Ler and his family lives, and where most of us stay every time we go there. We had a superb lunch featuring sinampalukang baka and inihaw na tapas.

with my sisters and cousin Tin-tin posing on top of some rock formations...medyo hanglayo

lang ng nilakad namin to indulge Kuya Mak and have this picture taken

our 2011 Christmas family photo:)- always the first part of the program

the remaining 8 of the 10 Paglicawan siblings- they're 9 thorns and a rose 

 with Lola Ely (their aunt and Lolo Itoy's sister) and their wives and husband; Papa is partnered with Tita Josie, whose husband, Tito Narding, already passed away even before I was born I think; not on photo is Tita Virgie, Tito Oca (who also passed away years ago)'s wife

with emcees Kuya Mak and my eldest niece Kate

I won videoke queen with a score of 100!; and I was also the first contestant so my other cousins tried to add to their scores by dancing while singing, but they still fell short of 100, ang yabang!...haha...the videoke machine seemed to love me because I sang another song and still got 100:)...and my winning piece- Taylor Swift's You Belong with Me! I had my nieces singing with me like in a choir the whole time..haha

My uncles escorted and danced with their only rose, Tita Imba, while Tito Boy, her husband, was singing something with the videoke as part of the contest. She was crying the whole time while we were all laughing. They even did 'pasabit' but in the absence of pins, they inserted the money at the back of her shirt, on the strap of her bag and on her eyeglasses..haha..

the two contenders for the talent contest

Vince showed an impromptu dance in the tune of Teach me How to Dougie while duo Kate and Kc did a well-prepared and well-executed dance in samba tune I think. Kaloka lang ang 'shirt removal' and exhibition ni Vince..haha. They both shared the cash prize equally (obtained right there and then via ambag-ambag) so no one would feel less, and because we're all biased, unworthy judges anyway. 

yes, we laugh hard...and ugly...haha

on the ferry ride home

We all dread the journey forth and back but when we're there, and with each other, all the hassles we encountered would all just fade in the background of fun and laughter. We don't have big shops and malls in Paluan and the electricity is only available for a scheduled time every day but we have a lot of those here in Manila so it's just refreshing to have even just a short opportunity to bum, eat-all-you-can, enjoy the scenery, breathe fresh air, and tan ourselves soaking in the beaches and rivers. 

Going home to the province gets more and more difficult every year with work and other things getting in the way but we all try our best to clear our schedule for 2-3 days to celebrate Christmas together. We get bigger and louder every year, with new nephews, nieces or adopted cousins joining our tribe; as the celebration also seem to get more and more complicated. But whatever new games or surprises we may add to the program, on the day of the reunion itself we would always find ourselves going back to the basics, but that's not to say that the plans for some additions don't seem to push through. Some do and some don't but it doesn't really matter, we're family and whatever we do together would surely be fun. Food and videoke (the usual staples) are just all it would take; because with our gratefulness to Christ and our love for each other in our hearts, we're a party in a box.

And I am looking forward to all the Paglicawan Christmas reunions to come!

Ready for 2012!

Today, I write again. And yes, I know my last post was just less than a month ago, but my thoughts are racing and my fingers are heavy, as if I haven't written for a long time, as if I've only been writing these past weeks out of need, but missing the intense desire in my heart and the inspiration I so had when last year began.

 I've been busy, big time, and I could not possibly prioritize this outlet of mine when I could hardly prioritize the need to get enough sleep. The impulse to whine and talk about how tired I am is so attractive, but I want to begin this year right, and I thank God that the gratefulness I feel in my heart is greater than all the stress in my system.

I look back at 2011 and try, but fail to put in concrete words how it has all been for me. It's been a year of many changes, milestones, and breakthroughs like other years; but it was also a year of sailing through life's possibilities, with a destination in mind that I wasn't supposed to reach just yet. Instead I found myself drifting toward many different islands, doubtful, at times reluctant, but always grateful for the opportunity to explore, to learn, to discover.

But not everyday was an "I'm ready for adventure! day". There had been moments, many of them, when I got disheartened and overwhelmed with doubts, unanswered questions, and even regrets. I also had many fears, that of 'settling' included, unsure anymore if I was really where I was supposed, and want to be.

But God is faithful. And I welcome such moments of weakness and helplessness because it's in those times that His overflowing grace manifests most in my life. He stills me with his greatness, and eats my worries away with his immutability, reminding me each time that He is the captain of my ship, that He knows where to lead me, that He is in control, that everything happens for a reason, that He never wavers in his promises, that He loves me very much, and that He only has the best in store for me.

And so with a grateful heart, I bid 2011 goodbye, with the certainty that I am a better person than I was last year; and what I hold now is not just a maturity that one is expected to acquire with time, but that which has been honed with a blend of knowledge and experience God has abundantly thrown my way. I also have a lot of memorable people to thank, and I'm sorry if I'm no longer as thoughtful as I used to be, letting you know how grateful I am to and for YOU. But YOU are all in my prayers, and while I'm now more of an 'I'll contact you if I need to tell/ask you something' kind of girl, I hope you know that you can just do the same to me and I'll be more than happy to help or just get in touch:)

It's too bad I failed to maintain my journal for 2011. I would have wanted to make a summary of all the major things I've learned. I definitely have a deeper understanding of patience, kindness, generosity, gratefulness and love now; I know more of my loved ones, myself, and my God; and I am more at peace with who I am.

This 2012, I know that with God still at my life's helm, things could only get better. It ended and began with good news for me in terms of my career and I'm so excited with the changes that could happen in my life. I am expectant, but still grateful to be where I am now, so I'll just continue to strive hard to reach all my dreams while allowing myself to be led by God-wherever He thinks I'll grow best.

God granted all the things I've prayed for last year so I'm so excited with my prayer requests for this year. I'm also looking forward to many good news-es...haha for me, for the people I love, and for our country. One of my favorite bloggers, Patty Laurel, also got engaged at New Year's Eve and I'm so happy for her because I somehow felt and prayed for her when times were tough in her life early last year. The new tourism slogan 'It's more fun in the Philippines' is very promising and I pray that even with the calamities that recently hit our country, we would all continue to hope and work for the best for ourselves, for our fellowmen, and for our beloved Philippines.

I'll be writing and keeping my faith goals so I could look at them when the year ends. And no, I'm not ready to add true love on the list just yet..haha.. My prayer is still for God to prepare me and my life partner (whoever he is) for each other; anyway, I'm confident that when it's time, God will also put a yearning in my heart to be with him. In the meantime, I'll continue to focus on knowing and becoming a better version of myself each day for His greater glory. My 2012 Resolves include reading the Bible (completely, unfragmented) for the year, recording lessons I've learned in a journal, becoming a better nurse through continuous study and practice, learning more recipes and becoming a better cook and homemaker, managing my finances way better than I did last year, keeping in touch with old friends and becoming more open for new friends by sharing more of myself and being less cliquish...haha, participating more in my cell group, stepping up in my service of the Lord and in my leading worship in church, practicing to be an effective and inspiring disciple-maker, and being more of all the good stuff (patient, loving, understanding, selfless, etc.)

Father God I thank you for all the blessings you have, and continue to pour out in my life and my family. You know me better than anybody including myself, and you know all the deepest desires of my heart. I just lift them all up to you and entrust my life, this year, and the years to come in your loving hands that have guided and brought me to where I am now. At the core of all my desires and aspirations, may I always find you, drawing strength, courage, and guidance in my life's purpose which is to honor you in everything I do. Again, my life is yours. Though I know there would still be times (very rare times I hope) that I would want to take the wheel from you; always, remind me of this covenant, of your great saving love, and help me find my way back. Let your will be done in all the many days to come in my life, and may the love and gladness that comes from You fill my heart in great proportions at all times that I may also share it with others.

And I while I remain to be a work in progress, let your PERFECT LOVE continue to drive out all my fears.

I love you very much! And it's my honor, joy, and delight to know and serve You!

Your striving to be good and faithful servant,

Katy:)