Category Archives: life

Hatsuhinode 2019

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Welcome beautiful 2019!!

I usually do the countdown and the cleaning thereafter. So never, in my entire life, have I tried to catch the first sunrise of the year.

Hence I was surprised with the well of emotions I felt, seeing the beautiful orange rays of the sun shining through dark, ominous clouds. Suffice to say I was moved to tears.

Thank you, Lord, for this beauty and for this new year!

PS

Didn’t have any difficulty waking Yui up and from making her walk for thirty minutes so early in the morning. She was so excited! Grateful for this beautiful start of the year, and with good friends at that too!

Baptism anniversary

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It’s been exactly 6 years since you were baptised. We were looking at your photos earlier, the ones posted on Facebook and you yourself were giggling at your chubbiness and was laughing how in all your photos you seem to be only either asleep or drinking milk. You were looking for your photo of the actual baptism, when the Priest poured the Holy water on your head. You then kept on asking “why” when I answered it was not posted and was in our computer. I remembered only now why we didn’t post it; because a friend took the photos and the ones I posted were only the ones from my camera.

Anyways. You seem to be almost always asleep that day. But another remarkable thing happened that day too. After your baptism, we had coffee with your Ninang Maj. And in that cafe, you smiled for the first time, to someone other than me or your Dad. And yes, it was to your Ninang. We were so surprised and happy we laughed hard; which got your surprised too.

Today, 6 years after, we had a milestone too. Today, for the first time, you sat away from me (just a pew behind me, nevertheless) and yet behaved and stayed seated for the whole hour. You sang with the choir, and you passed around the offertory basket and laid it at the altar. I was very proud of you and told you of it again and again.

My baby, how much you’ve grown and I am ever thankful to the Lord.

a chance meet-up with kindreds

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Today was our Church’s Coffee Social for the month. Mass finished at 10:30, our practice for the Nine Lessons at The Christ Church (Anglican) is at 11; but I queued for coffee and cakes so Yui could have a couple of cakes and have some snacks to fuel her up while waiting for me finish our choir practice.

I ended up eating 90% of the cakes (my planned diet tossed over the bin again) as little girl was having fun running around.

But I didn’t mind, because I was inspired while eating the cakes. I happened to share the table with a visiting couple from the US – a Filipina wife and a Japanese husband. The wife introduced herself and held out her hand to me first. I liked her even before she extended her hand (because of a sugar episode earlier while queueing).

We’ve talked for but 15 minutes. But I already loved the wife’s humour and nonchalance and elegance. The husband; he has twinkling eyes, a distinguished gentleman. A happy and contented face. They called each other “Hon”. And they already have grandchildren.

Our conversation was only 15 minutes. But it was more than enough for them to inspire me. To be infected with their positive aura. Certainly more than enough time for me to wish that I hope, someday, I’ll inspire in the same way, a young couple.

Mom, where’s the glue?!

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Yesterday we received yet again one of those do-it-yourself crafts freebie from your daycare; more often than not, they actually come with advertisements. Nonetheless, the free crafts are worth it.

I was busy in the kitchen, preparing dinner when you asked me where the glue was. I couldn’t spare a hand (and eyes and feet) so I asked you to look for it yourself. You couldn’t find it so you just tried to do something else.

A couple of hours later while I’m cleaning the kitchen, you happily announced you found the glue (of course I was happy to see you were persistent).

And then you called me.

And with beaming eyes, gave me this.

It’s already 11pm but with your gift, I feel like I could work yet another full day; energised as I was with your sweetness.

Thank you my dearest.

Mommy, you’re so beautiful!

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It’s Saturday morning and we all slept late. You, always the last to wake up every morning, was even the first one who woke up first. We had a late breakfast and then I started to do the house chores.

I was walking around, carrying some laundry, put it down the sofa, then I pulled up my hair with my hand, trying to remember what I was planning to do next. Then you spoke up;

Mommy, you look soooo beautiful!

You said it with so much awe in your eyes and you looked beaming with pride that I almost felt embarrassed, feeling I don’t deserve such a compliment. Especially since I haven’t even washed my face yet nor had I even brushed my hair.

Thank you my dearest. I am ever grateful for you.

a day to be thankful for

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The daycare’s small program for the September birthday celebrants fell right smack in the middle of our P&ID review period. And luck of lucks, my unit got scheduled on the very morning that the daycare program was gonna be held. When one of the Leads saw my pained look though, he asked if I wasn’t available. And so, right in front of the whole team, I said the reason. Before I realised what was happening (I was still debating in my head whether my conscience will forgive me in case Yui ends up the only celebrant without a parent), the unit leads of the team started to volunteer shifting the schedule of the units. Now who wouldn’t love a team like that?! Of course I told them so too; of how I love the team. In my almost 17 years at work, I have never heard of big review meetings schedules being shifted because of a parent needing to attend his/her child’s event at school (see, these meetings involve many other people from different companies hence most teams are less compromising)

  • And so yesterday, we could attend the celebration. To see Yui’s big, happy, exuberant smile. My heart is so full of gratitude to God and good people who made this possible.
  • There came a bonus too. After the birthday event, Yui’s head teacher called me and gathered her kindergarten troop. They had me seated in the center and then Yui’s class gathered around me. Yui then gave me a DIY-framed photo which was taken after my “Hello Work” presentation to the class. It was lovely; the thoughtfulness of having that small ceremony, the moment to have all the lovely kids and their brilliant teacher gather around me, the sweet photo frame memento. Grateful.
  • When I got back to the office, I learned that there has been “fire” in the morning review meeting. That meant a LOT of argument during the meeting. That means I’ll be dealing with hot headed people when it’s my unit’s turn in the afternoon. It meant making extra effort to be gracious and diplomatic yet authoritative as the specialist for the unit. By God’s grace, I was able to do just that. One Client even commented of how good the meeting for my unit went after having their patience extremely tested in the morning. Thankful to God for empowering me.
  • And to cap a beautiful day, I was able to have a chat with a beautiful friend; who capped our conversation by telling me of how she looks up to me as an inspiration and role model. I see her as someone who’s perfect and a role model herself. Hence for her to say that….it’s one of those ultimate compliments that encourages me to do my best and be the better version of my self.
  • And this, I pray to God.