The Twelve DaysPounds of Christmas

It's the day after Christmas. Whew. The holiday rush has gotten to me real bad, I almost thought I'd end up as replacement to The Christmas Grouch. A long list of must-buys, almost-daily parties, and the slow crawl of traffic everywhere can make one's energy just fly right out of the window.

Fortunately, the tiring holiday season is almost over. Just a few more get-togethers to go to, and I can welcome long hours of sleep again. Yey!

So, out of habit, I hop on my trusty weighing scale. I haven't gotten to check on my weight in quite a while.

The scale tipped at X pounds. Gasp! That's 12 pounds more than how I weighed prior to Christmas season.

As with any other life crisis, what followed was the feeling of DENIAL. I took the old weighing scale, stirred it, and shook it a few times. Finally, I tried to tweak the small knob here and there. The repetitious weight checking from way back must have taken its toll on the poor scale. I'm pretty sure it had gotten defective. Plus 12 pounds?? Nah.

I rummaged through my closet to get my digital weighing scale instead. Battery's still intact. Great! I hop on it, hoping to get the truth. "Huh? Plus 12 pounds?" The second emotional stage came in: ANGER. What the heck is going on? Why am I surrounded by such defective scales? I am returning this fairly new digital scale and getting myself a refund!

The next minute, I was BARGAINING. "Lord, how could this happen to me? Please make me 12 pounds lighter and back to my previous weight. I promise not to down another Conti's brownie again. I won't even touch leche flan, fruit salad, and pasta this New Year. I won't even stare at food, I promise!"

There was no response from the heavens. I then felt DEPRESSED. "Why can't I just be like them skinny model-type girls who can gorge on a plateful and still look like they haven't eaten in days? I hate it!" *insert uber sad face here*

But with all things that come in life, there is a need for ACCEPTANCE. I finally understood the whole weight-watching drama.

As I look back at how the 12 pounds had been added to my already-well-insulated physique, I began to thank God. I gained the extra weight, because I enjoyed feasting with friends and family this holiday season. I never held myself at every Christmas gathering. I ate, drank, and celebrated as my friends did. I temporarily held off my diet to be able to party without reservations. That's where the 12 pounds came from: quality time, bonding, fun.

I put back the digital scale inside the closet. I took the other one from the trash bin and placed where it used to be. There was nothing wrong with both. They told me the truth: I gained 12 pounds, but I had fun too.

Weight management is important, but for me, time spent with friends and family celebrating with good food this Christmas season is far more valuable. I can always go back to my diet and to the gym after the holidays anyway. Corny kaya mag-diet pag Pasko!

So, for now, I'm ditching the scales, and I'm off to my next post-Christmas party! Wohoo!



Photo credits: http://www.medicalscale1.com/tag/weight-scale/

A Call for Help: Update

Update: Donations will still be accepted until next week (Dec.26 onwards). Thanks!

My Christmas Wish List: Updated!

01.11.12: Updating this! I received as gifts a few of those listed here. Thanks to friends and family who love me so dearly [and whose arms are so easy to twist!haha!]. As said, "Ask, and you shall receive!" :)

To friends and family who gave me Christmas gifts, THANK YOU. By gifts, I mean both the tangible and the intangible kind. For every gift I opened, for every time you spent with me, and for every Christmas memory we shared, thank you!

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Christmas REALLY is just around the corner. For the past few days, I've been victim to horrible traffic, specifically in areas near shopping malls. People seem to be in the rush to buy gifts and run errands for Christmas. You'll never guess the economy is that bad.

Every Christmas, most of us, albeit the meager salary, humongous tax, and invisible bonuses, still find a way to give. May the gift be worth 10 pesos or a thousand bucks, we never fail to remember the goodness of family, friends, and godchildren, and try to reciprocate that by the simple act of giving.

So, for people who plan to give, give me a gift, that is, here is my Twelve Days of Christmas Wish List. I want to spare you from having to think of what to buy for me. haha!

To friends, this is one GIANT PARINIG. :)

1. Starbucks Ceramic Coffee-To-Go Cup. Fits perfectly in my car cup holder.



2. Digital alarm clock. I'm always late!



3. Samsung Galaxy S II. Cheap version of the iPhone.



4. Converse Low-Cut Originals in Black. My blue one is begging to be replaced.



5. Twinings Herbal Infusion Peppermint 25-pc pack. Helps in digestion (no further explanation needed).



6. Plastic floor mat for Vios. Makes cleaning the car (not that I do the cleaning. haha!) easier. This one will make my Tatay happy. :) Thanks to Nanay and Tatay for giving me this! I got the gray kind. Haven't taken a picture though..




7. Universal car charger. Lagi ako nalolowbat! Asked for this in our BG Christmas/Year-end Get-Together. Thanks Veena! Wow, only now did I realize super sakto pala sa picture what you got for me. haha!




8. Nikkor AF-S 50mm 1.8G. Low-light shots wanted!





9. Webhosting + domain. Wanting to have my place in the Internet.


10. Paddle brush. Makes long hair shine more (daw!). This one, I didn't expect to get. I was pleasantly surprised to be gifted by my old friend Je (whom I haven't seen for a while). Failed to see her personally though. Sorry, Je. Let's resked! :)


11. 16GB SDHC memory card. To store more pics!



12. Lastly, (sige na nga..) PEACE ON EARTH!

There goes everything I want to get this Christmas. Of course, I doubt anyone will even seriously consider giving me any of those mentioned. haha!

So, what is the point of listing them down? Well, nothing really. I just realized that most of the time, we do not know what we want in life, where we want to go, what we wish to achieve. We wander through life aimlessly: no direction, no goal. Lacking the knowledge of what will make us happy accounts for lack of passion and drive to go on.

When you aspire something, when you have a dream, you make it easier for God to bless you. He doesn't have to guess which blessings to shower on you when you already know what to ask for. Not that God is ever dumbfounded by anything, but if we know our heart's desires, we actually glorify Him who created us. Because, in knowing, we aspire. In aspiring, we strive. In striving, we reach our maximum potential; we live a full life. As St. Irenaeus said, "The Glory of God is a man fully alive."

So, strive to know your heart's desire, aspire to achieve your biggest dreams, and don't hesitate to ask from God. He will never deny His child.

By the way, my shoe size is 8. (Kung makakalusot lang naman!)

Empty Closet

It's that time of the year again. Why does it still feel the same way it did four years ago? I still cried a fresh set of tears this morning at the thought of what transpired at that fateful day.

I look at your room now. Your bed is a mess, if I can still find the bed underneath the high stacks of clothes piled on it. Your closet that used to store your favorite shirts, jeans, and those floral uniforms that the previous Manila city mayor imposed you wear (and you used to hate) is now full of just blankets, bedsheets, towels, and an even higher pile of our clothes up for ironing. Your dresser that I used to raid for any new stuff I can borrow (and not return) has turned into another mini altar. All of your stuff are gone. But why do I still feel every inch of you here?

I miss you, Tita Lyn. Sobra.

By the way, that blue shirt with pink collar I took from your cabinet, I use pa rin. Fits me perfectly now.

My last Christmas pic with Tita Lyn (Christmas 2006)

Facebook Status of the Day

Every BREAKUP is a BREAKTHROUGH. God will not allow His child to be hurt if there is no good that will come out of the pain.

Breakups are always possible; pain, always abounding. But know that a broken heart can always be mended by a comforting hug of a big God.


*Photo credits: free-extras.com

Blue Door, White Linen, Big Dream

I opened the blue door, taking my steps in careful fashion. I feared the mocha-colored wooden panels that shrieked at my every step would eventually give in.

A huge rectangular table clothed in white was in the middle of the small room. On it were plates of morning goodies that sure made my eyes sparkle. I had not eaten anything on the way, so the stomach immediately rang an alarm at the sight of food.

I hesitated a bit, as I wouldn't want the others (Oh, so there were other people!) to notice how starved I was, wouldn't want to be labeled "The Lady Who Gorged on the Blueberry Muffin."

The battle between (saving) face and (growling) stomach was intense. One had to win. And it was the stomach.

As I munch on every bit of muffin heaven, I looked around at some new and some familiar faces surrounding the same white-linen-ed table.

How did I get here?

"Umm.. by car?," the little voice inside my head told me.

"Duh," I answered back. "I mean, how really did I get here? To this room? To this situation? To this dream? How did I get to be with these people?"

I was in the same room, sharing the same Pasig air and the same blueberry muffin, as Rissa Singson-Kawpeng, Tess Atienza, and all the Kerygma writers. Could this be just a dream? Then, don't wake me up. Please.




I remember writing this dream on my journal some time in January. And could it really be that, just a few months after, the dream would come true?

But it just did. And only because of one reason: God loves me.

There is no other way to explain it. God loves me so much to provide my heart's desire. God loves me so much to fulfill one of my many dreams. God loves me so much.

And so does He love you. There is no boundary to God's immense love for you and everything He can give you.

Dreaming of being onstage, preaching the Good News to people? Dreaming of huge success in your business, so you can provide more employment opportunities? Or simply dreaming of having a happy family life in the future, complete with visions of your would-be children and grandchildren?

Go ahead, dream! Allow God to make you the happiest kid on Earth. Your joy is His joy. Your dreams are His dreams for you. If He did fulfill my dream, how can He not fulfill yours? So, dream. And dream BIG!