My vacation

   When most everyone had hied off to another place, taking advantage of the long Holy Week break, we opted to stay in town. The news says that Manila is like a dessert, a ghost town even, although I would never even have known because I hardly stepped out of the house. 

    My vacation is very productive. Other than little trips to church to pay tribute to the solemnity of the season, I pretty much stayed home. Those days, all that free time in one uninterrupted big chunk, were more precious than I would want to admit. 

    I have been on vacation many times without exactly feeling that I was on one. But this one was different. The days actually felt long. Hot, yes, but thankfully long. There were many hours to do many things. I loved that, if only because they hardly feel that way anymore nowadays. 

    What did I do? I was on home-keeping and housewife mode, naturally, puttering here and there, keeping and putting things away. Again, I sorted and simplified, giving away some stuffs to the maids, a poor family in Baclaran church who became our friend and some friends.

    When I was not daydreaming or eating, I organized. I found satisfaction in finding and employing smart storage solutions for the many things that ceaselessly find their way into the house. And when I got too tired I lolled in bed, reading and seeking solace from the books that set me off smiling and dreaming some more, spinning my thoughts into lovely fabric of ideas that I in turn organized into lists, written in my little yellow notebook, for fear they would slip away with the summer wind. 

     I've rested, yet I have accomplished much actually, although as the case always is, there is still more to be done. Of course, I stuffed myself with chocolate and ice cream, something I loved doing every summer. My husband and I got to spend more time playing with the kids too.

     So that's how life was for me two weeks ago when half of Manila is away - simple and spontaneous, sort of just tossed together like a salad.

    

Easter's Eggsciting!

AJ is melting the chocolate chips.

me and AJ

We are making chocolate lollipops!

Easter egg hunting time!

We are making colorful eggs here!

My three older boys made this!

Jehrard, me and baby Andrei

  

    I remember my first Easter egg hunt. It was in my cousin Jaclyn's house that my brother and I and some of our other cousins joined our first Easter egg hunt. My Auntie Bella ( who has since passed away) planned the Easter activity.

    I remember we would excitedly venture out into the garden where we knew the eggs were hidden. We would comb the lawn, peek through crevices, part bushes and shake flowerbeds. We really can't wait for the prize. But, more than the prizes we would get for all the eggs we collected, we cherished and enjoyed the process of finding them in hunt. 

    Yesterday, my three older boys, Andre and I made chocolate lollipops and just this afternoon, we started coloring and dyeing the hard- boiled eggs. My three boys happily coloring away as many eggs as they possibly could in as many ways as their imaginations allowed them to. We didn't use decorative techniques such as sponging or gold-leafing that seem to be quite popular now. My husband had taken pictures of some eggs that we have decorated to remind us of the day like this. My baby is still too young to join in the activity. But we went to Rockwell this morning and joined the Easter egg hunt. That was my baby Andrei's first Easter egg hunting experience. I can see the wonder in his eyes with each decorated eggs he uncovers. The Easter egg hunting experience this morning was another time of discovery and wonder for my three older boys and first time for my baby, and perhaps a time for reminiscing for Andre and me who were very happy to watch from the side. I'm reminded that these simple but heartfelt gestures were as important to me then as they are now for my children and will be in the future. I may not have pictures of the time I went Easter egg hunting in my cousin's house but I keep the happy memories within me. 

     This morning, I made sure I am armed with a camera so I can record, for my children to see in the future, how traditions that we practice like Easter egg hunting makes us appreciate the beauty of life and the gift of family and friends.

Holy Week

   Where will you be during the Holy Week? More importantly, what will you be doing? All too often, this holiday has been viewed by many as a happy time-off to go to the beach, to hie off to your favorite shopping destination offshore, or just simply stay home. Now there is nothing wrong with that. However, we get so caught up with the relief of having some respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life that we miss out on the main reason this holiday came about. I don't mean to sound preachy here but it would do all of us (and the world we live in) some good if we were to take sure steps to once again touch base with what truly matters - having a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. And there is no better time than to start now.

    I'm not saying we should be prohibited from smiling and being happy, considering that we are observing a solemn season. But I can't point out often enough how sincere, baby steps on our part can make the Great Guy Up There truly happy. After all, this, too is a season of thankfulness and hope. Let us reflect on how good He has been to us the whole year and take this opportunity to resolve to give back to Him what we know in our hearts He rightfully deserves. Two activities that you can start doing (if you haven't yet) are spending time with Him and offering some sort of sacrifice.

    When was the last time you went to the Blessed Sacrament? Try the experience. When you are ecstatically happy , pop in to say "thank you". When you are at a crossroads, go there to ask guidance. Even when your pain is beyond words, simply be comforted in and be embraced by His presence. You don't have to say a thing. Trust me, He knows. And I guarantee that you will walk out feeling lighter and more positive about everything.

     Every time the Lenten season rolls by, it has become a habit for me to offer some sort of sacrifice. I can't remember where I picked up the habit. For the Holy Week, I abstain from eating meat. I would read to my children passages from the Bible and stay at home and just be with my family. Next year, I will give up eating meat for 40 days and sweets will be included in the fasting. Regardless though of what your sacrifice is and how you choose to go about it, what's important is how true your intentions are. You don't have to ask for anything. It can simply be your way of thanking Him. 

     Most of us vow to be better persons at the start of New Year but for those who have not stuck to that vow or have somehow sidetracked a bit, the Holy Week is a good time to stay in the running. No matter where this holiday finds you, may you uncover, in the pockets of your heart, time to thank Him and truly love Him. It doesn't have to be a contrived effort, neither does it have to happen at a specific time of the day. Your way of loving Him can be expresed in little acts of love spread out during the course of one day.