The musings of a wandergeselle about faith, literature, music, dancing, culture, food, travels, art, fashion, photography, life experiences, and everything in-between from journée to journée.
Valentine’s Day is a sad day for some people, and Facebook has been showing me these funny memes lately (some were written in Filipino though). So I thought, why not share them here to lift the mood just a little bit? I know my neighbor now thinks I really lost it laughing out loud all by myself. The lesson? Roll on the floor laughing silently or ROTFLS.
I support the anti-commercialism of V-Day actually, so I’m exempted (sort of) from all the hype. But, we still had a simple celebration at home and I appreciated ze husband still giving me a beautiful and lovely Ecuadorian rose (though it’s another premature death in the plant kingdom).
I’ll try my best to keep it alive hopefully for a couple more days using a concoction of plant food I found on the internet.🌹
So, I told him that if he wanted to join the hype, he should buy me a live flowering plant instead that is in a pot with soil, roots, and all. 😉 I’ll plant it in our garden in Bicol, and I’ll put a tag with a date on it.
I find it more romantic every time a plant blooms, and I’m reminded of the unique story behind that plant. I also get to care for it and propagate it. And if I have inquisitive kids, the garden is one great avenue for storytelling and to motivate their love for nature. But, the best thing about receiving live plants as gifts is that I get to plant more and make this planet more habitable by reducing single-use plastic waste.
He thinks it’s an excellent idea. Ah yes, never underestimate the power of persuasion delivered in all subtlety. Do tell me though if you’re the one who’s not convinced. lol
Meanwhile, I hope the memes below will make you smile, and enjoy ROTFLS! ❤️ Captions are all mine, by the way. 👍
‘Yung mga tatawa naman daw, mga Bittergourd.
Can you feel the love tonight, Rafiki?I think he didn’t feel the love tonight, so he hid.Kuya Grab, amphibian po kasi dapat dinadala nyong sasakyan.Awww, you cutie patootie. Btw, whoever put this pooch there should also be in one of those branches just to make sure the dog is really enjoying this. Try to guess how much it costs.Yep, and you’re heading to your Final Destination, too.Dodge it, just Dodge it.Pinapaalis ka na Kuya customer kasi naubos mo na daw isang pitsel ng gravy kaka-refill.“Off with their heads!”– from the movie Alice in WonderlandUhh, can I go home first? I think I left my brain cells there.Uhm, the plane will be on the North side? Because that’s the only direction that’s not mentioned. And I don’t follow instructions.Yes, even laughing silently can get you so tired. Keeping all that laughing gas inside you is no joke. Come on now, release it.Let’s all be real now.I hope this is still a joke 5 years from now.
Aside from laughing, there’s also another way to increase your happy hormones (dopamine) – dancing. This can also be a great opportunity to learn a new skill, shed off some pounds, and have a cardio workout (best for heartbreaks). Never mind if your feet don’t want to cooperate at first. We all started there. If after a couple of years, you still can’t keep up with the dance steps, just chop off your feet. I’m kidding. Try another genre like Salsa, which has slower dance movements. 🙂
P.S. I wish there will be Zumba classes offered here in our condo’s clubhouse because I’m a wrecking ball when I dance inside the condo. But I’ll be going to Bicol by April, anyway, so I’ll just learn Belly Dancing instead through YouTube tutorials for now. I can’t wait to use this belly dancing hip scarf. Or is it used on the tummy to cover the fat belly? 🤔
Here’s a special poem for Valentine’s Day to warm the heart wherever you may be. Happy Valentine’s Day! 🌹❤️🥰
THE NAME I LOVE
by Christine Lailani
I may not have it all, But there’s one thing I’m grateful for. At first I find it hard to trust, And just difficult to believe. It is irresistibly sweet And reminds me whose I really am. It’s the way You made me feel, Which will always hold true. And that it will never end in vain For I am truly and only Yours. There’s just no other way to put it nicely. So when I responded to the call, It was revealed for me to see. The name that I truly love Was heaven sent through an angel. An encounter that made me eager To love You like I always should.
❤️❤️❤️
“To Make You Feel My Love”
“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13
I often wondered what is it with death that we are so afraid of. Maybe we’re not really afraid about dying per se, but more of how we are going to die. The topic of death has always been considered morbid and taboo. And yet all the more that we should talk about it because acceptance is always the pathway to peace.
When God placed a desire in my heart about hospices after my Mom passed away last year due to stage 4 breast cancer and the possibility of providing hospice care on our farm in the future, I asked Him to give me the means to make it happen. And it looks like I got my confirmation because He sent me a whole lot of resources and instructions to prepare for it. Or maybe this was the work of Facebook’s algorithm since I’ve been doing research on hospice care which is why I was getting similar recommendations on my newsfeed. 😀
By the way, I don’t have a personal Facebook account because I deactivated it. I have 1 dummy account though where I only have 1 friend and she’s my spiritual Mom/coach/mentor. I mainly use Facebook to stay updated with news and current events.
Here are some of the organizations I found if you need information on hospice care:
I also chanced upon the website of the National Institute on Aging, which is one of the institutes of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. It’s a privilege to be able to subscribe to their weekly newsletters and receive free caregiving tips and resources, which are all very informative.
I cannot tell though if the fulfillment of these plans will happen in my lifetime, but this might inspire others to follow suit if they also receive the same calling. But first, let’s define hospice care.
What Is Hospice Care?
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defined it as “a program designed to provide palliative care and emotional support to the terminally ill in a home or homelike setting so that quality of life is maintained and family members may be active participants in care. It is also a facility that provides such a program.”
The hospiceproject proposal and draft for another project are currently at 30% and 20% progress rates, respectively. I still have a lot of work to do. But, all in God’s perfect time. And I cannot work on a project without listening to worship songs. It’s a must. 😉
What To Do During The Terminal Stage Of An Illness?
It is part of my preparations to always assume the worst-case scenario. This helps me prepare holistically. However, I would suggest limiting these worst-case assumptions to a minimum because they can trigger anxiety, and we don’t want that. So let’s say I am diagnosed with a terminal illness, how am I going to take it?
1. Seek For Expert OpinionRe Treatments
I’ll ask my doctor how long I have like if I opt to go through all the treatments, will I have a couple of years and if I don’t, do I have a couple of months only to live? I will also ask what is my quality of life after receiving the treatments. Will I be able to live a normal life again?
If the answer will depend on how my body will respond to the treatments, then it’s a “go.” If my body won’t be able to survive the treatments, then I’m choosing palliative care and pain management instead.
2. Plan My Next Move
I did ask God what more can I do if I only had a couple of months or years to live. Because I felt like I could only do so much in just a short span of time. And yet God’s answer was that what we might consider as small efforts now may actually have a lasting and significant impact later on.
One example is meeting another patient who is already on the verge of ending his/her life, but by talking to him/her, hope in God is restored and this person is now helping others as a result. Or it could be a student who will be inspired by my testimony, and decades from now, that kid will become the President of this country who fears God and will genuinely serve his people. It’s like God was saying that there are plenty of opportunities to touch other people’s lives that don’t really require that much effort and too much time.
3. Prepare For The Actual Battle
We never go to a battle unprepared. And we don’t prepare ourselves only, but those around us, too. It is also important to be surrounded by people who can pray for you and encourage you to keep on fighting. The church is the right community for this.
Equipping warriors with the Armor of God in every battle (Ephesians 6:11-13). JEHOVAH NISSI. 🗡️🛡️
Breast cancer support groups, in a way, provide emotional and psychological help and other information based on every patient’s journey. But, we can’t totally rely on them because most of the people in these groups are going through treatments or have a family member who is ill. When one member dies, it can pull the morale of the rest of the members down.
Because when this happens, I know the next questions that will pop into their minds are these, “Lord, am I next? When will my time come?” Questions like these, if they are what occupy the patient’s mind often, will result in depression. And in the webinars I attended, when depression hits, it affects every treatment plan, especially if the patient doesn’t want to eat and take their medications or continue the treatments.
So I actually came up with this mantra to combat depression – we do not mourn the living, we mourn the dead. We can’t be sad all the time and cry over how difficult life is as a sick person. We don’t lose heart, but we keep moving forward. As long as we still breathe, we move forward. We call this in UP as “Padayon.” ✊
4. Pray And Let God Take Control
Once I start with my treatments, I will leave the results to God. Whether I get healed or my condition worsens, I will accept what God’s will is for me. If ever I decide to push through with palliative care, then I will let nature run its own course just like the stance of Ezekiel Emanuel, an oncologist, to refuse all treatments after the age of 75. You may read more about it in the following articles:
I once asked my second sister who works as a nurse in a nursing home in Norway how she ever got used to seeing patients die. How do you care for someone without getting emotionally attached and not be sad when he/she passes away?
My sister answered that you will never get used to it. You somehow just learn to accept it. I guess we can learn from doctors, too, and how they approach every patient’s case objectively. However, this isn’t always the case like what our pastor shared in church about how one doctor cried because the patient, a member of the congregation, was all good to undergo surgery but suddenly died the next day. And they weren’t expecting it at all.
This is why I have so much respect for doctors. What they do is really not easy. Also, not all patients are the same. There are those who will use 15 minutes of the doctor’s time venting out his/her sob story but still fail to answer directly the doctor’s question of what their concern is. 😁✌️ Then there are those who are sometimes too stubborn to obey doctor’s orders (is that you, Christine? lol). And there are those who blame the doctors when results turn out differently than what they’re expecting (this is definitely not me). But, we all love and care for these patients just the same.
That is why I keep on praying to God that doctors will be given the best support system that they could ever have may it be in the form of trusted friends, a spiritual family, loving parents and siblings, a supportive partner, or awesome kids (even if they can get too rowdy sometimes). And this is also what I was hoping the hospice facility would be able to provide – whatever the dying patient wishes, it will be granted (as long as it is reasonable).
Look To Jesus For Salvation Amid Suffering
Each one of us will go through different ways of dying. Each of these deaths will have its own struggles and pain – except for those who died instantly. We will all go through these struggles before our last breath. And yet we should not be afraid.
Instead, we look up to Jesus and how He conquered death. And yet even His death did not happen in His own timeline. Only God knows when we leave this world. What really matters is what we do with this one life that we have here on Earth.
If we’ve been born again, then we only have one purpose and that is to use our lives for God’s plans and His glory. We are a living testimony of God’s grace through every pain, every sorrow, and every suffering that we encounter in this life. The book of Revelation already gave us a glimpse of what those who endured suffering will get in the end – the promise of eternal life. This is a wonderful place to look forward to because in it there will be no more pain, no more sickness, and no more death. ❤️
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” – Psalm 73:26
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” – Revelation 21:1-4
P.S. Here are some videos that I felt like God wanted me to watch as part of our preparation for the hospice project. Again, providing hospice care may or may not materialize in our lifetime, but maybe those who get to read this article might benefit from watching these videos. These videos can be emotionally heavy for some so I suggest being ready with your comfort food, favorite hobby, or a trip someplace else after watching these videos to release all the negative emotions. And don’t forget your rolls of tissue. *sniff*
“5 Things You Should Know When Someone Is Actively Dying”
This is the greatest lesson I’ve learned, so far. Thanks be to God for finding every opportunity to teach me this because I tend to be too stubborn sometimes. 😉 I got the message now, Lord, and I am obeying. 🙏
We are just too blessed to have a God who just never, ever gives up on us and will do everything so we won’t be completely destroyed. That is how much He loves us and how precious we are to Him. ❤️
Yesterday, I was able to attend a webinar entitled “Good Nutrition For Cancer Prevention” hosted by Sir Rome Rob of TryPH and the guest speakers were Dr. Katherine V. Hernandez, a medical oncologist, and Dr. Divina Cristy Redondo-Samin, a medical nutrition specialist. I would like to thank the organizers as well as the doctors for this very informative webinar. 👍👍
In the webinar, Doc Cristy cleared the misconception that organic vegetables are healthier than the regular vegetables produced and sold in the market. Not to mention that organic vegetables are more pricey. An article by Harvard Health Publishing also explained why going organic won’t really make any difference when it comes to the amount of vitamins and minerals absorbed by our bodies.
Organic Farming And Sustainable Agriculture
In light of this, I would like to include my reasons for making a proposal to my family regarding venturing into organic farming on our farm back in 2018. The detailed rationale behind my proposal is in my previous posts listed at the end of this article.
It is my primary goal to support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, which include combating the effects of climate change by lowering carbon emissions in agricultural production. There have been numerous studies that can also prove how organic farming can prevent land degradation and desertification.
The purpose of organic farming is not mainly to produce vegetables that contain less to zero pesticides. Organic vegetables are only the by-products of organic farming. There is still so much more that organic farming can actually offer, and this is why it is now considered the future of sustainable agriculture. The articles below were lifted from credible sources and can further expound on the scope and limitations of organic farming and sustainable agriculture.
Speaking of sustainable farming, one way to prevent nutrient loss on the farmland is to perform crop rotation or allow the land to rest for a certain period in between cropping seasons. And I didn’t know this before until I attended the seminar of one of my favorite agribusiness mentors, Sir Dodong Cacanando. I was also surprised when he said that it’s actually stated in the Bible to let the land rest in the 7th year also called “The Sabbath Year.”
“While Moses was on Mount Sinai, the Lord said to him, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you have entered the land I am giving you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath rest before the Lord every seventh year. For six years you may plant your fields and prune your vineyards and harvest your crops, but during the seventh year, the land must have a Sabbath year of complete rest. It is the Lord’s Sabbath. Do not plant your fields or prune your vineyards during that year. And don’t store away the crops that grow on their own or gather the grapes from your unpruned vines. The land must have a year of complete rest. But you may eat whatever the land produces on its own during its Sabbath. This applies to you, your male and female servants, your hired workers, and the temporary residents who live with you. Your livestock and the wild animals in your land will also be allowed to eat what the land produces.” – Leviticus 25:1-7
Aside from Sir Dodong Cacanando, I’m also an avid follower of former DA Secretary Manny Piñol. Both of them provide very insightful information regarding agriculture and agribusiness on their social media profiles. I am also very much looking forward to how the use of AI in farming mechanization will simplify complex systems that require a substantial amount of manual input.
AI is still in the beta testing stage though when it comes to integrating it into how an industry conducts its processes i.e. manufacturing, education, healthcare, etc. Speaking of AI in the healthcare industry, I believe it will revolutionize how medical services and procedures will be delivered and conducted in the future.
AI In Health Care
I also support the efforts of Doc Kath and other medical practitioners when it comes to addressing misinformation and disinformation in the health sector. Digital literacy is the gap that we have to fill in first as part of raising awareness on responsible social media use. How do we utilize technology nowadays to combat misinformation and disinformation? Like how do we teach users where to look for credible sources and how to look for the right information?
I noticed that some of the users have to be guided step by step. In the case of patients who aren’t technologically adept, the caregivers can be educated on behalf of the patient. Is it also possible to integrate an AI chatbot into the Facebook pages of the doctors that can answer questions from the patients?
These are the commonly asked questions or FAQs during consultations. Questions can also be based on Answer the Public (we use this in digital marketing to assess the current trends and demand in the market) if applicable. Or maybe utilize Google Search recommendations. The challenge here is that these questions still have to be reviewed and contextualized based on demographics i.e. the person’s age, gender, location, and other set parameters so the AI chatbot can provide accurate and relevant information to the user.
The medical secretary might have to do extra work explaining to the patients and caregivers how to use social media if they have other queries after the consultation. The answers to the FAQs will also have to be translated into Filipino. Will this help lessen the time that a doctor needs to answer the patients’ queries after the consultation? How promising are the results if we leverage the use of social media when informing patients or the general public through an AI chatbot? Because one disadvantage I’m seeing is that the patient might end up getting the wrong answer if the AI chatbot becomes a bad robot. lol
I know how frustrating it is to be asked the same questions especially if the patient already asked them before but keeps on forgetting the answers. I tend to be that kind of patient. 😁 Maybe that is why sick people are called patients because they teach doctors to be patient. lol Seriously though, what if the patient doesn’t get the answer right away because the doctor is busy (we know how tight their schedules are)? Will this increase the patient’s anxiety and result in him/her finding answers from unreliable sources instead?
The advantage of convos with an AI chatbot is that the patient can go back to the conversation at any time. This is helpful for visual learners like me. I am not an auditory learner because my mind wanders during lectures, and I am easily distracted. So I need intense concentration when listening to someone explaining.
During doctor visits, I usually record what the doctor is saying using my phone’s voice recorder. Because if I don’t, the only thing that I will remember from what the doctor said is to take enough bed rest (sleeping is my favorite hobby). 😆
Speaking of auditory learners, you might want to ask for Siri or Alexa’s help to read the articles below aloud. They are all a long read. Also, please don’t forget to tell Siri or Alexa to sound like Christine. My voice will make you sleepy, though, so nah I think it’s a bad idea.
Have a blessed weekend, everyone! ❤️
P.S. I’m writing my articles using my phone because my laptop’s in Bicol. Yes, I am challenging myself now to come up with a 1,000-word article that is ready to publish or in other words has 0-1% grammatical and spelling errors and is backed up with credible sources from the web in just 2 hours. It’s doable naman pala. Kangalay nga lang sa daliri. 😭😀 So please do correct me if you find errors in my articles – misinformation, wrong spelling/grammar, etc. I would really appreciate it. 👍👍😊
Hindi ko talaga ito masasagot pa sa ngayon. So, bakit ka pa nagsulat, Tin? lol Sa totoo lang, wala na dapat talaga tayong paguusapan dito kaya mas maigi sigurong tapusin na natin ito. Ito ‘yung article na hindi pa nagsisimula e natapos na. 😂
Pero ‘yun talaga ang totoo. ‘Di ko ito masasagot hanggang sa ako mismo ang makaranas ng isang malubhang karamdaman. Minsan nga iniisip ko na kapag nagpacheckup ako ay sana ganito lang maging usapan namin ng doktor ko:
Me: Dok, may parang kakaiba po kasi akong nararamdaman sa banda rito at banda roon. Ano kaya ito?
Dok: Ah, actually pinipitik lang ‘yan. Parang ganito. Gamit syempre ‘yung middle finger kasi mas malakas. Tapos kung ‘di nawala, pitikin mo ulit gamit naman ang forefinger. Tas ‘pag ‘di pa rin talaga nawala, ‘yung ring finger naman. Ganun lang sya.
Sa mga pasyente na makakabasa nito, ‘wag na ‘wag po kayo maniwala sa doktor nyo kapag ganyan ang sagot nya. Malamang at sa malamang ay doktor sya ng mga kababalaghan. 😆✌️
Dahil wala pa talaga ako gaano maise-share sa topic na ito, ititigil ko na ito at saka na lang ulit kapag matino na ako mag-isip. Alam ko napaluha ko kayo sa article na ito. Pero at least masaya ang inyong mga luha kahit kayo mismo ay hindi. 👍👍
Ang gusto ko lang talaga sabihin na sana ay manatili tayong matatag sa gitna ng mga mabibigat na pinagdaraanan natin sa buhay at huwag mawawala ang pananampalataya natin sa Panginoon. 🙏
P.S. Dahil hindi ako makagalaw masyado dito sa condo at maliit ang space (kaya siguro kung anu-ano iniisip ko), hanggang nood na lang muna ng mga dance workouts. The video below is a high-intensity cardio workout kaya mas magandang may warm-up and cool down sessions before and after the dance routine.
P.P.S. At na-LSS din ako kaso ibang lyrics nakakanta ko sa part ng “tu me qemas me qemas me qemas” kasi nagiging “kume-kyeme a kyeme a kyeme.” 🎵 At siguraduhin lang din na may at least 2 meters na social distancing habang sumasayaw kasi kung ang katabi mo ay nasa energy level 100 humataw, baka ma-knockout ka nya. Hataw, mga bes, and stay healthy! 🥰💃
Here’s something short but sweet to start February, which is the month when everybody is smitten. 😉 You are deeply loved and cherished, my dear – with or without a special someone. ❤️
When Loving Becomes Extraordinaire
by Christine Lailani
You’re the only one who captured my heart in a way that nobody else could.
I hear your thoughts, you hear mine – a language that only we know.
Know that I will love every version of you: your young, your old, your calm, your furious, your happy, and your sad.
Because loving you is like loving an extraordinary person – my love extraordinaire.
🌹
“Can You Feel The Love Tonight”
“We love because God first loved us.” – 1 John 4:19
The Journeyman's Moments 