Tag Archives: care

The Wonders of TLC

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I am often fascinated by how every living thing responds to an extra dose of TLC. It is so fascinating and fulfilling to watch how even a little bit of TLC can revive let’s say a plant that is unwell to actually seeing them bloom for the first time more like beating the odds.

This is a young Gumamela cutting washed away by the flood and got covered up by other piles of debris, which explains why some of the leaves are all curled up. And now, the new leaves are healthier, and I am also seeing tiny buds of flowers forming.

It’s the same for people. I would like to give a shoutout of appreciation to my 3rd sister for taking care of Dad. While I also assist in any way I could, it’s been my sister who provided most of the caregiving to Dad. And no, it wasn’t easy at all.

When Your Dad Isn’t Up To It

Dad wasn’t feeling all too well as of late. One time, I thought I should comb his hair for him. It’s already getting long after skipping visits to the barbershop since he couldn’t walk and stand properly on his own for some weeks now. So to uplift his spirits, I made him an offer.

Me: “Dad, would you want me to give you a haircut?”

Of course, I was so surprised that it was met with the most violent reaction.

Dad: “NOOOOOOOOOO.”

So I asked him again.

Me: “But why not, Dad? Don’t you trust me?”

Then there went his chuckle. So I added.

Me: “I will make you the most gwapo Lolo with your new haircut.”

And his chuckles became even louder.

Ah yes, Dad. This is payback time. It is now my turn to exasperate you. Please refer to this article, if you haven’t read it yet, to find out how it all started. lol

Okay, before you assume I am giving you a very lousy writeup with my corniest jokes, let’s go back to TLC. 😃

Giving TLC As A Profession

Did you know that when I was applying for college admission, I chose BS Nursing? But I didn’t have a lot of mentoring and tutorial opportunities back then when I was a grade school and high school student, so I flunked most of my Math tests since I was extremely bad with numbers.

In other words, I failed to qualify for most of the universities’ requirement to get in under their BS Nursing program except for one university, UST. But since UP Diliman is the first choice because of its low matriculation fees, I had to forego taking up BS Nursing in USTe. I ended up taking Literature instead, which somehow turned out to be a good choice also since it’s another favorite subject of mine.

Empaths And How They See The World

I guess, nobody was patient enough to teach an inquisitive child who asks a lot of “whys.” Like “Why can’t the Pythagorean theorem use the letters E, F, and G instead?” lol Or that type of kid you’d want to avoid because he keeps asking you questions like “Why is the sky blue?” Or why the leaves turn yellow and why not purple. 😅

I have learned by experience that the answer to these questions, by default, is to mention God as the ultimate creator whose creative powers in making this universe can never be questioned because He is the ultimate authority over mankind. But of course, if you don’t want to stifle the child’s imagination, you can always search Google for the right answer to make sure your answers will be coming from credible sources.

Being inquisitive is actually a good sign of your child’s capability to make sense of everything around him (can possibly lead to increased social awareness as an adult). That is why his curiousity is unstoppable. And this is also why I love talking to toddlers and preschoolers because they ask the most absurd, but actually very practical questions that we don’t even have the answers yet up to now. I learn a lot from them in a way. So don’t wonder if you hear me baby talk sometimes. lol 😄

A Possible Task In The Future

Going back to TLC, I am having this desire, albeit not too strongly, to get a short course on caregiving or what Nursing Assistants take. But given all the things I wanted to do and am currently doing, I don’t know how I’m going to fit it in my schedule. I guess I’ll leave it all up to God once again with these Bible verses in mind:

“Many are the plans of man , but it is the Lord’s purpose that will prevail.” – Proverbs 19:21

“Commit your works to the Lord [submit and trust them to Him], and your plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance].” – Proverbs 16:3

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

P.S. I’ll edit this later because this is an early morning (11am is early), I-just-woke-up-because-I-slept-late-and-I’ll-be-busy-later thoughts. 😁

What I’d love to do if my schedule is free – learn how to plant and grow rootcrops back home for the summer season and see how they will respond to TLC. This is the antidote to endless curiousity – keep on learning. 😉

P.S. Too much TLC though can’t be too good either. Like when I saw this plump feline of ours because we overfed her, I told her, [Darling, it’s about time you lose some weight or I’ll now call you “Fatto Catto.”]

I’m sure our cat will answer, “That is not my problem, that is your BIG problem.” 😹

Catzilla on my bed playing with my guitar picks.

Or this lizard I have here in the apartment. He would gobble up the morsels of steamed rice I’d put on the table though they’re still hot. So when I took a photo of him up close, I’m not really sure if his mouth was partly open because of the hot food or he’s just smiling and telling me “Hi, Mama! I missed you and your kanin.” 😆

Smile though ze mouth is aching? Like a 3rd-degree burn from hot kanin maybe? Defnitely not TLC, Tin.
I didn’t see him for 2 days now, so I am a bit worried. I think he needs to be rushed to the ER already.

Gaano Ba Kahirap Magkaroon Ng Isang Malubhang Karamdaman?

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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! 🥰💃

Aloe Vera Overload

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I’ve just repotted 13 aloe vera pups and in just a month, found this:

Tin Ginete

Repotted aloe vera pup and the newest pup.

Whew! They are propagating really fast on their own. Indeed:

“It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.” – 1 Corinthians 3:7

Just like in faith. I intend to keep the number of aloes in my garden to only 13. So for any new pup that would sprout from any of them, I’d most probably give away to families and friends or anyone who loves aloes. It’s going to be raining aloes in the house! 😀

Aloes are so easy to tend so no need to fret if you want to plant one and are a busy bee like me. It also offers numerous benefits for skin and hair care to digestive health, etc. They are from the family of succulents and need to be watered only once a week in a cactus or well-draining soil. They need full sun too so our tropical country makes it a good host for them. No need for fertilizers too as they do well without them.

Gardening, for me, is a perfect way to relieve stress, spend idle time and recreation on a low budget plus you’d get to experience the joy of seeing them grow taller, bigger and thicker thru time. When it’s time to harvest too, you’ll reap the fruits of your labor (along with God’s help).

It makes me appreciate nature even more especially when you’re living in the city where everything else is man-made. I believe it is time we strike the balance of keeping things natural starting from our very own homes. It is one way of living life not of this world but reliving nature at its best before man and technology overtook it and ruled this world. Think Garden of Eden.

God would prefer it that way – appreciating His creations and taking extra good care of them. ❤

P.S.

I got influenced by my Mom who is such a great gardener and her garden overflows with awesome flora and fauna (check my Instagram account for my photos of them and also this article: MAY The Flowers Be With You).

Her name, by the way, is Eden. Coincidence? Nah, God’s amazing ways definitely.

Now for me, I intend to grow a forest. Without the snakes. If that is just possible. 😉

A Silent Salutation To My Moms

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A silent salutation.

Because I know that the endless “Thank yous” and “I love yous”  won’t be enough to completely express how much my appreciation goes for such an amazing job they did on motherhood.

I will become a mother someday. But if it isn’t God’s will, I’d still be grateful I was blessed with the opportunity to marry and be with the man God has appointed me to be with. But for now, it is such a great opportunity that God has given me my birth mother and my mother-in-law – two completely opposite and flawed individuals yet amazing in their own ways. Oftentimes I find myself thinking how far will my faith be tested. That is, being a woman of God. My Mom and my mother-in-law are women tested through time becoming who they are now.

They say elders are to be examples to the younger generations. For they were made wiser by time and experiences – something that the youth do not possess yet. It is by wisdom that men grow as an individual as far as individuality is concerned. And yet the irony is that not all elders possess the right kind of wisdom – Godly knowledge. Through which I found myself praying for utmost discernment. For how can someone younger correct someone older out of the youth’s reverence to the elderly?

It was written in the bible:

“Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,..” – Titus 3:1

“You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.” – 1 Peter 5:5

“Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.” – Colossians 3:20

It takes such great effort to summon the Spirit for leading when it comes to what matters most – obedience to the one who holds the authority even if it means the outcome will be a wrong decision because it wasn’t God-centered or doing the right thing, that which is pleasing to God and yet disobeying the elders.

My adoration for my mothers did not come as instant as they can be. I disliked a couple of things about my Mom and the same goes for my mother-in-law. I do not agree in some of what they do and say and yet I found myself looking past their weaknesses and appreciating the good in each of them. Appreciation is never that easy, for accepting one person for who he/she is means accepting even the worst in him/her.

My relationship with my Mom is never the warm, friendly type. She is a Mom and I am her daughter and nothing should cross that boundary. She brought us up in a very independent manner, allowing us to make our own decisions, letting us fall if we made the wrong decisions, letting us look for solutions to our problems and yet she never fails to be there at the moment when you needed her the most. Communication does not happen everyday for us even when I was in college. I admire the way she disciplines us, the values most especially. For it is in those values that I have learned about how to deal with the circumstances and people around me the right way – that which is acceptable not just to society but to God most especially.

My mother-in-law is the opposite. She likes to foster warm and affectionate mother-daughter/mother-son relationships. She likes it that she is updated with what is happening in our daily lives. Oftentimes she makes most of the decisions and provides solutions to problems right away. She provides everything that is needed, making way for everything to be smooth sailing. She is very lenient with a lot of things and you truly will feel her care and concern. Although some of these complicate some things too.

Both my mothers are so different in upbringing, values system they uphold to, life experiences and lifestyle. Yet they have one thing in common – they are both mothers, one which greatly symbolizes womanhood. A responsibility that is never easy to handle as everyone knows. Being married gave me the opportunity to know them really well when circumstances and conflicts posit I seek for their counsel and when the Spirit urges me as well to do so.

It was only in this season of my marriage that I got to talk to my Mom regarding relational issues as freely as I can be. We never talked about it in a casual manner even in my previous relationships but now I am amazed by all the wisdom she has to offer when it comes to being a woman, a wife and a mother.

As for my mother-in-law, I have to be grateful for her generosity although we always assure her we can completely handle things on our own. I used to view both my moms with contempt and hesitation and yet amazing it is that God has indeed proven He is greater than any barrier known – that of changing hearts and minds, one of the most difficult to do among men.

I cannot say if it was my heart and mindset that have been changed, my Mom’s or that of my mother-in-law’s but I can’t help but be extremely grateful and blessed for these two important women that God has appointed in my life. I believe most of us just make this one common mistake, one way or the other, of asking this question:

“Why do I have to have him/her in my life?”

For it was never a question of “why”  but a question of “what” – that of knowing in God’s perfect time what are the good purposes and roles that God has for placing them in our lives.

Some say it is the hypothalamus that is responsible in allowing us to feel love. Although common to all is that it is the heart that makes us love and feel loved. I say though, it is neither the heart nor the hypothalamus that is capable of eliciting love but none other than the author of love Himself, God.

For when a change of hearts and a change of mindsets happen, we know that God has already begun His work in you, in us – as evidenced by the love you give and the love you receive. And what better way to start reciprocating love than to people who matter to you most. 🙂

Loving Mother Nature via MNL Grow Kits

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I grew up loving nature so much that when I came here in the city to study in college, communing with nature was one of the things I missed back home in my province in Bicol. To combat homesickness, I started growing my own little garden in our apartment and for the article that I am about to share to you, I believe this was a God-given opportunity. 🙂

To know more about how you can grow your own “forest”  in the city, do check out this article:

MNL Grow Kits: Let Your Garden Grow With Ease

Tin Ginete

I chose Arugula, Cilantro and Marigold as my new “plant-sies” and was worried sick when my husband and I went on a family vacation for 3 days. But somehow I was pacified when my husband told me this:

“The forest grows and lives without anyone tending them. So why worry if you will be leaving your plants for 3 days. Let God take care of them.”

When we came back, all were alive and kicking. 😉

Indeed, as it is written:

“Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.” – Genesis 9:3

“To Long No More – Detach”

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"Sitting Pretty"

“Sitting Pretty”

*This is the English translation of the Filipino poem I created and posted earlier which was entitled “Pag-iingat sa Pangungulila.” Never had an idea that translating a Filipino poem can be this challenging making sure I do not lose the essence of the original poem. I hope I translated it well.

P. S.

The photo I attached in this post reminded me to translate the Filipino poem – which is what I did just now. Two words entered my mind upon seeing the sitting boy: detached and languid. Thus, the title. 🙂

 

TO LONG NO MORE – DETACH

I saw in you,

Happiness that is true.

But not afterwards,

When turned were the cards.

Circumstances arise,

Painful was the price.

Why it could possibly be,

Turn out this bad to see?

Now you tremble,

Looking at the rubble.

Shed tears that flow,

Sadness begin to grow.

Beautiful days are gone,

Hoping more could be done.

But you had to let go,

Good things await by doing so.

A promise made,

Memories will fade.

Soon you will see,

The good in letting things be.