I Want to Meet Them

A few nights ago, I luckily arrived home earlier than usual while my mom was still awake. Did little chitchats and shared sensible stories together while lying down beside her. I shared how my day was at work and she did too.

My mother works in St. Luke’s Medical Center. The very same day, she was speaking with a woman. She was holding this woman’s mom’s documents and saw that her surname is Moran (just like mine).

Here’s how their conversation went:

Mama: Ma’am, taga-saan po ba ang mga Moran?

Lady: Hmm, I’m not sure kasi husband ko yung Moran. But we live in Bel-Air village.

Mama: Ah, Moran din po kasi ako but we’re separated more or less two decades na.

Lady: Really? As far as I know, one Irish guy came here in our country way back. Then nagkaron sya ng 18 children with a Filipina. Dun nagstart ang lahi ng Moran.

Mama: My husband has an Irish blood too, half ata. *giggles*

Lady: Oh yah? Baka magkamag-anak pa mga husbands natin. Pero small clan lang ang Moran dito sa Pilipinas, malamang nga lahat ng Moran dito magkakamag-anak because of the 18 children nga.

The conversation pretty much ended there and probably they changed topic na.

But what intrigued me most is that, WHERE SHALL I FIND THESE MORAN’s?! I wanna know, of course. I haven’t seen my father for 20 years until my sister got married last year.

Yes, sa wakas nagkausap na kami ng ama ko. And I felt the thing they called “lukso ng dugo” when he came near me. I could still remember when I was still studying, everybody kept on asking me, “di ka nagalit sa papa mo?”, and I kept on answering, “bakit naman ako magagalit? Besides, it was my mom who ran away from him. Hindi niya kami iniwan. But above all reasons, it’s just that, I got used to a life not having a father around”. Well I don’t consider myself unlucky for not growing up with my father, in fact, I’m luckier for having the best hardworking mom on earth. Sabi nga ng iba, looking at us three (me, ate and mama), daig pa namin yung mga buo ang pamilya. I don’t need to ask why, but modesty aside, I can feel that too. Of all the people I’ve met, looking at their lives, I strongly believe that I am a very fortunate lady considering all the struggles we three have gone through.

Anyway, this doesn’t mean anything. I’m just curious. I want to see my grandfather and my other relatives too (father side). This I promise, I WILL MAKE A WAY TO SEE THEM! Most likely pag nakaipon na ko. Hehe.

CrisKringle:=>TheBrownGoddess

Life is Not About What We Can Get.

It’s a Sunday and it’s a must to attend mass. This is one of the many days I attend mass in Espiritu Santo Church because I always attend mass in St. Joseph (our parish). And I seldom hear “good” homilies from different priests. This day’s homily is a good one, I must say. I don’t know the priest’s name kc nga hindi naman ako dun palagi nagsisimba so yah, I’ll share his homily to everyone.

The Gospel was all about the rich man who had a hard time thinking of where he would keep his wealth. And in the end, Jesus told him to share it to the less fortunate. Going back to the Homily, the priest said that he made an interview few days ago asking questions to the youngsters and to the old ones. His question was a never-ending one for he kept on asking “tapos?”.

He asked a little boy:

Priest: Nak, ano pangarap mo sa buhay?

Boy: Ako father, gusto ko makatapos ng pag-aaral. Mag-aaral akong mabuti para makatapos ng elementary.

Priest: Tapos?

Boy: Tapos po, mag-aaral po akong maigi para makatapos ng may magandang grade sa high school.

Priest: Tapos?

Boy: Tapos po, papasok po ako sa college at engineering po ang kukunin ko.

Priest: Tapos?

Boy: Tapos po, hahanap ako ng magandang trabaho. Mag-iipon ako ng maraming pera, at bibili ng bahay, koche, at lahat po ng gusto ko.

Priest: Tapos?

Boy: Tapos po...

Hanggang sa nawalan na daw ng sasabihin yung bata. Here’s how his interview with the old woman went:

Priest: Nay, kayo po, ano pa po ba ang pangarap ninyo sa buhay?

Lola: Gusto kong makitang nakatapos ang mga anak ko, at magkaron ng asawa’t mga anak.

Priest: Tapos po?

Lola: Tapos, gusto ko din makitang lumalaki ang mga apo ko at nakikita nakakatapos sila ng pag-aaral.

Priest: Tapos po?

Lola: Tapos, gusto ko din sanang maabutan ang mga magiging anak ng mga apo ko at Makita silang lumalaki.

Priest: Tapos po?

Lola: Tapos...

At natigilan na din si lola sa pagsagot kay father. Then there was silence after the priest shared his interviews.

Kalian nga daw ba talaga matatapos tong walang katapusang paghangad natin sa material at mga kasakiman sa buhay? WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HOPING FOR AND DESIRING FOR MATERIAL THINGS FOR OURSELVES!

Natunganga tuloy kami ng Mama ko, kasi we ourselves are wanting to be rich someday. Napaisip tuloy ako, oo nga, when did I ever pray for material things FOR OTHERS’ SAKE? Puro nalang ako, akin, amin. GREED. SELFISHNESS. Nakakahiya man sabihin pero every prayer that I recite to God, palagi na lang may wish nang para sa sarili ko. I thought it was OK pero naisip ko din na minsan it’s too much. I have everything that I need. Sobrang swerte na nga ako kung tutuusin. Why not wish for other people nga naman?

Then the priest continued: LIFE IS NOT ABOUT WHAT WE CAN GET, IT’S ALL ABOUT WHAT WE CAN GIVE.

Bang! Sapul nanaman ako. Ilang beses ba ko nagbigay? Anu-ano ba ang pwede at kaya kong ibigay? Damn. This priest is such an eye-opener to me! Which made me feel bad about myself.

Then again, he continued: GIVING IS NOT ALL ABOUT SHARING, IT IS ALSO ALL ABOUT “FORGIVING”.

And I was like “waaaah!” ako nanaman ang pinatatamaan! Well, yun na siguro ang personality ko, it’s very hard for me to forgive. Especially if it was a great damage to my heart or to the people I love. But i realized, napakasarap pala pag napatawad mo na yung taong matagal mo nang hindi kinakausap dahil nagtanim ka ng sama ng loob. Napakasarap pala ng pakiramdam kung nai-share mo sa kanila c Lord by just forgiving what they have done to you.

Hmmm... hanggang ngayon I can’t believe na na-touch talaga ko ng paring yun. Ang sarap ng pakiramdam kasi I’m sharing this to those who read my blogs. Hindi nga naman mahirap magbigay, it’s not about the material things we give, it’s all about FORGIVENESS.

Life is short. We have a very short time of sharing God to others. Who knows, one day, ma-eexperience na din natin yung ‘TAPOS’ na hindi matapos tapos, kapag namatay na tayo.

CrisKringle:=>TheBrownGoddess