This year is incidentally, the 13th year of my year-end chronicles, in remembrance of the highlights and life events of the year that is about to come to pass and a gesture of embracing the New Year with optimism and good vibes. Yearenders are not just about a list, but pondering through life’s lessons that makes every year we add into our life, richer, meaningful not only for ourselves but also for others. And so I did the pondering-thing while chilling out under the palm trees dotting the beautiful Boracay shoreline and uncannily, there were indeed top 13 stories of 2013.
So here it goes…
A Time to Heal. Kyla had an accident at exactly Christmas day of 2012. She had a broken wrist and had to wear a cast for six weeks until the fractured bones healed itself in time. What amazed all of us including the doctors was her calmness and bravery throughout the ordeal. She did not cry or rage into hysterics (which, understandably, a child may have done). And even while still in her cast, in January 2013 she completed 2.6KM for the Singapore Terry Fox Run for a Cause and raised $100SGD for cancer research. Kyla is an example of a child whose spirit can never be broken, and I tell her that this is the most important lesson from that episode.
A Time to Let Go. I’ve gotten better in terms of taking my vacations and really let go, albeit for a while, of my usual I-need-to-do-this-by-so-and-so-at-work baggages, and really enjoy a true vacation. In 2013, we have ticked off every destination place in our travel plans: my birthday staycation at Shangrila Sentosa, Legoland Malaysia, Hanoi Vietnam/Halong Bay Tour, SEA World SG, Art Science Museum and revisiting good old Boracay. I also had my last run in SG with the Venus Women’s Run. Life is good!
A Time to Say Adieu. I already knew that our time in Singapore is about to come to an end and once again, time to say goodbye-for-now to friends in SG and at work. I am happy to go back with old friends, but equally grateful for making new friends who will become part of my life’s tapestry.
A Time to Connect to the Next Dot. I am forever thankful for the new avenues that life had opened for us during our stay in SG—after all, this is where Kevin grew leaps and bounds in his development, where he spoke his first sentence, where we were given a renewed sense of hope on what he can be. It validated my belief that the time we spent in Singapore was not a mere happenstance but part of a bigger picture, not only for myself but also for my family. Another dot was revealed and it is time to move on to the next one. (See article Connect the Dots)
A Time for Home Coming. The first place we visited after arriving in Manila was of course our home in Laguna. There is a sense of rightness into it, something much more than the act of physically seeing our house. While we spent the last 2.5 years living in a first world metropolitan city, nothing compares to the sense of peace that I felt when I saw our house once again. In my heart I understood what Coming Home meant. Thank God, we are finally home.
A Time to Savor Triumph. At the work front, FY1213 ended at a high note. After gruelling two years of challenges and tough times, AAIJK FC SNO results are all back on track and promises to be one of the best ever year. As promised, I treated my team to that well deserved buffet dinner to celebrate all the sweat and tears it took to get to where we are.
A Time to Charter New Horizons. By June 2013, I am officially back to the Plant. I feel an adrenaline rush simply thinking about the possibilities of what could be the next level of breakthrough for an organization that is already at the high end of that bar. I was not disappointed. In a split second moment while internalizing what can be, the vision came to me like fireworks lighting up a dark sky. Destination: known. The road is set.
A Time for a Renewed Sense of Hope. The biggest challenge coming home was finding a new school and partners for Kevin’s special needs. After all, he left as a child and returned as a teenager. But once again, the Lord has been there. Always. To lead our hand to the right way. We missed our appointment with one of the teachers who was supposed to give Kevin a referall for a center in Las Pinas. Instead, I saw this flyer on their desk for a school for special needs children, somewhere in Alabang. We decided to inquire there instead and it ended to be a better option for Kevin. We are very happy that Kevin found a new family in Optimal Academy and he continue to surprise us with his progress!
A Time to Change Hats. Our little girl is now a tween. I need to learn now this fine balance of being a mom (authority) and also be a friend whom she can trust, confide with and continue to bond via shared interests. So we endeavor to continue Fun Runs whenever we can, play more Badminton (good luck to me), listen to music together (thanks to Ninang Ninnie for Kyla’s mini boom box!), read books together, bake/cook together and continue to impart wisdom as I know she is hungry for it.
A Time for that Defining Moment. Kyla told me that she wants to become an educator and open a school for special children someday. This brought tears to my eyes because, even though she may still be young and can change her mind someday, I know that this was borne out of her nurturing spirit and love for her brother. Whenever she is off-school, she spends her day going to Kevin’s school and actually acting as the teacher’s assistant.
A Time for Rekindling Old Passions. Writing has been my passion. I had been very busy early this year from all the transitions we had to go through, for family and at work. But in the middle of moving to SG and Manila, my new roles and responsibilities, I had been given an opportunity to once again flex my literary and editorial muscles with a much broader audience. Thus, the Asia D&I Newsletter came to be. (Special thanks to Marlon Devera and Choops Tupe for their creative contributions for the logo.)
A Time for Retribution. I am going to be deliberately vague on this one. I once read somewhere that “The strongest of steels are forged from the hottest fires.” I know the feeling of going through a crucible. When the day of retribution finally came, was the day when I can truly say, I survived. I will always be thankful for my truest and trusted friends and confidantes who stood my me and held my hand through that rite of passage.
And finally, a Time for Peace. 2013 is probably, the year out of so many that passed, when I can truly I am at peace with my life and with every day that pass, I thank the Lord for giving me and my family this feeling of serenity, knowing fully well that wherever He wants to BE, whatever He wants me to BE, will be.
So here it goes…
A Time to Heal. Kyla had an accident at exactly Christmas day of 2012. She had a broken wrist and had to wear a cast for six weeks until the fractured bones healed itself in time. What amazed all of us including the doctors was her calmness and bravery throughout the ordeal. She did not cry or rage into hysterics (which, understandably, a child may have done). And even while still in her cast, in January 2013 she completed 2.6KM for the Singapore Terry Fox Run for a Cause and raised $100SGD for cancer research. Kyla is an example of a child whose spirit can never be broken, and I tell her that this is the most important lesson from that episode.
A Time to Let Go. I’ve gotten better in terms of taking my vacations and really let go, albeit for a while, of my usual I-need-to-do-this-by-so-and-so-at-work baggages, and really enjoy a true vacation. In 2013, we have ticked off every destination place in our travel plans: my birthday staycation at Shangrila Sentosa, Legoland Malaysia, Hanoi Vietnam/Halong Bay Tour, SEA World SG, Art Science Museum and revisiting good old Boracay. I also had my last run in SG with the Venus Women’s Run. Life is good!
A Time to Say Adieu. I already knew that our time in Singapore is about to come to an end and once again, time to say goodbye-for-now to friends in SG and at work. I am happy to go back with old friends, but equally grateful for making new friends who will become part of my life’s tapestry.
A Time to Connect to the Next Dot. I am forever thankful for the new avenues that life had opened for us during our stay in SG—after all, this is where Kevin grew leaps and bounds in his development, where he spoke his first sentence, where we were given a renewed sense of hope on what he can be. It validated my belief that the time we spent in Singapore was not a mere happenstance but part of a bigger picture, not only for myself but also for my family. Another dot was revealed and it is time to move on to the next one. (See article Connect the Dots)
A Time for Home Coming. The first place we visited after arriving in Manila was of course our home in Laguna. There is a sense of rightness into it, something much more than the act of physically seeing our house. While we spent the last 2.5 years living in a first world metropolitan city, nothing compares to the sense of peace that I felt when I saw our house once again. In my heart I understood what Coming Home meant. Thank God, we are finally home.
A Time to Savor Triumph. At the work front, FY1213 ended at a high note. After gruelling two years of challenges and tough times, AAIJK FC SNO results are all back on track and promises to be one of the best ever year. As promised, I treated my team to that well deserved buffet dinner to celebrate all the sweat and tears it took to get to where we are.
A Time to Charter New Horizons. By June 2013, I am officially back to the Plant. I feel an adrenaline rush simply thinking about the possibilities of what could be the next level of breakthrough for an organization that is already at the high end of that bar. I was not disappointed. In a split second moment while internalizing what can be, the vision came to me like fireworks lighting up a dark sky. Destination: known. The road is set.
A Time for a Renewed Sense of Hope. The biggest challenge coming home was finding a new school and partners for Kevin’s special needs. After all, he left as a child and returned as a teenager. But once again, the Lord has been there. Always. To lead our hand to the right way. We missed our appointment with one of the teachers who was supposed to give Kevin a referall for a center in Las Pinas. Instead, I saw this flyer on their desk for a school for special needs children, somewhere in Alabang. We decided to inquire there instead and it ended to be a better option for Kevin. We are very happy that Kevin found a new family in Optimal Academy and he continue to surprise us with his progress!
A Time to Change Hats. Our little girl is now a tween. I need to learn now this fine balance of being a mom (authority) and also be a friend whom she can trust, confide with and continue to bond via shared interests. So we endeavor to continue Fun Runs whenever we can, play more Badminton (good luck to me), listen to music together (thanks to Ninang Ninnie for Kyla’s mini boom box!), read books together, bake/cook together and continue to impart wisdom as I know she is hungry for it.
A Time for that Defining Moment. Kyla told me that she wants to become an educator and open a school for special children someday. This brought tears to my eyes because, even though she may still be young and can change her mind someday, I know that this was borne out of her nurturing spirit and love for her brother. Whenever she is off-school, she spends her day going to Kevin’s school and actually acting as the teacher’s assistant.
A Time for Rekindling Old Passions. Writing has been my passion. I had been very busy early this year from all the transitions we had to go through, for family and at work. But in the middle of moving to SG and Manila, my new roles and responsibilities, I had been given an opportunity to once again flex my literary and editorial muscles with a much broader audience. Thus, the Asia D&I Newsletter came to be. (Special thanks to Marlon Devera and Choops Tupe for their creative contributions for the logo.)
A Time for Retribution. I am going to be deliberately vague on this one. I once read somewhere that “The strongest of steels are forged from the hottest fires.” I know the feeling of going through a crucible. When the day of retribution finally came, was the day when I can truly say, I survived. I will always be thankful for my truest and trusted friends and confidantes who stood my me and held my hand through that rite of passage.
And finally, a Time for Peace. 2013 is probably, the year out of so many that passed, when I can truly I am at peace with my life and with every day that pass, I thank the Lord for giving me and my family this feeling of serenity, knowing fully well that wherever He wants to BE, whatever He wants me to BE, will be.
With this, I embrace 2014 with open arms.
Life Begins.
Again.
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