FAREWELL MANG BERT

It is truly sad when friends who were part of our lives pass on.

Officemates are people we consider as family because we spend more time at the office than in our homes.

Last Sept.25, our beloved colleague Abelardo Dagoro was reunited with his Creator. His demise had once again created a vacuum in our closely knit SMC Head Office Accounting family. He and the guys in the department often called each other "Amigo" but I always addressed him as Mang Bert as a sign of respect.

I will always remember Mang Bert as the English speaking, burly guy with the baritone voice. He always had his camera strung on his shoulder as photography was his biggest passion. In fact in my first few days in SMC, I thought he was from our Corporate Affairs Office (Public Relations Dept.in those days) since he always carried his camera wherever he goes. I only realized that he was from the Accounting Department when I saw him working at his desk. He was always nice to me even when I was relatively new in the department, not because he knew my dad, but because it was really his nature. He was also our official photographer at Christmas parties, bowling tournaments and other office related events. He had also unselfishly shared his knowledge in costing procedures to me, being a former Plant Accountant of our Polo Brewery. I also got words of wisdom from him.

Aside from his love for photography, he was also a good swimmer and a golf enthusiast.

The last time I saw him was on his 82nd birthday celebration a year ago, when his family prepared an intimate lunch get together for him at their BF Resort Subdivision residence in Las Pinas. Little did I know that would be the last time I would see and talk to him. He was far from the Mang Bert that I remember because he had lost weight. But although his eyesight had been impaired, his sense of hearing was still okay and he remembered all of us when we introduced ourselves to him. Obviously he was so happy because he was cracking jokes, sang songs and played his harmonica for us. Tita Annie and Malou, his daughter, said he missed his Accounting colleagues so much and would often ask about us. I will forever remember not only that day, but most especially the smile reflected on his face.

Thank you Mang Bert for sharing a big part of your fruitful years with us.

Thank you also for the beautiful memories we will always treasure.

I know you are probably playing your harmonica with the angels in Heaven now.

Farewell Mang Bert. We will miss you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA MARY

My dearest Mama Mary, today we are celebrating your birthday once again.

As in previous years, I had been thinking of what to offer you on your birthday.

Unlike in the years past though, when it was already your birthday and I still couldn't think of what to give you, this year you sort of made it easy for me by giving me an idea of what you desire.

Three days ago, I received a text from a friend asking if it would be so gracious of me to be one of the sponsors of a feeding program for undernourished children in a relocation site somewhere in Laguna. They need people who will sponsor one child each for the year 2012 and help feed these hungry kids. This is a project of a priest who happens to be a mutual friend of ours.

To be honest, at first I couldn't commit myself knowing how limited my resources are. In my heart however, I was certain that this is one gift that would truly make you happy. Remember my birthday wish last June, when I was seeking your guidance to lead me to those who need assistance badly. You did not fulfill my birthday wish and I know you had a reason for that. You always do.

Now it is very clear to me. Maybe it is because you believe that this is a more appropriate time for you to fulfill my wish because it would make you really happy on your birthday.

And I couldn't be happier myself. Helping others has always given me a sense of fulfillment.

Thank you for giving me a reason to smile again. Except for that heartwarming incident with the old lady sampaguita vendor last Good Friday, the last time I experienced a state of bliss was when I was able to bring some joy to retired priests and bishops, Christmas of 2009. Last Christmas, it was a phone call from Father Mike of the Blessed Sacrament Congregation that somehow brought tears of joy to my eyes. Little things do mean a lot.

I know as always, you will be getting lots of flowers and bouquets during several masses to be held in your honor today. You will also be receiving the traditional solitary blue rose that I give you every year, which obviously pales in comparison to the beautiful flower arrangements set up at the altar for you. I do know however that it is your favorite, and that only you and I know the reason why.

Happy Birthday my dearest Mama Mary. I love you so much. Thank you for always giving me your unconditional love.

MISSING MY "HOUSEMATE"

It's been 3 lonely days since my television set broke down.

My tv has a customized revolving base which I had specifically requested to enable me to watch my favorite programs from various angles or places in the house. It is conveniently situated in a spot wherein there is a small open area between the bedroom and the living room such that I can have access to it when I am in either of these areas.

On a lazy Monday afternoon, I was watching the live Congressional hearing of the Pagcor anomaly in the living room when I felt my eyes getting heavy so I decided to turn the set to a different angle so I can watch it from my bedroom. While I was revolving it, all of a sudden the picture went off and total blackness engulfed the screen with only the words "No Signal" appearing on the lower part. The audio however was still on. I tried to adjust the various cables at the back of the set (connection to the digital box, dvd player, internet, etc.) but to no avail.

Sensing it to be another one of those hopeless cases, I decided to call the service provider to request for a technician but was told he would be available only after 2 days since there were a lot of service requests that came before me.

Today happens to be the 3rd day and while I was anxiously waiting for the technician to arrive this afternoon, the girl from the service center called to inform me that the technician had to take the afternoon off since he was not feeling well. In lieu of this, they would be sending another one to take his place but it had to wait till tomorrow. Oops, another miserable day for me.

I miss the company of my tv. It has been some sort of a "housemate" to me. I never realized it would be this lonely without it. It keeps me company throughout the day during the times when I have to stay home. I must admit the sound from the boob tube has sort of become music to my ears. Now everything is so quiet all around.

Although I have music from my cds to brighten an otherwise gloomy day, there is still that longing for the different kind of noise that comes out from that box.

I also feel so detached from the world. I have no idea what's going on in the outside world. Even though my laptop and the internet are possible alternatives, still it wouldn't be at par with the joy I get from watching the news and my favorite shows on television.

Truly the saying, you'll never realize the value of something until you've lost it applies to me.

But suffice it to say I learned my lesson. From now on, I'll take extra care of my tv. I would also refrain from turning it around so I can watch from a different angle. Never mind if the purpose for which I had the revolving base made would not be put to use anymore. That can be dispensed with anyway. I guess instead of adjusting the base, it is I who would have to adjust my viewing preference.

I'll be hitting the sack now, happy in the thought that barring any untoward incident again, I will be reunited with my "housemate" tomorrow.

A pleasant night and looking forward to a lovely day ahead.

THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD

I've had this writer's block for the past couple of weeks.

Either that or I simply was not inspired to write.

It had been continuously raining for days now and from where I am I can hear the rain coupled with thunder and lightning.

I love the sound of rain, or water for that matter. To me it is therapeutic, and inspiring too because as a result of this weather, all of a sudden I felt the need to write about something that pricked my sensibilities and was deeply humbled.

I was reading an email earlier that had been sent by a friend and was intensely touched that I could not help but give my two cents worth on this. I'm sure some of you might be familiar with this story but it's worth sharing anyway.

This in a nutshell is how it goes:

It is about a couple who were dining with their baby in a restaurant. While partaking of their meal, the mother noticed that her baby was clapping and smiling at a man from across their table. She noticed that he was wearing clothes that had seen better days and worn out shoes with his toes peeking out. His uncombed hair and beard looked like they needed a cut and a shave. To her, he simply was shabby and needed a bath, and although he was a couple of tables away, she was deadsure he smelled. Her baby, however, was oblivious of all these and seemed to enjoy waving and smiling at the man who was waving back at him.

When they had finished with their meal, she and her husband stood and headed for the door. She then noticed that the man also headed in the same direction. He was standing by the door such that the mother who was carrying her baby on her arms would have to pass through him on her way out. She dreaded doing this for she feared that the man might suddenly grab her baby. When she passed through him, she was dumbfounded when all of a sudden her baby stretched out his arms and leaned towards the man who caught him with his arms and gave him a tight hug. The mom noticed that her baby, in a full act of submission, nestled his head on the man's shoulder and seemed to be enjoying the warmth and comfort accorded him for there was a smile on his little face. The man with tears in his eyes was smiling too as he cradled the baby in his arms and patted his back with a scarred hand that bore the signs of hard labor.

After a few seconds,the man handed back her baby and told her to take good care of him. She then made a dash for the door.

On their way home, she realized how insensitive she was for thinking all along that the man would want to harm her child, and for not wanting her baby to go near him because he was dirty and he smells. It was then that she felt a sense of guilt for not wanting to share her baby, when God was generous enough to have shared His only son with us.

End of story.

Now how many of us are guilty of trying to distance ourselves from beggars all because they are dirty and they smell, or disassociating ourselves from the sick and the desolate for fear of being exposed to them, when all they need is a little compassion.

It truly was a humbling experience for we had to direct one's attention through the eyes of a child to make us realize that this is how God wants us to be, childlike.

We should not be judgmental of people, for what they truly are goes beyond the physical. It is something that is not often seen by the eye but can be felt by the heart.

Happiness is not measured by material things but by acts of kindness no matter how small.

You may have all the wealth and success in the world but in the end, it is how you treat others that counts.

So the next time you feel like looking down on people or being indifferent towards them, think about the innocence of the child who passed no judgment on the man and accepted him for who or what he was; dirt, grime and smell notwithstanding.

MY IRREPLACEABLE FRIEND

They say friends walk in and out of our lives.

I am fortunate though that no friend has ever walked out on me.

Yesterday I got a surprise from a very dear friend at a time when I least expected it.

I was taking my lunch when the intercom buzzed. It was the guard at the lobby informing me that a package had been delivered for me. I was wondering who could have sent it and for what reason since there was no occassion at all. It turned out that it came from my dearest friend, my closest friend actually, Oskar Peralta.

Amazed and somewhat puzzled, I called to thank him for the gift and at the same time asked what it was for, since he had already given me a gift on my recent birthday. He told me it was an "I Miss You" gift. He said he missed me because the last time we saw each other was on my birthday a month ago. He had been kept busy with so many activities lately such as the Philippine Fashion Week, the Metrowear Filipiniana Event and the forthcoming Ms.World Philippines beauty pageant which practically kept him on his toes the whole time.

I was truly touched by his gesture because no one has ever done that for me, but knowing him I wouldn't really be surprised. After all he has always showered me with his love, care and concern.

Just about 2 weeks ago,he requested a friend of his to prepare and cook some food for me and had it brought to my place.

What I find truly amazing is that we have some sort of mental connection. It is almost as if he could read my mind. Whenever I would think of him, all of a sudden my cellphone would ring with him on the other end asking how I am. This also happens the other way around. Oftentimes when I call him, he would tell me that he was just about to call me. This had happened several times. He said it is probably because we are connected.

I would like to believe we are soulmates because we have the same wave length. We also have almost identical character traits. I guess we tend to gravitate towards people with the same likes, dislikes, interests and sensibilities.

During our bonding moments, we would more often than not, cry together especially everytime we remember our parents. This is a very emotional topic for him and for me as well.

When we are together sometimes we would get so engrossed in our conversation that we would fail to notice that 3:00 p.m. had passed. Both of us share this daily routine of reading some prayers from our respective Straight From The Heart, A Prayer Companion, books at this precise time. He always makes it a point to carry his book with him when he is out so that wherever he is, he can read his prayers at this particular time. In my case, if I need to leave the house in the afternoon, I read my prayers before I leave home even though it is not 3:00 p.m. yet, so that at least I was able to read them for that day.

I haven't the slightest doubt that this friendship will last because God is at the center of our relationship. After all HE was the one who brought the two of us together.

I would not wish to label him as my close friend or even best friend for that matter because that would be under rating him.

In the past I used to refer to him as my valued friend, but I would rather refer to him now as my irreplaceable friend because it might take a million life times but truly there will never ever be someone like him .

Thank you Jesus for my irreplaceable friend.

OUR LADY OF MT. CARMEL AND THE SCAPULAR

July 16 is the feast day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.

It is also happens to be the birthday of my mom. Her name is Carmen, having been named after our Lady.

My mom was a devotee of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and her scapular. It is from her where I got my devotion to the scapular as well.

It has been my habit (and still is) to buy scapulars and give them away to friends telling them about the significance of wearing one, and that is the promise of our Lady that anyone who dies wearing a scapular will not suffer from eternal fire.

It is also a sign of salvation and protection from danger. Our Lady promised that on the saturday following our death, she will go to Purgatory and free all souls who have a devotion to the scapular and lead them to Heaven.

It is important that you have faith and devotion when you wear one. It is not something that you wear as a fashion accessory or an amulet, which sad to say, some do especially the younger ones.

My parents who are both devotees died wearing their scapulars. And I know that they are now sharing peace and eternal happiness with Jesus and Mama Mary.

Wouldn't you wish to experience this too someday?

REMEMBERING DAD

Everybody is greeting their fathers, Happy Father's Day.

I admit I am envious and sad because my dad is no longer with us. He returned to his Creator four years ago. I miss my dad so much. He had always been my tower of strength, especially when and after my mom died.

So many things and valuable lessons I learned from my dad.

I have very beautiful and vivid memories of my childhood with him. I remember he meticulously cut articles and pictures from newspapers and magazines that he deemed would be useful in my school projects and painstakingly compiled them. I always got excellent grades in my school projects because everytime my teachers assigned a project to us, all I had to do was go over dad's clippings and true enough, I would find what I needed there.

I could still picture in my mind the beautiful red and green lanterns that we hung from our windows come Christmas time which he himself made.

He would take my brother and me to watch Holiday on Ice and the Circus at the Araneta Coliseum everytime they came to town. We would also take our annual pilgrimage to Antipolo every summer.

I became exposed to his favorite sport, basketball (which he plays very well) and became familiar with the likes of the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Harlem Globetrotters, etc.

My being prayerful was greatly influenced by my parents. They instilled in me my Christian values. My dad recited the rosary everyday, all 20 mysteries of them till the day he died. I pray the rosary too everyday, but unlike my dad, I only recite the mysteries for that particular day.

I also inherited my dedication for work from him. He would never absent himself from work and would only take the afternoon off because he and mom had to pin the gold medal on me during commencement exercises in school every year. These lasted from grade school till my college years. I know he was very proud of me. He would also let me keep my tuition fee refund everytime the list of scholars came out, so I can use it to buy whatever I want.

Today is no different from the past four years, because once again, I will not say Happy Father's Day to you, Dad. I certainly am far from being happy because of the vacuum that was created in my heart when you left to join Jesus and Mama Mary. But I will never be devoid of beautiful memories and even if you are no longer around, all I have to do is look back and that vacuum will once again be overflowing with beautiful thoughts of you. You will forever live in my heart.

I miss you Dad and I love you very much.