Saturday photo

 

My last impression of 2021: cold - very cold, mostly grey and white
with streaks of striking colors in such amazing depth.

Yes, it's a "Saturday photo" posted on a Sunday!  It's called confusion, eagerness and, uhm, finding an excuse to post something here just because it is fun!  The photos were taken close enough to Saturday (MST zone) though, which was Saturday in most places in the world, including my home country, the Philippines.  Therefore, the label is not totally incorrect.  Again, an excuse!

The above collage of photos are images of the last few hours of 2021 viewed from Boise, ID, which include a photo each of my sister and myself walking around her neighborhood and around a small park that is meant mostly for small kids and pets.  The pictures are true to what 2021 had been for us - grey, cold, looking lifeless... but also made beautiful by the pristine powdery snow, the streaks of dramatic colors of sunset... promising a new day!  Every now and then, my sister and I stopped to greet or return the greetings of home owners who were clearing out snow from their walkway, or neighbors who were walking their dogs.  It made the cold walk quite warm.  Once again, the whole scenario felt like the summary of 2021 for us.  Despair and sadness, hope and faith, optimism and kindness, and, yes, holding on steadfastly to the promise of love - God's love.

As we walked amid about six inches of snow on the ground, my sister and I picked what were beautiful and amazing around us, and enjoyed them!  This was the exact same attitude that we adopted as we went through 2021... emotionally crippled by the loss of our father just a few days before Christmas 2020, frightened by the twin blow of the dreadful pandemic on our family when my brother and I fought for our lives in the hospital against COVID-19 back in August 2021, and felt insecure the whole year from the uncertainty of the times due to the disruption from a combo of global crises.  And yet, there we were, enjoying white Christmas and the marvels of discovery from traveling.  

We closed 2021 believing with all our hearts that life is worth-living for.  Life is still good, will always be good, because God is always good - and He is good to us all!

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Photo credit:  The photos used in this post all belong to me.     .   

Birthday wish...

...in the time of pandemic.
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by PAM

A birthday wish... in hope and faith.

Birthdays are supposed to be happy occasions - a break from one's usual daily grind; a day to make a special wish, and experiencing the fortifying solemnity of faith that that wish shall be granted.  

Birthday can be that 'one fine day' of quiet contemplation and reflection, a soulful thanksgiving, or simply just being lazy and being left alone to enjoy some quality "me time"... with a good book and a good music playing in the background, or a day of leisure writing or re-watching a fave movie or TV mini series, or old music videos... or just being surrounded by good vibes all around.  It can also be a gathering of loved ones, some fun sharing of anecdotes, or sharing some moments of warm togetherness, or an opportunity to laugh loudly and happily, making fun of each other to disguise deep affection, the expression of which on ordinary days can otherwise make everyone feel awkward and uncomfortable, or playing fun games with the aim of just being foolish and crazy-happy... with good home-cooked food passed around to keep feeding that appetite that grows with the feeling of happiness and satisfaction.  Or, it can be a combination of both... a day of remembrance that, in all that we do, we take a step closer to the fulfillment of our fate - God's plan, and a step closer to finally seeing His face... a moment of pure love when there is nothing else to feel but joy.

With the "new normal" in this world that was taken over by COVID-19, I found that birthdays are still happy occasions, in a more laid-back way.  There is that simple joy while being physically remote than usual from most of the celebrator's usual crowd. Strangely enough, it wasn't all that bad, especially when we allow ourselves to be treated

My simple birthday plate this year. The simplicity
does not diminish how special the day is.

by life with that most precious gift of time.  Time for contemplation and reflection... time for devotion, time for God... time with God. 

This year, I get to spend my birthday 'quietly'. I made time for myself... I insisted to make time for myself. I refuse to remain a slave of one's, or a few people's, refusal to see why God might be allowing this hideous COVID-19 to take over our lives, which is for us to re-discover the path towards Him... for us to abandon the paths that we invented and built in our foolish belief that we have become so great that we can build a better 'highway' towards a kingdom of the same grandeur as His.  I refuse to be a pawn to one person's obsessive desire to own excellence... by pushing everyone around that person to sprint exhaustively to reach the numbers that, to that person, define excellence.  It is painful to watch that person's fierce push, believing that excellence in time of pandemic can be measured by numbers rather than the real feeling of joy for having collectively accomplished something of impact on people's lives from shared vision. Too bad that we are missing the golden opportunity to re-discover God... and each other; to make a real difference in people's lives so that they, too, can re-discover God.  And, it is sad that that person is taking all the pawns in a direction that spells peril, frustration and disappointment through the emptiness of mere compliance.

Pardon me if that sounded like arrogance and judgment on my part.  I admit that I am not in the position nor do I have the moral ascendancy to make that person see how mistaken that person is.  And yet, that person might be right.  After all, it is possible to be right and foolish at the same time, isn't it?  Ah, but this birthday is not about such foolishness, and I have a few more minutes to continue celebrating it.  Therefore, I leave a mark of this special day here... while I continue rediscovering the path towards my fate, while I pray fervently for strength, wisdom and love in my heart to resist foolishness without having to push back and risk hurting others... and shepherd my own flock to where true happiness can be found.  

I rest my weary heart and troubled mind in God, and I hope that He grants me my wish on this special day. Amen.

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Photo credit:  I own the photos.  The first was taken in my front yard, and the second was taken on my birthday dinner.

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