is there really a "BETTER?"

"IT IS BETTER TO BE LOVING THAN TO BE RIGHT."

EASIER SAID THAN DONE.

very recently, i've been thinking about this statement -- a lot. i am caught between being loving and being right -- and honestly, it's hard to choose. it's hard especially when the person involved is close to you...someone you care for and someone you know deserves better! the fact that i am not the only one feeling the same way does not make it any easier. someone even once said that a true friend will be honest with you, will tell you everything even if it means you will get hurt while the opposite will just tell you to do what ever makes you happy. i'm afraid i'm becoming the later lately. :s

so what is a true friend really supposed to do this time -- be right or be loving?

i came across this phrase when i was in youth for christ (YFC). back then when i was as just a new member of the community, i found it difficult to accept such statement. but as i grew in the community and had the privilege to be one of the youth leaders, i gradually realized what this statement is all about. it simply meant that we should always strive to act like Jesus, our Savior, who despite all the times that we have failed Him, He never turned his back on us, instead He would wait patiently for us as He gradually moves in mysterious ways for us to realize our mistakes. not only that, He would always be there to welcome us with open arms afterwards...no if's, no but's.

despite this, the fact still remains -- my "BEING RIGHT" urges me to tell that person my thoughts and my feelings and sort of do a reality check. however, by doing so, i endure the risk of bursting someone's happy bubble. can i really bear that? my "BEING LOVING" tells me i can't.

so what really is the RIGHT thing to do? well, for now i resolve to just be happy for the person...while tactfully sharing my honest opinions...and finally, when the need arises, be there to listen and comfort -- with no if's and no but's ü

in the end, i think there is really no "better"...because we should BE BOTH: loving and right, after all.♥

dinner date with my first love

last night, i had one of the best dinner dates i've ever had and it was with my first love -- my papsy. even if we were just at home i considered that dinner to be really special.

first, it was only the two of us having dinner (attendance check: my mom's in a meeting, archie's not yet home from work, ian's in his OJT and ej's with his friends) thus, we were the only ones present in the family ;)

second, it was full of wisdom and i guess i needed to hear those words especially since i only have about 8 weeks to go here in the philippines. i believe it was God's plan to make me go home early yesterday even if i decided to go to the mall after work to shop for a few things that i will bring with me to AU.

my dinner date with my papsy was God's perfect way of reassuring me that the family i will leave behind will be fine. don't get me wrong...we are not a perfect family, in fact part of our conversation over dinner was about how my mom would be so moody for the past few days, the increasing present cost of living (which was made very evident with our Meralco bill which increased by a whopping two-thousand pesos!!!), one of our househelp who suddenly decided to go back to the province, my dad's business and other concerns that believe me are not ideal at all.

so why was i able to say that our talk was reassuring? it's simple...because i saw how God is present in my father's life despite all these concerns and difficulties in our family. he carried a positive outlook in life that i never felt i had to worry about them once i leave. while listening to him, i realized how lucky my mom is for having a very understanding husband and how lucky my brothers and i are for having a father who is a good provider and is very supportive of all our endeavors. never did he made me feel that he did not believe in any of us. his words were full of affirmations and support in anything that we want to do in life...anything that we wanted to be in life.

these words, these kinds of are the memories are the ones that i will bring with me once i leave to join my Mark in australia, so that i will be full of wisdom, passion and optimism in the new life that i will soon face.

P.S. i really thank God for precious moments like this with the people that matter to me a lot, just like my FIRST love...my father, my -- papsy ♥

the come back

my plans of writing regularly on this blog site took a back seat as mark's scheduled flight to AU neared. ironically though, i wanted to sustain this blog site even i'm quite sure no one else reads it (well, except for my husband who in one way or another found this link even without me sharing it with him!LOL!)
and now, i can feel that i will be able to write more often as i gradually accomplish the other "priorities" i had to face before and after mark left for AU. i know that there will be plenty of free time for me to write and i am thankful to our Lord for the privilege to be busy in the past years and the opportunity to rest and take a break for the coming months (well, not for a long time, i pray Ü)

...so this is the comeback, when the purple ink blots...oppps! i mean blogs again ;)