You're the man!

Mahal kong esposo, ikaw ang nag-iisang lalaki sa buhay ko...salamat, naging apat kayo!

Susan

I composed this for my dear friend Susan. A person I’ve known for about 23 years now. Truth is I always get a pinch, a “strong pat” on the arm, or if she’s feeling cruel, she would strike me with anything she is holding whenever I call her Susan. She would rather love hearing her nickname…DAX…very masculine. Anyway, to tease her further, read on… by the way, I also borrowed a poem by Kris Rights. Happy reading...

Susan

Susan a name of Hebrew origin which means “lily”. Short for Susannah. By coincidence your favorite past time also starts with an S- sleeping. Did you know that Zsa-Zsa is a pet name of Susan? And that your name has 57 variant forms? Sanna, Shoshana, Shoshanah, Shoshanna, Shushana, ShuShu, Sioux, Siouxsie, Siusan, Soosan, Soosanna, Sosanna, Suanny, Sue, Sueann, Sueanna, Sueanne, Suesann, Suesonne, Suezanne, Sukee, Sukey, Sukie, Sonel, Sunel, Susana, Susanetta, Susanka, Susann, Susanna, Susannagh, Susannah, Susanne, Suse, Susee, Susette, Susi, Susie, Susy, Suzan, Suzana, Suzane, Suzanna, Suzannah, Suzanne, Suze, Suzee, Suzetta, Suzette, Suzi, Suzie, Suzon, Suzy, Suzzanne, Zanna, Zanne and Zannie…whew!

Understandably, you don’t like being addressed as Susan by your friends. Getting scared probably of the 57 variant forms of your personality they have to deal with…adorable, adventurous, aggressive, alert, attractive, beautiful, bright, clean, clear, cute, elegant, exciting, fancy, glamorous, gleaming, gorgeous, graceful, beautiful, magnificent, poised, precious, sparkling, spotless, alive, best, beautiful, brainy, busy, careful, cautious, clever, clumsy, concerned, crazy, beautiful, different, easy, expensive, fragile, frail, gifted, helpful, important, impossible, innocent, inquisitive, modern, open, outstanding, powerful, real, rich, sleepy, super, talented, and tough, by the way, did I mention beautiful?

Sometimes you’re just worried I might not like calling you Susan but the thing here is I started liking to address you SUSAN…soooo girly…. Besides, I am having fun teasing you…so nice to be little girls again at times.

Anonymous? You can never be anonymous in my life. Maybe old age will make me forget your name but the space you occupy in my heart, I won’t. You are a part of my life… a part of my world.

No one will ever replace you in my heart…you are my friend, my dear, dear friend. You are attached to me not only by feelings of affection but for many reasons.

The Whispering Winds

(Kris Rights)

Susan, Like the wind whispering through the trees
Your spirit lifts me
Teaching me valuable lessons.
I wait patiently to grow in the light of your eyes
Seeking approval, knowing
There's comfort in your silent embrace,
And I listen carefully to what it offers.
I feel the joy in your laughter and trusting eyes
And learn to give of myself, for no judgment is passed.
When sadness fills my heart with disappointment
And I need protection from the storm,
It is only then I realize the depth of friendship
Sewn together with unbreakable thread.
I understand that the fabric only gets better with age,
That it should be handled with care
And sometimes it has to rain.
I have discovered my own beauty
By lessons learned while discovering yours.
Like a beautiful sky after the storm
Your courage to break free of the clouds
Still amazes me.
I close my eyes to feel the warmth of the sun
Such a precious gift you've given
Appreciating the gentleness and I sigh with thankfulness
Recognizing my fortune.
A sisterly bond that knows only
Love that is unconditional.
Nurturing with grace and acceptance
How lucky
To share a piece of my life with a soul that so perfectly fits mine.
A puzzle with missing pieces
Now complete
How sad for those who are still searching.
My blessings are abundant
And I thank God for the whispering winds,
For they remind me everyday
To celebrate the gift of our friendship and to hold it close,
To never let it go.

Si Ronald

Si Ronald

'Yan si Ronald…parang steak…
Bilang guro…well done!
Bilang tao…medium rare kung magalit.
Bilang kaibigan…rare
Bilang ulam…bistek Tagalog…
Ang lifestyle…parang steak ala pobre
Pero ang laman ng utak…kobe beef.

A Woman Of Substance

Lorna Navos-Timbol

Lorna, that’s how you want us to address you thirty years ago after a sort of seminar we had with you in one of the classrooms in Sta. Clara Building. I do not remember the small details of that seminar but one thing was etched in my memory-the sweetest word a person would want to hear is her first name. I agree.

Lorna, pronounced as LOR-nah, is of Scottish origin, which is feminine of Lorne from Loren, referring to the laurel tree symbolic of honor or victory.

Out of God’s grace you were born on July 20,fifty five years ago. Your dear parents have raised you well I know because a little more than twenty years after, you were there making your way to have a place in the very institution were I met or should I say, came to know you - Holy Angel University. You didn’t stop there. You continue to quench your thirst for knowledge by working on your master’s degree. You sought learning with ardor and diligence amidst your demanding schedule as a teacher, a wife, a mother, and a student.. Your rewards? Grateful students, an assured husband, good children (with a cute grandson) and citations, recognitions, awards, medals, plaques & trophies.

Rivers of tears may have rolled down your cheeks because of life’s trials but you continue to emerge victorious. God, indeed, have armed you more than enough for you have remained strong and steadfast in your ordeals. You are still as bubbly (this is my favorite adjective for you) as the first time I have known you.You may have changed physically but not in your wisdom and intellect. You continue to educate through the sensible words you utter, you continueto touch lives with your caring words and you continue to inspire not by what we see in you but by what you see in us.

No words can describe how grateful I am that you are a part of my life. I cannot forget thirty years ago when you made me see what I was not. Seeing what I was not made me discover what I was and what I will be. Thank you for tapping my potentials. I rememberbringing home the first place in a declamation contest because you painstakingly taught me what to do and not what to do as a declaimer. You tried hard looking into my futureand seeing the world of my tomorrow. And today, with your help, I am in the world where I am fitted – the educators’ world.

Alpha, that is my name. The meaning? The first, that’s all. A literal meaning with no solid basis. That was before you discovered me. That was before you put something in this head. Now as I complete my journey in life, I will try hard to be better if not the best or the first. God entrusted me a lot to do but I am not scared because I know, like you, I will emerge victorious. I am in full battle gear armed not only with the virtues I learned from my parents but also with what you selflessly gave to me. The many short talks we have whenever and wherever we see each other? I treasure them. You touch my life, you inspire me to do better, and you never ceased educating me. My deepest gratitude, Ma’am.

The other half of me…

he loves to eat… i love to cook.
he is a man of few words…i am a woman with a lot.
he minds the train of our lives while i train the minds of our sons.
he likes foreign action movies…action movies are foreign to me.
he doesn’t like tagalog movies but he enjoys watching them with me.
he always sees the best in me…i will always love even the worse in him.
I love you very much…my dear husband…the other half of me!

A Woman of Intellect

I’ve known our pastor…female pastor for almost fives months now. The first time I learned that she is replacing our pastor gave me sad thoughts…I will miss our pastor. What will it be like having to listen to a new pastor who is suddenly taking the place of our pastor of nine years… what will it be like trying to get use of listening to somebody with soft voice when everybody got used of listening to a pastor who can talk with power and might. you see, our used-to-be pastor has a commanding presence in the pulpit…you know…tall, good looking, pleasant, with a happy disposition and most especially almost my age… he is in his 40’s. No I am not over rating him…that is how I see him. For me he is an epitome of strength and conviction. Then came our new pastor…my first impression…an embodiment of intellect and knowledge. She talks with exactness and tact…soft spoken and yet her words leave marks in the heart…a woman of intellect but does not intellectualize messages she convey. A woman of substance… a messenger of God, indeed…

Note: I won’t give the name of our pastor because she might not like it…but I hope she knows who she is.