#4 A Close Encounter ( Dreaming of YOU)

Sorrow

          I’ve been in that place a couple of times with my family to have a reunion every summer. We created a lot of wonderful memories with each other especially to that special place. But one day all those wonderful memories turn to painful memories. Tears ran down in our faces and our hearts are torn apart after hearing the news that my grandpa died at the day of the City’s Fiesta the day that we’re supposed to be there with them. It’s so sad that his wish to be with us in that day was not granted. I feel so bad about it that I ended up blaming myself for the reason that my family can’t be there because of my enrollment. They keep on telling us that my grandpa died because he's longing for his children and grandchildren. The most painful thing is my grandpa was so sad because 2 of his daughters and 4 of his grandchildren can’t come because of time conflict and financial problems (my mother & me & her sister with my 3 cousins). What happened is so unexpected.  After the enrollment I went directly to Siquijor with my father to attend the burial and when I get there I saw my grandpa lying inside the coffin without life, so different from before. It’s because every time we go home he will meet us in the pier and welcome us with kisses in our foreheads and warm hugs from a loving grandpa. I could still see him smiling welcoming us every time I close my eyes and reminisce the happy memories of the past.

          Before I thought that it’s so easy to forget painful memories. I keep on telling people to move on from their sad past but when I’m already in their shoes I realized that it’s not easy like what I’m saying. Losing my grandpa is like losing a big piece of my life; and there are times that I pray to GOD that if He could let me dream about my grandpa because I want to say a lot of things that I haven’t told him when he was still alive and that is to tell him how much I LOVE Him.  I really regret it when I haven’t expressed my feelings toward him when he was still with us.

A Picture of a Happy Family. (Left to Right: Grand pa, Cousin Lovely, Grandpa)

          One night GOD grants my wish. I dream about my grandpa in that the same place and the time that I saw him I run towards him and hug him tightly because I know it’s just a dream and it’s temporary. He’s telling me about something but I refuse to listen because I’m already crying  & there are a lot of things I wanted to tell him. His message was too deep that I couldn't understand it well but the whole message talks about Life. So when I woke up I was so happy that I dreamt about him and I feel sad at the same time it’s because I was not able to get his message.

Behind the clouds, the sun is shining.

Based on my experience people who passed away still communicate with us in different ways it might be in a form of dream like what happened to me.

#3 I Stop to Say Thank You to MY PARENTS

When we were a child, our parents taught us to say Thank You to the people who helped us. Saying Thank You is a form of showing manners. But why is it now that there are only few people practicing this? Why do some people tend to forgot this?  Why does the young generation today can’t even say Thank You to their parents or the elder members of the family? Is it that hard to do?

“Age is an issue of mind over matter.  If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.”  ~Mark Twain

The article No One Stops to Say “Thank You” Anymore shows what the present generation is doing right now and what kind of manner that they have. Our parents are the one who cared for us when we were young; they are the one who mold us to become what we are now (including this is giving us discipline). When we were still kids they provide what we need and what we want; sometimes they scold us, which we don’t like, without knowing that what they are doing is just for our own good and there such time that we come to a point that we are already hurting them because we want to follow what we want or what the others want us to do. As time passed by, we become older, same is true with our parents. Our parents in their old ages are weak, sensitive and in need of more love and care, but why is it that people nowadays try to neglect these things? They just send their parents to the home for the aged to get rid of responsibilities it’s because they are thinking that their parents are just burdens or they can’t give the quality time, love and care that their parents is needing since they are busy with their own lives, especially to their careers paths. The short film entitled “Rich Son Poor Son” shows what reality is and on how the generation today treat their parents. As what you have seen in the short film, there are 4 grannies talking about their sons’ and daughters’ career achievements but there is one granny that has nothing to say about the work of his son; but you can see through her face that she was so happy because his son and the family came to fetch her to take a trip with her while the 3 grannies are left alone in the home for the aged. Like what is said on the last part of the short film “Love of the family is the greatest blessing.” So, love your family like there’s no tomorrow. 

“We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." ~ George Bernard Shaw 

I studied hard because I’m building a strong foundation for my future. I work hard not for myself but for me to give my family a wonderful life in the near future, especially my parents. I want to give what they need and wants in life, especially my time, love and care. I want to build a house just for the both of them; I want to take a trip around the world with them. I want to repay all the good things that they’ve done for me, those sacrifices and hard works. Seeing them HAPPY is the BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT of My Life.

“Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years.  We grow old by deserting our ideals.  Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.”  ~Samuel Ullman

RESPECT THEM and GIVE THEM THANKS because WITHOUT THEM YOU WILL NOT BE WHAT YOU ARE NOW.

#2 Self-Investment

  

Most of us invested something for our future uses.  For example, the businessmen/women they invest their money for their own benefits. And I also invested something for myself and these are reading, writing, and thinking. First we are going to tackle about thinking, then reading, and lastly writing.

Thinking is what we do in our everyday living, we think before we act and we act after we think. Thinking is defined as “The act or practice of one that thinks; thought” and “A way of reasoning; judgment” (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/thinking) while Critical Thinking refers to a high-order of thinking that questions assumptions. I consider myself as a critical thinker it’s because I think before I act and I act after I think (like what is stated above) or just simply thinking wisely. Once, I make decisions I think of possibilities what will happen if I will take this step or the other step. In reading, I also apply critical thinking. I interact with the author in a form of giving my opinion according to what I’ve had read.

 

Invest a few moments in thinking.  It will pay good interest.  ~Author Unknown

 

Reading is a process of getting ideas from what we have read or decoding the symbols to derive meanings. In reading, we analyze what we read, if we just read without analyzing we're just being a passive reader.  I consider myself as a passive type of reader it’s because I only read if it’s needed and if I’m in the mood. I like reading but not that much; I only read what interested me, especially the educational books.

Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting.  ~Edmund Burke

We share and express our feelings and ideas in mind through writing. Like in reading, I only write if it’s necessary and if I’m in the mood. Sometimes I write to lessen the pain & sadness I feel inside of me at the moment in a form of poems, story etc. 

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.  ~William Wordsworth
 

"Reading, writing, speaking, and listening can all be done critically or uncritically. Critical thinking is crucial to becoming a close reader and a substantive writer. Expressed in most general terms, critical thinking is "a way of taking up the problems of life"( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking/)

It's Time for Self-Investment!