Hi avel,

i’m so touched and feels so helpless at the thought that i couldn’t be there with you toat least make you smile lang naman.

sometimes bad things happen to good people … and we cannot find the reasons why..

we can only pray  that the pain will be brief or far in between…

my words, i know, may not be enough to mend your broken spirit or heal mom’s physical pain… but i can pray, my friend… for you…for mom…for us…

hold on… love you,

momots

hello avel,

sorry to hear about mommy’s
sickness. i really did not know. i don’t know what to say, words are
not enough to ease the pain and suffering you and your family are going
through right now. we really cannot fathom God’s plans … though He
knows the desires of our hearts. He knows what is best for us, we just
have to trust Him and surrender everything to Him.

we will include mommy and your whole family in our prayer intentions in the holy rosary.

be strong for mommy and your family. God bless.

love and kisses,

Lisa

Hi kuya!

i am so touched with your letter, deeply. of course, we will pray for your mommy,
you and your family. thank you for sharing to us. more than you’ll ever
know, you touch my life in many ways than one (that one particularly is
the way you make me laugh).

just be strong. of course, it is just normal to cry..better that way that hold it.

love you kuya.mwah!

GAY-GAY

Hi Avel!

I am sorry to hear about your mom and, yes, I shall include both of you in
my daily prayers!

It is truly difficult to fathom the Plan of God. Only He knows what is best
for all of us. Whatever your mom is going through right now, elevate it to God
that He may give you comfort.

IF ever your mom is suffering now, I believe, that this is already
Purgatory (on earth) so that when the Creator calls upon her, she shall go
straight to heaven. All her suffering now is not for nothing.

Be strong. God wants you to be optimistic and hopeful despite the trials He
hurls on you.

Warmest regards,
Ito

Dear Avel,

I have been apprised of the situation these past days
by Kim and want to tell you that you and your family
are in my thoughts and prayers.

I cannot begin to imagine what you are going through
and won’t even volunteer to offer any of the usual
platitudes because my own life’s journey has not
brought me to face what you are facing at the moment.

But I can say to you, my dear friend, that the depths
of depression and sorrow that you are going through is
never going to be permanent. In this fact we can all
be steadfast in the knowledge that there is always
going to be something to live for, even if we don’t
know yet what it is.

My Christian inclinations tell me that there is an
afterlife. I do believe in this deeply. Life as we
know it is a transition. Your mother’s journey and the
pain she is going through is a necessary part of that
transition and HER life’s experience. It may seem odd,
but we can rejoice in the fact that God has given her
this opportunity to go through what she is now going
through. So my friend, don’t beat yourself up over
what she is going through, because when you realise
that its all due to His will, how could it ever be due
to something you had done or omitted to do?

The very fact that you are there now tending to her,
seeing her in pain, may be as much meant for you as it
is for her…

Be strong my dear Avel.

Love,

Ken

Boyet

dear avel and orman,

arfel

myrvic

pilar

Avel,

you know i couldn’t help myself
but cry reading your letter.  but truly your attitude towards all these
things humbled me so much.  how you face your predicament is worthy of
emulation.  i know GOD is working into your lives because we are big in
HIS eyes.  i will always pray for you and your family.

GOD bless

jerome

Hi Avel!

this pm lang ako nag open ng email after over a week out  of town.

I have my prayer for your mother’s recovery, and please take care, too, she needs you this time.

Agnes

Miss you too ter! i wish i can hug you. i know how hard it is for you.  we really have to see each other. been praying for mommy
since i got your email … pls include in your prayers ricky and his
mom too. jerome told me they visited them last year, it was a pitiful
and miserable sight daw. kawawa naman si ricky at si mommy.

human
as we are, masakit tanggapin ang mga pangyayari sa buhay ter noh?  i
just had been thru a devastating experience ter, but God’s grace pulled
me thru.  we are greatly blessed because we have God to hold on to …
and we are assured that He has great plans for all of us.

really miss you. please keep me posted on
mommy. you and your family are in my prayers.

check this website ter … nothing is impossible with God right?

              http://www.fatherfernando.com/

take good care ter. God bless.

LISA

    I can deeply empathize with what you’re going through right now regarding your Mom. I also went through that many years ago.

    But do not hold on too tight.  Let God’s will be
done.  He knows better and He knows what to do, and when to do it.
Just pray, pray, pray hard.  We will also pray for her…. take faith
my friend.

Love,

Belle

Dearest vel,

You and your family, esp your mommy is
with us, in our thoughts and in our prayers.

Like belle said, mahirap kase pinagdaanan
niya na rin yon. Much as we would like to help you lighten your paghihirap
dahil nakikita mo ata nararamdam mo ang paghihirap niya, we can only extend our
love and support (spiritually and/or financially) kase malayo kami physically.

Thank you for sharing with us your
personal experience reading God’s word through the daily devotion. It may
not mean as much to other people, but I am glad that it has blessed you at your
point of need. Truly, God’s word is our comfort. And whatever process God
may use, whatever plans are in His will, we have no right to question because He
is the author and finisher of life, being Alpha and Omega.

Kim said stop na daw sa pag ngawa mo…
she was just trying to comfort you. Smile naman.

Thanks also to jes, belle and tale for\nwriting.\u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>\u003cfont size\u003d\”2\” color\u003d\”navy\” face\u003d\”Arial\”\>\u003cspan style\u003d\”font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy\”\> \u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>\u003cfont size\u003d\”2\” color\u003d\”navy\” face\u003d\”Arial\”\>\u003cspan style\u003d\”font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy\”\>May God be gracious to us always.\u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>\u003cfont size\u003d\”2\” color\u003d\”navy\” face\u003d\”Arial\”\>\u003cspan style\u003d\”font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy\”\>Peace and blessings,\u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>\u003cfont size\u003d\”2\” color\u003d\”navy\” face\u003d\”Arial\”\>\u003cspan style\u003d\”font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy\”\>lelen  \u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>\u003cfont size\u003d\”2\” color\u003d\”navy\” face\u003d\”Arial\”\>\u003cspan style\u003d\”font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy\”\> \u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>\u003cfont size\u003d\”2\” color\u003d\”navy\” face\u003d\”Arial\”\>\u003cspan style\u003d\”font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy\”\>just like to share my favourite verse\nfound in \u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003cb\>\u003cfont size\u003d\”2\” color\u003d\”red\” face\u003d\”Arial\”\>\u003cspan style\u003d\”font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red;font-weight:bold\”\>2 Corinthians\n12:9\u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/b\>\u003cfont size\u003d\”2\” color\u003d\”navy\” face\u003d\”Arial\”\>\u003cspan style\u003d\”font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy\”\>\u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>\u003cfont size\u003d\”2\” color\u003d\”navy\” face\u003d\”Arial\”\>\u003cspan style\u003d\”font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy\”\> \u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003cfont size\u003d\”2\” color\u003d\”red\” face\u003d\”Arial\”\>\u003cspan style\u003d\”font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red\”\>“My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made\nperfect in weakness”\u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cdiv\>\n\n\u003cdiv align\u003d\”center\” style\u003d\”text-align:center\”\>\u003cfont size\u003d\”3\” face\u003d\”Times New Roman\”\>\u003cspan style\u003d\”font-size:12.0pt\”\>\n\n\u003chr size\u003d\”2\” width\u003d\”100%\” align\u003d\”center\”\>\n\n\u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/div\>\n\n\u003cp\>\u003cb\>\u003cfont size\u003d\”2\” face\u003d\”Tahoma\”\>\u003cspan style\u003d\”font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold\”\>From:\u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/b\>\u003cfont size\u003d\”2\” face\u003d\”Tahoma\”\>\u003cspan style\u003d\”font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma\”\> notredamehs78@yahoogroups.com [mailto:notredamehs78@yahoogroups.com] \u003cb\>\u003cspan style\u003d\”font-weight:bold\”\>”,1]
);

//–>Thanks also to jes, belle and tale for
writing.

May God be gracious to us always.

Peace and blessings,

lelen 

just like to share my favourite verse
found in 2 Corinthians
12:9

 “My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made
perfect in weakness”

Avel… Vel… my dearest Avel!

Keep up your spirits!

You’re walking in a difficult path- step by step in hand with our Lord.
I know that’s not easy to do, and yet you’re doing it…
I admire your strength and the way you keep going amidst all the trials,
sufferings and pains…

So as you continue this journey… I’ll continue to ask the  Lord to give you peace, hope and everything you may need for every step you take.  HE is the One who knows best - heart, soul and body and He will take care of you… especially Mommy!

Remember… "Everyday begins and ends with His purpose - there isn’t a detail
that escape His eyes… a trial that doesn’t touch His heart… or a single experience
beyond His compassion!"

My dear Avel and
batchmates…
Every moment of our lives is in His Love and Care… and i always pray that HE gives
us and our families overwhelming peace,   hope and joy today and always!
T’care and God Bless!

Love,
KIM

To my dear friend Avel,

I know it has been a long time since the
last time we saw each other and its been a long time since i have been
reading your emails. some of which really amaze me but required me not
to reply but to just digest the information you give to me and to your
friends. this time, i was truly moved by the thoughts you have on this
email. please allow me to share with you the feelings i had the time i
read your email.

our mother is also sickly but thank God, she
has been keeping herself together. keeping strong despite of the normal
ordeals our poor family face in our daily lives. our father died a long
time ago, but she never re-married. up until this day, i can very well
remember what she told us about not getting married again, to quote "i
don’t want you, my sons, to adjust to somebody you cannot understand
you and who m you cannot understand as well. i can raise you well by my
own efforts and i want you all to be safe always, under my care." very
simply said, but as i have aged, i have come to realize what our mother
meant when she uttered those words. she so deeply cares about us that
she is willing to give us her lifetime just to see us grow with the
discipline and the grace of a Christian individual.

Vel,
what you are going through now is one thing I most fear for our own
mother. she is sickly and it really isn’t easy everytime i receive news
about her having health concerns. i salute you for being brave enough
to stand by your mother’s side. very few people would sacrifice wealth
and career progress just to care for their mothers. our mothers will
always be our mothers, we are their own blood and it is our duties,
being their children, to take care of them. to show gratitude of what
they have done for us. had they been careless during our younger days,
we would never be who we are now.\u003cbr\>reality is, we will all pass away for we all came from our Great God, and it is in Him we all belong. What i have always been telling myself is to exert extra efforts in giving my mother a better life than what she is having right now. to give back what she had sacrificed for us and to show her how much i truly love her. we are not that expressive of our feelings, but i know my mom knows how much i truly care for her. \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>be strong my friend, everything happens for a reason. and yes, it is only God who knows what is best for us. all the trials you/we are having now are to test the faith we have for Him. just believe in Him. draw strength from Him. and you will see, everything will be just fine.\u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>You have my prayers for your mother, my  friend. i am always here for you. be strong and be proud.\n \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>sincerely,\u003cbr\>-erixon-\u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>"ask and you shall receive. seek and you shall find. knock and it shall be opened unto you."\u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>\u003cdiv style\u003d\”font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt\”\>—– Original Message —-\u003cbr\>From: Avel Manansala <\u003ca href\u003d\”mailto:avelmans@gmail.com\” target\u003d\”_blank\” onclick\u003d\”return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\”\>avelmans@gmail.com\u003c/a\>>\u003cbr\>Sent: Friday, April 13, 2007 12:11:27 PM\u003cbr\>Subject: MOMMY\u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>\u003cp\>\u003cfont face\u003d\”Verdana\” size\u003d\”2\”\>\u003cspan style\u003d\”font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana\”\>Dear Friends,\u003c/span\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/p\>\u003cp\>Thank you for your concern and prayers.\u003c/p\>\u003cp\>Cirrhosis\nof the liver is something like cancer.  It's been wasting away mommy's\nbody and mind but not her mother's instincts.  All these times with a\nlot of needles and tubes stuck into her at her hospital bed, she still worries about us,\nour jobs, her granddaughters' welfare, the open gasul, the food for our\ndog and cat, the unlocked doors and windows and even says sorry for being "samuk" (nuisance).\n\u003c/p\>Visibly, it is her who is suffering but deep inside, it is me as\nher eldest son who is suffering the most.  Ever since daddy died in\n2004, I have held off any plan of working outside of Gensan inspite of\nthe lucrative offers and vowed instead to be as close to her as\npossible.  God is good for giving me a job which gives me flexible\nworking hours.  That way, I could tend to her needs and spend more time\nwith her as my schedule permits.  It was a continuous bonding session\nwith her, to say the least.\n”,1]
);

//–>

reality
is, we will all pass away for we all came from our Great God, and it is
in Him we all belong. What i have always been telling myself is to
exert extra efforts in giving my mother a better life than what she is
having right now. to give back what she had sacrificed for us and to
show her how much i truly love her. we are not that expressive of our
feelings, but i know my mom knows how much i truly care for her.

be
strong my friend, everything happens for a reason. and yes, it is only
God who knows what is best for us. all the trials you/we are having now
are to test the faith we have for Him. just believe in Him. draw
strength from Him. and you will see, everything will be just fine.

You have my prayers for your mother, my  friend. i am always here for you. be strong and be proud.

sincerely,
-erixon-

Dear Friends,

"Suffering is another tool God uses for our good. A suffering believer runs directly to the heavenly Father for comfort and aid. God freely offers us comfort and help. But He also uses our painful circumstances to shape us even more.

This somehow opened my eyes to what our family is undergoing now.  It still won’t be easy, my dear friends.  She might lapse into coma any time and that is one thing I dread the most… not being able to hear her voice again, not being able to look into her eyes  and see their glow at my presence and not being able to clasp her hand and feel her clasping back.

Avel

My work as a Consultant doesn’t pay that much. It’s  just enough to cover my toiletries, my phone bills, my vitamins and meds, my share of groceries in my household and mommy’s needs - her diapers, her diabetic pills, her food and the salary for her yaya.

Only after she has exhausted all her questions that i get a little peace.  (to be continued)

I’ve never been much of a class reunion freak considering that there were unpleasant memories I’d rather forget and meeting former batchmates are too much of a waste of time as everyone has moved on and a lot of things have changed.  People themselves have metamorphosed into characters so much unlike their younger selves you used to know before.

And so meeting these unrecognizable beings again might just stir up embarrassing moments of silence, because nothing is in common between you anymore except for the school you used to go to together.  In fact, even that school seemed to have turned into  one stranger of a place, with multiple-storey buildings replacing the once homey beehives which used to shelter us, day in day out.

Having dodged these yearly meetings for so long, my consience has finally caught up with me and so I decided to rekindle my childhood relationships once again.  Having been an Internet user since 1996, I felt it was time to form a mailing list and gather batchmates who already have access to it. 

So starting  in 2003, little by little, from a group of less than 10 individuals, we finally grew to the present number of 53 with the girls forming a third of that number.  There was a danger at first of the boys being  upstaged, and out-talked by the girls but eventually, everyone realized that is could be a good thing too because one-by-one, the boys, including me began to warm up and things were never the same again.

Now, am a class reunion freak and would do anything to be given the opportunity to gather up the old foggies for a shot at another reunion gathering again. The old painful memories and resentment to some people I used to feel have now gone and replaced by this commitment to make up for the lost time while trying to strengthen the bond which have now intensified among the boys and girls very recently.

And come to think of it, except for the additional poundage, crows feet, laugh lines and slower gait, we all still laugh at the same corny jokes, make fun of the same physical characteristics of each other and thrilled by the same first crushes and puppy loves. 

We may be in our 40’s but hey, at no effort, we still feel 15 again (in less than 5 minutes) if brought together in one room.  The transformation from aged, weary old foggies into giggly, robust teen-agers is simply amazing and yes, Virginia, there really is such a thing as Second Childhood.

Har-har-de-har!

(The shot below was taken during Independence Day eve @ the Gumasa White Sand Beach Resort in Glan where the "old foggies" stayed overnight.)

9:20pm (Thailand time)
Sanaehanusorn Street
Hat Yai, Thailand
11 February 2006

hangover