Peace, Tranquility, Silence

Sharing this poem, which I wrote a very long time ago (after college graduation). It once came out in INQ.net's 2BU section. I can't seem to find it out now when I did an online search. It might have been taken off the Internet already. But, nevertheless, I hope you like reading this poem, too, as much as I enjoyed composing it.

Peace, Tranquility, Silence

In this world of chaos,

     there are three things I value the most:

               peace, tranquility, and silence.

In peace, the soul is at rest.

     It is what men of this world desire the most.

     It is after a lover or a kin’s fight.

     It is what a defeated businessman or

               a haggard farmer look forward to

                           at the end of the day.

     It is a worried mother’s look

               after knowing her child is safe and sound.

     It is a student’s feeling

               after coming to terms with life after university.

     It is witness to a hopeless romantic

               finally finding true love.

Tranquility, my friend, is the sea

     at its most still state.

              It is when she allows the world

                           to admire her mysterious beauty

                                    that for centuries now,

                                             the wisest men have tried to unravel.

Silence, on the other hand,

     is the language of the at peace and

             the boast of the tranquil.

It is the words of the virtuous,

     the contemplative,

     the philosophers,

     the lovers,

     the Extraordinary, and

     the Ordinary.

It is my soul touching yours.

It is the beginning and

     the end.          

Last June 2016, I woke up to this beautiful and tranquil view of Camotes' Santiago Bay.

33 Lessons on my 33rd Birthday

… An overdue post since I celebrated my 33^rd birthday last April 6 yet. Nevertheless, here they are:

1. I learned that growing old is a process worth embracing and celebrating.

2. I learned that TRULY, you become blessed when you GIVE.

3. I learned that laughter is not only the BEST but also the most INEXPENSIVE medicine out there.

4. I learned that friends come in many forms, in unexpected moments of your life and you don’t get to LABEL the relationship until years have passed, moments, experiences, PHOTOS and even FB STATUSES posted.

5. I learned that KINDNESS begets KINDNESS.

6. I learned that my HEART knows no limits, no bounds. It can LOVE and LOVE and never increase nor decrease in SIZE. I am still in awe that one can LOVE so much.

7. I learned that when you TRULY and DEEPLY forgive people (especially loved ones) who once hurt you, that is ONLY when you are TRULY set free from carrying a load you can never pinpoint exactly, until you FORGIVE.

8. I learned that I can be more than I imagined myself to be at 33.

9. I learned that INVESTING is so much more interesting than SAVING.

10. I learned that mistakes DO NOT define me and my future.

11. I learned that hating will only give me heart palpitations.

12. I learned to appreciate the struggles, perseverance, sacrifices, and LOVE that my parents put into “ME” and the entire family; because at this point in time, I am experiencing “what they experienced” a long, forgotten time ago, which leads me to my 13^th lesson.

13. I learned that my parents were once “children, teenagers, enjoyed and made mistakes in their twenties, and learned as well in their thirties”. They weren’t the aged and “full-of-wisdom” folks that I see them now.

14. I learned that what matters most really is QUALITY over QUANTITY. Spending REAL quality time with my husband and children, my parents and sisters, extended families, and friends are even BETTER, the BEST even, than having to fret about how many times in a year I should be seeing them, or how many family/friend events I should attend.

15. I learned that I define SUCCESS – what it is and how to be successful. When we set a goal for ourselves, when we get to perform excellently the responsibilities and tasks given to us by God, or by circumstance, to me, that is SUCCESS. Today, 12 years counting, my goal has and will always be to be the BEST WIFE to my husband. Then, to be BEST MOM to my children. All others come in third place. These two are my success measures.

16. I learned too that to be successful means to be JOYFUL. Did you know that to be happy is different from being joyful? Happy translates to your feeling, emotion or expression when something good happens to you. To be joyful, meanwhile, is to be “praising God”, not blaming God or circumstance, even in good or bad times. It is to be sad and crying yet still be full of appreciation, still be filled with overflowing gratitude. This is what I strive for and strive to be – JOYFUL.

17. I learned that life is short and that is why we need insurance, especially if you’ve got a husband and two beautiful children looking up to you for everything; and even if you don’t have these three special people yet, insurance is still a must as you have other loved ones “looking up to you”.

18. I learned that HEALTH is your only TRUE WEALTH; and if you don’t want your life to come to an end abruptly, you will need to take good care of your health. Because you cannot be joyful, you cannot love, you cannot be successful – if you’re not healthy.

19. I learned to embrace my flaws and to forgive myself for being imperfect, for faltering at times, for bursting with “anger, madness” most of the times, per my children. It is a wonder to me how come my children adore me, love me with all their hearts, but still accuse me that I am always “scolding” them.

20. I learned to LOVE travelling. My sisters and I grew up going around Leyte, Samar and Biliran provinces with our parents as they “chase” after the “next big story”. When we started earning our own “monies”, we invested in travelling to places we once dreamt of – one of which is Disneyland. Hongkong was the first foreign country I visited and I came with my parents, five sisters, my son, husband, and a brother-in-law. I think that even if I went to Paris or California, Hongkong will always be the “BEST” out-of-country trip ever; just because I spent it with my five sisters and together we dreamt of one day visiting Cinderella’s castle – and we made it there together.

21. I learned to dress up for my age; but not necessarily act my age. Hey, I’m 33 I no longer care if people judged me; and I don’t have time to judge others as well.

22. I learned to LOVE reading all over again; and still wish to write that bestseller, just because. Back to writing features, too. This post kicks it off.

23. I learned to make full use of the available technology “I know of and well, know how to utilize, anyway”. I cannot compete with the younger millennial on how fast they can absorb and learn the newest technological trend, but I can boast that I have made full use of the features (especially its appointment calendar) of my two-year old Samsung cellphone.

24. I learned to appreciate the past and how it has molded me to become the person that I am today, which makes me want to look forward to the future.

25. I learned that it is never too late to take on a “different career path”. I never thought of myself as a saleswoman but when I started my Human Nature dealership, I fell in love with “marketing and selling”, which leads me to my 26^th lesson.

26. I learned that you need not SELL, you only need to make your customers realize the “good” that these products can bring into their lives or the “good behind” the products I was selling. After reading “The Genius of the Poor”, I wanted all my customers to not just patronize Human Nature products but to believe in “social entrepreneurship”, the principles behind the manufacturing of these products. Read “The Genius of the Poor” and find out.

27. I learned that it is never too late to “chase your dreams” or to “switch dreams”.

28. I learned that sleeping can make you lose weight on top of cutting off your carbohydrate intake. Try it. You’ll never want to miss a good, long sleep.

29. I learned to savor what I was eating; to be still; to be in the moment; to get lost in my thoughts and not feel guilty over “wasted” time.

30. I learned to love ANTIQUE and OLD STUFF all over again.

31. I learned to love the color GREEN; and still wish to plant and landscape my own garden, someday.

32. I learned to not panic. Panic is for the ignorant. I learned not to cause panic. I learned, finally, that panic can be used as a tool – a tool to wake us up. I learned to use panic as a different kind of “force” that make me want to chase after my dreams – NOW! TODAY!

33. I learned to be content – in many ways. Like when I was writing this piece, so many thoughts were running in my head, all wanting to be written down – good ones, bad ones, weird ones, nonsensical ones. So I just decided FINALLY to just be content – to learn to pause and be content; to not be impatient. There will be a time for all those thoughts, all those wanting to be written down. I might live up to a hundred so I might as well reserve these thoughts for my next piece on a “Hundred Lessons on My 100^th Birthday”.

For now, enjoy reading and hope you also come up with your own “Birthday List”.