Live life agelessly, purposefully, mindfully, happily…
I am not the original blogger in the family, although many think I am because of my writings to this day. Decades ago, we already had someone in our family who wrote almost daily about her life — our Mom.
Continue reading “Preserving the posts of our original family ‘blogger’ — our Mom!”
Horrors! I just realized it has been months since I updated this blog. Serves me right for maintaining 4 personal blogs and writing for another advocacy blog as well. Haha!
Well, I hope to rectify this by doing some micro blogging on this site. There are many things to write about from a personal standpoint so it does not need too much effort.
I actually miss personal writing. I have had too many media and advocacy events and they have filled up most of my writing days. Yet so many personal things have been happening around me and I never got around to blogging about some of them.
So here’s crossing my fingers that I get allocate more time from my hectic skeds to write about these. Maybe I should repost some of my microblogs on Facebook. They eventually get buried in my FB timeline and forgotten. At least here, it is saved for posterity.
This year, I celebrate my 15th year as a blogger. That is almost as long as the amount of time I spent on my first job with a leading accounting firm, much longer than my stint with a bank, and about half the number of years I’ve been married.
I started my blogging journey back in 2005/2006 on the Multiply platform before it transformed into an e-commerce platform then shut down in 2013. I learned to improve my craft through the years by attending annual iBlog summits, organized by internet marketing specialist Janette Toral. In the last years of iBlog, I had several opportunities to become a speaker or panelist and share my own insights with new batches of bloggers.
My alarm clock woke me up around 8AM of June 24, a Thursday. I had set the alarm so I would not miss the installation of the new Archdiocese of Manila, Cardinal Jose Advincula. I was excited. Not only was he from Capiz (an Ilonggo like me) but he was also the one filling a void in the archdiocese left by Card. Luis Antonio Tagle when he was reassigned to the Vatican. Bishop Pabillo did a great job being the Administrator of the Archdiocese since February 2020 when Card. Tagle was assigned prefect of Propaganda Fide.
I watched the presenting of the keys of the 5 cities under the Archdiocese by the 5 mayors of Makati, Pasay, Mandaluyong, San Juan, and Manila. This was followed by a solemn Mass officiated by Card. Jose “Joe” and included the reading of a letter from Pope Francis designating Cardinal Joe as the next Archbishop of the Diocese of Manila.
For me, this post has always been significant ever since it was held by Cardinal Sin. Cardinal Sin’s role in EDSA People Power was strong and clear and the flock heard and answered his call. My siblings and I, with our Dad, headed to EDSA to be with the millions of other people who did the same.
This time, Cardinal Joe has said that he will be a listening shepherd. Oh, if only he realizes just how badly we all need a listening servant leader!!!
Just before the end of the Mass, Cardinal Joe himself announced the passing of former Pres. Aquino. Of course, since I had been tuned to the installation of Card. Joe since early morning, I did not check social media so his announcement came as a big shock to me. I quickly checked Twitter and found out it was indeed true. I went to ABS-CBN’s FB page and shared the breaking news bearing PNoy’s photo with a very quick post. Then went back to finish the rest of the Mass.
Since then, I have been mulling over the confluence of events and wondering if the Lord was sending us a sign…
Is there a meaning to all these events falling on this day? I do not know but only time will tell. This sentence going around social media caught my eye. I don’t know who the author is but as I read it, I felt a small shiver go through my body…
“Every time the country needs saving, an Aquino dies”.
It has been a while since I had a relatively free weekend. Normally, I would have a list of articles from a bevy of media events that need writing up. Or there would be Zoom meetings to attend. Or I had accounting-related work for hubby.
I looked at my phone’s calendar today and realized there was…nothing. So I’m using this weekend to catch up on what got me started with blogging way back in 2006 — the plain and simple desire to write.
Back then, blogging was personal and up close. It was all about us, our life, our thoughts and ideas, sharing what we knew, getting people to help in different situations. Today, I find most of my blogging time is taken up by media events. Not that I am complaining. I enjoy attending those events. But I relegated my personal blogging to a low priority and I miss it. It is the essence of who I am as a blogger.
Of all my blogs, this blog is the one least updated because I’m reserving it for my personal posts. I was horrified today when I realized that my last post was in January as 2021 came round the corner. Almost half a year ago! That never happened when I first started writing in 2006.
So, when I have free weekends like today, I will write about things closest to my heart. No need to look for pictures to add to them. No pressure to include anchor texts, backlinks, keywords, and all that SEO stuff. Just plain ol’ writing of what’s inside me.
See you around!
I have a confession to make. I have never completed the Simbang Gabi (or Misa de Gallo) Masses in my entire life.
Our eldest daughter beat me to it. When she was still in university, she and some friends from our parish choir slept over at someone’s home to cook Arroz Caldo. They sang during the dawn Mass of Simbang Gabi and served the parishioners with sizzling hot Arroz Caldo afterward. It was something I always wished I could do but never got around to doing. The spirit was willing but the body just would not cooperate.
This COVID-19 pandemic, despite all its negative effects, has brought some good for me, personally. I have been able to spend more time with my children, something that I was hardly able to do since they began working. A bigger grace for me is actually being able to hear Mass more often, even on weekdays. This year, I made a decision to do all 9 novena days of Simbang Gabi.
Continue reading “The COVID-19 pandemic allowed me to attend Simbang Gabi in 2020!”