Hello, 2010!!!

Happy New Year, everyone! :)

The year that passed was a great one for me. A lot of wonderful unexpected things happened, especially in relation to my work. I will forever be grateful to Bro for the opportunities He opened up to me in 2009. I know that He still has a lot of wonderful plans for me this year.

My main aim for 2010 is to be healthier. In 2009, I started joining aerobics classes while working the treadmill at home. For 2010, I will go back to doing yoga and will add more cardio exercises into my workout regimen. I've also started doing a little weights.

Being healthy also means watching what you eat. And this is what I will do this year. It's going to be difficult, I know; but I managed to do it some two years ago and I know I can do it again.

Among other things, I will also read more. I read a lot in 2009, but it was nothing compared to my usual reading load. A little portion of my salary will be allotted for books.

Also, I will get back to creative writing. I used to write a lot of poetry and short stories. For 2010, my aim is to come up with a personal compilation of my creative writings. I've been wanting to do this for years and I believe that the right time has come. In relation to this, I will also work on my mom's short stories and compile them.

There are still tons that I plan to achieve this year. I don't really have to enumerate them all here. I know them by heart, and I know that for the duration of 2010, they will be a part of me.

The most important thing for me now is to cultivate a positive attitude about everything in life. If I believe that I am already where my goals are, I will achieve everything that I have set out to do.

So, for 2010, my most important objective is to be positive and believe. If I am able to constantly do this, then I have already made my year complete even when it has just started.

Again, happy new year, everyone! Start making your dreams come true now!

Bro's Birthday

It's finally Christmas. To my family and friends...Merry Christmas! I hope we will all remember the real reason for all these fancy celebration: Jesus, or Bro (according to Santino). In the middle of all the gift giving, the sumptuous feasts, the fireworks, let us all remember to thank Him for allowing us to enjoy the life that we have, with all the people we love and care for.

To Bro,

                                                                                                             
                                                                                                           Happy Birthday!...and Thank You!

Ralph "Tito Laplap" Cecilio

Cagayan de Oro lost an inspiration when my uncle, Ralph Cecilio, died a few days ago. His battle with lung cancer has finally ended.

Tito Laplap, as we fondly called him, was a big man with a giant heart. He treated everyone in a special, unique way. He was also a teacher in every sense of the word - one who teaches you things beyond the four walls of a classroom. He was always ready to inspire you to learn. And this is how he became one of my inspirations back when I was still struggling to find my way as a teacher.

Nope, I was never in his classes. But he taught me a lot. He taught me the value of education. He taught me how to show my students what learning was all about. He taught me how to help my students love learning, especially when it came to all things related to Literature. He taught me that it was possible to make my students love reading and writing...and learning. All these he did without him saying a single word to me; without him teaching me what I needed to do. He only had to give me suggestions like "Let them watch this and that on channel this and that." Simple tips, but they meant a lot to me. And I learned a lot from these.

I stopped teaching in 2006. He never grew tired of it, not even when he was diagnosed with his cancer. Such courage! Such dedication! I wish I had known him much longer...I wish I had spent more time with him; more than the chit-chats we used to have every time we met each other after Sunday Mass in KetKai. But then, all that cannot be now. He has gone on to join our Master. The one who gave him his incredible gifts.

At least, I was a part of his life. At least, I was touched by his presence. Now all that I need to do is preserve every single learning that I got from him - from merely listening to him every time we talked, and from merely observing him when he was in deep conversation with someone else. I'll treasure every single one of those memories...forever. Someday, when I get the chance to go back to teaching, I know I'll be able to make use of the inspiration that he was, and still is, to me.

Now that he is gone, Cagayan de Oro has lost a shining example of an inspiration for the youth. There will not be anybody like him for years to come. He'll remain the only one.

'Bye, Tito Laplap! I'll miss you...