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Courage , Perseverance ,Faith Friendship and Giralda Tower of Seville( the Beth and Jo story )

Giralda Tower and Cathedral

Giralda Tower is one of the iconic tower in Seville. At 104.2 meters or 32 floors it has dominated the skies of Andalusia for 800 years. An impressive Gothic design , it’s beauty does not only radiates outside but as well as inside . After all this is one of the four Unesco Heritage of Seville

Giralda tower

JO AND Beth

They have been friends for quite a while now . They have experienced the hardest storms of their lives but still manages to rise up. They are now both enjoying their pension years

My admiration for these two women become more deeper when we have visited Seville ,Spain a couple days ago .

Part of the trip was to explore the Iconic Cathedral and its renown tower . Being a history geek I was very excited to get inside since I have read that Christopher Columbus was buried here . ( that is for later to write about )

The mausoleum of Christopher Columbus

The Climb

Jo and Beth roamed around the Cathedral, admiring the gothic / moorish design of walls. Me, being me looked for them and told them to join me to the top of the tower.

None of us have expected that the climb would be so steep.

I went ahead and Edgar the husband of Clair would follow them indiscreet. Beth would just sing a praise song while holding the hands of Jo ..

Jo is a burned survivor. Forty- five percent air capacity of her lungs was damaged during the fire . She has some joints problem too . To be able to climb the Giralda tower would be a great challenge for her. A step at a time …a breath for every rounds she made it holding Beth’s hand .

As they approached the 32nd floor at their own pace tears of joy and contenment flows down into their eyes . While Edgar and myself cheered their conquest!

Exhausted but victors

Tears of Joy

The proud nanny

Reflection

Beth and Jo are the two epitome of women who doesn’t know how to give up . No matter how hard life will treat them they would move ahead at their own paces, carrying the faith within them . It is this faith that gave them hope, the same hope that push them to persevere.

Yes , they have been through the darkest moment of their lives .. but like the climbed that they did in Giraldo Towers they did it at their own pace with faith in their hearts and if things really gets rough they would stop and cry they never questioned God instead they bow down humbly … take a breath and continue with their respective journeys

They have conquered the top , survived the battles now it is time to rejoice, enjoy and be grateful of what life will bring them .

The victory dance as they approaches the exit of the tower

Beth and Jo fearless yet soft at heart .

“Courage isn’t having the strength to go on – it is going on when you don’t have strength.”

― Napoleon Bonapart

The Giraldo crew .

Special thanks to Edgar who took good care of them

September 29, 2022

#grateful, #happinessjournals, #journey #travels, #journeychronicles #lifeinspiration #selflove #bravelife, #victory, friendship, inspiration
Randall’s Cup

The boy who taught me what death is .

Seventeen years ago I lost my youngest brother due to pancreatitis . He was thirty years old and full of dreams.

His death came unexpected ,his death left a huge hole in my heart . A hole that I have learned to co-exist seventeen years after his gone . Each year stronger than myself I would relived the journey that I have been through , our the last conversations and the emotions.. Seventeen years , I still felt that I have come short as a sister and a friend .Seventeen years.. I still have the “maybe if …I could have .. ”

I have admired the friendship that he have built with his friends seven years after his death Christopher one of the homeboys continue the passion that they all have . He would organize a basketball tournament among group of friends .

This is their way of giving tribute to a friend , brother , playmate .. Every year around this time .. when I would normally shed tears Randall’s cup is born.

Randall’s cup is an ode for my brother .. this is a manisfestion on how he was loved by the people that surrounds him .

At this time of the year . I would look at the pictures of these basketball tournament with a smile in my heart … I would look up thr skies and imagine that He my angel , my benjamin , my brother , my friend is smiling down at us ..

He is gone but never be forgetten .. I will love him till I will see him again

September 19, 2022

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My Affirmation

I will always celebrate life

Embrace every moment that comes . I will not wait for tomorrow , today is all that matters .

I will learn to let go of attachments . Accept the fact that everything in this realm of life are borrowed and temporary .

I will love no matter what and I will choose happiness.

A valley of goodness , an alley of love .. a road to kindness and being grateful.

July 8, 2022

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Pulses of happiness

Happiness is a choice . It is being grateful on those little moments that matters most . It is the smile of the young man eating his favorite chicken curry ( in his taste pallet this is the most delicious chicken curry in the entire planet 🙂) Or knowing that the children that you have raised knows the importance of Please, Thank you and Sorry.

It is that moment that your child walked into the aisle to recieved his highschool diploma. Or just simply having a good conversation with people that matters while enjoying the sunset .

Happiness is cheap and most of the time it is free . It is at times overlooked by the shimmering things that this world offers .

Look inside you , smile , breath and choose to be happy no matter what the circumtances are .

Today is a better day than yesterday . Today is a day to be grateful for . Today we will find that pulse of joy in our heart

❤️

I will always choose to filled my heart with happiness, kindness and to be grateful of lessons that life gives me .

July 5, 2022

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Think before you speak

Our mind is a dangerous place to live as our words are sharper than the deadliest sword .. think before you speak

Our mind will play tricks on us if we just let it flow. Stop ,think take a deep breath.

Look and listen to that tiny voice of positively .. shift that negative thoughts to a happy one .

Our words are like a double edged sword it cuts both ends .. Words that hurt are sometimes difficult to undoen .

Stay still… process your thoughts be concious of words . After all it is not what you have said that matters it is how you have delivered the message .

Be kind , understanding and gentle for we do not know truly the journey of one’s soul …

July 4, 2022

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Mother

She who carried you for nine months

She who gave you life

She is the safe haven when everything around you is in havoc

She is the confidant that you can count on . A person that will standby you no matter what .

She is a friend who would hold your hands without questions ask . She respects your choices and at the same time guides you through .

She is the wind under your wings . Let you soar and if life is sometimes hard she is there to catch you with her kind understanding words .

To the person who have perfected the meaning of multi -tasking . The person who have love us no matter what ….

Happy Mother’s day ..

M O T H E R .. She is the secret -keeper , the friend and the person who loves us most .

May 8, 2022

#grateful, #kindness, #love #relationship, mothersday
Light in Us

Light that burns ,light that shines .. always believe that there is a light shines in you

Light that guide us through the darkest tunnel . Warms our soul when the world turns cold .

Share your light ,share your brightness . Illuminate to those who needs warmth and ray .

Be your own light , let it radiates around you till the people that surrounds you felt uplifted.

Be the light in someone’s dark path be the smile in someone’s frown .. Be kind .

Dusk of brightness , dusk of hope

❣️

May 6, 2022

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Manay

I will always celebrate my friendship with you . Regardless of time ,distance and age I will always embrace our fond memories .

Growing up with you , shaping our beliefs was easy because you were there to listen and share your uncensored thoughts .

How miss our “stair conversations” at your house years ago with coffee in our hands .. How you describe our love and differences . In your own words

” There is this two souls that are facing a cliff in able to continue with their respective journeys they must jump over the cliff to see the other side . The carefree holds the hand of her friend and asked her if would like to just jump over the cliff with her . Her friend said Carefree one just go ahead and wait for me at the other side . Without any second thoughts the carefree soul took the leap over the cliff and made the most infectious giggle while the other one stands there calculating that what are the possibilities that might go wrong .” You look at me and said .. “I sometimes love your lust of adventure ” and I answered ” I wish that I have your ways in handling situations logically. “

I know you love hearing my craziness it is a given ..I want to believe I somehow colored your life as you have mine in every single ways .

Manay , I am always grateful for our friendship and for allowing me to come home in every adventure .

Our friendship is beyond words , distance and time ..This is the rock that holds my heart. I love you Manay ..

We both love this poem . For it describes our individuality and friendsip

May 4, 2022

#grateful, #happiness, #happinessjournals, #love #relationship, friendship, inspiration
Travels , connections and friendships

Let me journal our travels ..

This journey started back in Dec 2018 when a couple of my highschool batchmates came to Belgium and have a small meet up. Some of them I have already met a couple of years prior to this gathering while the others …. its was ages that we have seen each other and one in particular reaaaaally don’t know me . 🙂🙂🙂 ooh the good side of it is that she is now one of my good friends .. ( love you Viv 😘)

A gathering that I thought would only be a one time affair. As a private awkward person as I am. I have gathered all my social skills for heaven knows I am quite uncomfortable in these kinds of gatherings. One of the many reasons that I seldom attended a reunion.

To my surprise it turned out to be a very fun tapok . There was no moment dullness nor have I felt uncomfortable . So , at the end of this reunion we have agreed to try to do it yearly ..

2018 the start of more travel stories to be shared . Belgium , The Netherlands and Germany Dec 2018

Copenhagen here we come

2019 same month but with a much larger group. Three old aquintances joined the 2019 tapok .

Seeing Noel, Ralla , Jadine for the first time after all these years made me a bit of emotional . Getting to know the lovely personas of Roselyn , Bong and Reymund adds another shade of color to this gathering . Unfortunately some of us were not able to join Copenhagen but we have tried to connect through video chat .

Hugs , bit of tears of joy makes the streets of copenhagen bit warmer and louder .

I believe that Bong and Reymund were not as comfortble at the start of the tapok but at the end of the week both have become the Prince of this tapok .

We have explored the food markets, trivoli , christmas markets and of course visited the little mermaid of Copenhagen . While we ate chinese food at Malmo , Sweden 🙂

Like the in 2018 , there was no dull moment only memories were made and the friendship that has been build back then have become stronger . We can’t get enough , we have then planned the next travel gathering for 2020 ..

We always see to it that we will have a dramatic ,iconic group picture, Copenhagen and Sweden , Dec 2019

It should have been Bilbao

High from the Copenhagen get together we then planned for our next trip . 2020, we would explore the home of the golden beaches , Guggenheim museaum and delicious pintxos ( local tapas) . Yes! We were planning to explore Bilbao with a side trip to the culinary world capital of Donastia or San Sebastien .

Planning was on going until the unforseen circumstances came … COVID 19 rule the world and taught us to plan day by day .

We hang on and hope it would be over before our actual trip . By late September gave in to reality 2020 will be not our year to have a get together ..

We would wait up for this pandemic to passed and the world to reopen …

While waiting up for the world to re open we did what we could to keep in touch .

And of course our traditional dramatic picture whether we are on exploring or just simply stating a statement , Pandemic 2020

Taking our chances, Making memories in Santorini Greece

Santorini trip was so far one of the most personal get together that I have experienced . It was very intimate . We have lived in one house and did everything as one group for we must create one social bubble as one of the safety measures that we have observed during the 6 days gathering . We even share one shampoo 🤣🤣🤣

Only those who were ready to travel joined this gathering .. it was a very small group .It was here that I have developed a much more deeper fondness of both Jen and Ralla .

I love the Sim’s morning news ( covid 19 related ) updates , Viv’s coffee and who would ever forget the night that Liv prepares for Sim’s surprise party ( pre 50 party). The respect that we have for each others personal space and stories was admirable . I just know that I love cooking for these people for cooking is my way of expressing my love for someone.

Happy faces , happy hearts … Santorini Greece 2021 was more than magical thanks to these amazing people .

Mini get togethers

Because we simply love the friendship that we have build . Each opportunity given to us we will always try to make the best of it ..

From Rotterdam shoppings spree , Ju’s grand fab 50 bash and Irelands st.Patty we bond we document and keep it in our hearts.

Making every moment memorable … Rotterdam , Belgium and Ireland 2022

Where to next …

Keeping our fingers cross, end of this year we will be exploring the land of fire and Ice …One of the homes of Aurora Borealis and the legendary Blue lagoon . Yes Iceland ! And we are ready for it … We would be embracing the new one’s that would join us . This will be on on the 25th of November till the 1st of December ..

End note

Here is what I know, in every place that we will be exploring , it will always be magical because of the connection that we build . To more intimate breakfast and dinner talks .. to the laughs that we will share … let us make memories together .

❤

April 18, 2022

#happiness, #journeychronicles #lifeinspiration #selflove #bravelife, friendship, inspiration
Eight or so in me

I read somewhere that in life’s survival we need to see the eight years old version of us and the eighty years old to guide us.

In my case I would like to reflect on that little chubby four or so girl who refuses to conform to what the society asked her to do .

I started early on going to school. At one point , I was not allowed to attend the classes because I was too young and there was not enough chairs for the legimate pre-schooler . But I love the free calamansi drink that the Protestant kindergarten school gave to their pre schooler that I have convinced my mother to buy me a chair . The following I walked confidently to the classroom bringing my own chair and a glass ( for the calamansi ) . There was no more reason that I was not allowed to attend those delicious and fun classes . For the next 4 years I have attended the kindergarten ( started as visitor at the age of two or something then nursery , kinder 1 and 2 )

Before my kinder 2 ends I have accompanied a cousin of mine who would take an entrance exam at a private elementary school .. at the end of the day I was accepted to joined the first grader for the following school year . I was five almost six I feel like I conquer the world 🙂

By March 1980, I was invited together with my parents to attend the recognition day since I was one of the top 10 in my class. My mother was still doing errands and I got anxious that I have to be late for the awarding ceremony that I took the matters in my hands I wore a green long dress ( I felt so pretty ) and wore my slippers ( not the fancy ones ) and halted a tricycle (a public transportation typical in the Philiplines) that brought to my school .

This is the typical me , I dont wait for things to happen .. as much as possible and if I can I will make it happen . You see me with my wide smile easy to talk aura and I would most of the time give in easily … But the one’s that I would say NO are non negotiable .

My bounderies have a clear cut if you step on it I would politely ask you to step back but if you persist…with a smile I am closing my doors .

At eight or so I have my own rules .. These rules that has guided me through the rough patches of my journey . When I would reflect the eighty in me I know I will have no regrets .

My heart is big , full of kindness and my trust is difficult to win .. But if and if I think its too much I have no second thoughts of taking people out of my life . For I believe that the last person that I should disappoint is ME .

I am scribbling randomly because I feel like it .. My way , my Rules ..

How about you ? What is the eight or so in you?

The child who conforms only with her rules

April 14, 2022

#acceptance, #contemplation #importance, #happiness, #happinessjournals, #selflove #womanhoon, #victory, inspiration