Remember when I said your simple posts can touch lives? I know mine did in a very beautiful way. 

This is Pat Pat. She read my post and did her best to contact me. She calls me Ate Apple and sends me messages since I talked to her through PM the other day. You think it would be that easy for a 19-year old to do that but not her...she has Muscular Dystrophy. She told me she used to attend ballet classes but after getting sick, she can't walk anymore. She never stopped requesting that I see her today until I finally had time to hop in my car and visit her even for a few minutes.

I can imagine everything has changed since she was diagnosed with the disease but regardless of what she's going through, she still has that BRIGHT smile on her face.

This is a beautiful day. It's Joaquin's birthday and even if my little boy has a nasty toothache, we were blessed to meet a wonderful person.

You want to know what BRAVE means? Ask Pat Pat. 

My mom and I decided to eat at Jollibee - One Mercedes Avenue after a grueling hour at the local market today. I was really starving and couldn’t care less if I had to stand in line. I usually don’t listen and just order away but this service crew caught my attention. Her name is Jhaz Bormate. She greeted me with an eager smile and her exceptionally SMILING EYES – a sincere gesture I don’t really see in people who should be working in the line of customer service. After paying for my order, I did not even bother to count my change and went straight to the table where my mom was sitting. After a minute, I got up and washed my hands. While I was doing so, I was surprised to see Miss Bormate standing behind me holding a P100 bill. She handed me the money and with all apologies, she said “kulang po ng P100 yung change nyo kanina.” There were more than 50 people in the store and seeing how I mindlessly put the change in my pocket, she could’ve just kept the money. Instead of taking advantage of the situation, she left her post at the counter and looked for me in the crowd just so she can give back what she owed.

Once in a while, you come across strangers who prove to be worthy of a commendation and this young lady is one of them. Trustworthiness is rare these days. Let’s face it, most people would think twice before they do a random act of kindness such as this one. It’s only a small amount but voluntarily giving it back helped her earn so much of my RESPECT.

No matter how crooked the world may seem to be, there’s still a handful of GOOD people out there. And I take my hat off to people like Miss Bormate who value honesty and exemplify INTEGRITY.

Raise the roof, Jhaz. I hope someday, you’ll be able to spread your wings and fly higher. You deserve it.

For my FATHER...

I was only 20 years old when I got pregnant with Miguel. I remember feeling so angry, confused and scared. Being a rebellious kid, I refused to cry despite the gravity of what I got myself into. My dad called for me and asked me to come to the library so we could talk. Hinahanda ko na yung mga pisngi ko nun in anticipation that my dad would slap me on the face. I sat beside him

and was waiting for the most hurtful words but instead of raising his voice, he tapped my tummy and gently said, “May apo na pala ako dyan.” That was the only time I finally gave in and cried in his arms.

That moment in my turbulent young life officially made me a certified Daddy’s girl.

I am already 35 years old but STILL, my dad tucks me in bed. He makes sure I have a blanket to keep me warm. He loves touching my forehead, fixes my hair and still says the words “I love you” before he leaves my side.

He was and still is my greatest supporter. Happy Father's Day! Love you.

Let me share with you an experience I had years back when I was still working as a call center agent. I had the privilege of sharing this online but the site closed down before I could even retrieve anything.

About five years ago, I worked as an inbound call center agent in a BPO located in Taguig City. I had already submitted my resignation and only had roughly a week to finish my contract. I was down to my last two hours before my shift ended so I was quite tired and my voice cracked once in a while. I received a call from a client who lives in Canada. As usual, I said my opening spiel and asked what the problem was. He said he has a small concern about his account and wants certain changes. One thing about Filipinos, no matter how long they have stayed in a foreign country and embraced the native tongue, there’s still that distinct PINOY tone you will recognize when you talk to them over the phone. So I pulled up his account and I saw that his last name is MONTEMAYOR. I was quite happy knowing I was talking to a ‘kababayan’ and feeling a bit rebellious against company rules that we should never start conversations in Filipino, I politely asked if he’s from the Philippines. I was taken aback when he replied a strong NO. He said his last name is not pronounced as MON-TE-MA-YOR, but rather, it was MONT-ME-YER. Feeling quite annoyed that this man was so consumed with being a Canadian citizen that he didn’t want to be tagged as a Filipino, I apologized and went ahead in helping him make the changes in his account. Just as we were finishing the whole conversation, I heard women’s voices in the background. They were so loud that I could hear them trying to say something to the client I was talking to. To my amusement, the women were talking in FILIPINO! The man was obviously trying to hush the exceptionally loud ladies but his efforts were worthless. I already heard the language they were speaking and at the back of my mind, I was proudly telling myself “SCORE for Apple. Huli na kita, Manong.”

One thing about me though, I do not like humiliating people when I prove myself right in any situation…but I WILL find a way to make you admit what you’ve been trying to hide. So I pretended not to hear anything and finished my business. Like a robot programmed to say the same words over and over again, I reluctantly said my closing spiel and asked him if there was anything else I can do for him. When he said no, I took the chance of saying the words “Alright then, MARAMING SALAMAT PO.” You can’t imagine how much I wanted to give a sarcastic laugh when he mindlessly said “WALANG ANUMAN.”

-- Mr. MONTMEYER is actually Ginoong MONTEMAYOR.

Tomorrow is Philippine Independence Day. As we try to wave our little flags with the 3 stars and the Sun, I hope we also try to rekindle that PRIDE of being PINOY. No matter where you are in the world, never be ashamed of who you are and where you came from. The Philippines is a beautiful country and being PINOY is something you should always be proud of.

My parents sent me to an exclusive school when I was young. It was and still IS one of the best. I spent 13 long years in St. Paul Pasig and not once did I feel that my parents didn’t provide what I needed. When I was in High School, my mom would give me P100 for my daily allowance. That was the time when the Pop Swatch was a must and knitted socks from Marks and Spencer was considered highly fashionable. I graduated a happy 17-year-old kid but I was completely unaware of what life really was outside that comfort zone.

Today, despite feeling unwell, is laundry day until I read this article on the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. I just had to drop everything, grab the Mac and share this online. It was just a short article but it was worth every second of my time. The story of this boy is so touching that it made me realize everything I had when I was his age and everything he doesn’t have compared to privileged kids today. His name is Charls Bryan Katipunan – son of a taxi driver. I’m guessing a P50-Mc Savers meal is already considered a ‘once in a blue moon’ treat for someone like him. On his graduation day, he delivered his speech and told his story with much pride and not out of self-pity. He said his piece with hope that he could give a positive example for those aspiring to finish their studies. He experienced the hardships and he graduated TOP OF HIS CLASS.

Charls is an example of how tough the Filipino spirit is. He didn’t have the ‘luho’ I had while growing up but he lived up to his name -- Katipunan – one who dared to rebel against the prevailing situation and work for something only the toughest of the tough can achieve. It gives you a feeling of pride to read about Filipinos who stood the test and won. It also makes you wonder how many more could be like him IF ONLY they could go to school.

Call me a dreamer but I sincerely hope the Philippines would produce more like him through EXCELLENT and FREE education. Countless times we hear people in government promising food on the table of every Filipino family. What the poor Juan Dela Cruz does not realize is he’s just like a burdened mule feeding on straw from the hands of his master. If you provide housing and funds for business, you’ll just have the Filipino depend on what government can give. PROVIDE EDUCATION and you give the Filipino the power to be self-sufficient.

Charls’ story is worth sharing. The story of a simple boy who struggled can spark much awareness in a society that is lukewarm to this basic need of underprivileged Filipino children.

-- It is not enough that we feed the hungry stomachs of our children. It is also our responsibility to feed their minds.

Damn you.

People can be such HYPOCRITES.

You don't treat someone as roadkill and speed away like nothing happened. You don't do that and start liking posts on Facebook about God and being a righteous person.

That's how you do it.

When somebody you've loved and served with all your soul leaves you, it's okay to be mad. It's normal to be angry for a time.

You should give yourself the chance to feel hate and resentment. Emotions that are deemed negative can always turn out to be your means to move forward.  It serves as a block for you to look back and start remembering things that belong in the past; it stops your tears from falling again and again. The world dictates that you should learn to forgive to set yourself free -- that is true...but that part comes only AFTER you've satisfied yourself of your right to shout out all the anger in your heart. You can't possibly feel so much pain and rejection and suddenly jump to forgiving when you know you deserve justice.  

If they leave, let them. Never beg. Never stand in front of  a door that has already been shut and locked to keep you out. And if you think of retribution by getting back at the people who've made you feel like shit, STOP. Giving yourself 'justified justice' does not mean stooping down and becoming too cheap. Let yourself be immersed in silent anger and let that feeling turn into unbreakable PRIDE. 

Love is just an emotion. You can turn things around and make it work to your advantage. Keep your heart on a tight leash for a while and let your goddamn brain work for once. Think of it this way: If you yearn to breathe fresh air in the midst of all the smoke, try to suck it all in first. Let the stench linger for a while. The more you expose yourself to intoxicating fumes, the more your body becomes immune. That ability to withstand everything becomes your growing armor. 

It's only in the beginning that people will forget you; it's only in the first stages of letting go that they'll treat you as non-existent. But so long as you've planted the best memories in their minds, trust me, even the coldest of hearts turn warm in time. In the process of letting anger overcome you, help yourself regain what you may have lost. Look at your image in the mirror and convince yourself that you are worth every goddamn respect. That overwhelming feeling of resentment will mold you into someone tougher; the feeling releases strength you have hidden in your system. By the time people realize what they lost, you'll be swimming in what you've gained. 

Forgiveness will come at the proper time. Don't force it. Remember that you cannot completely forgive when you have a broken soul. Premature forgiveness only satisfies THEM and leaves you drowning in self-pity. Forcing yourself too early to forgive and forget is like giving them the privilege of washing their dirty hands and get away scot-free. In real life, you know that is not what you want. 

Pick up the pieces first and mend your wounds. If you have to use pride and anger as adhesives, DO IT. Let time naturally sweep away all the negative feelings in your heart. It will happen without you knowing it. When it finally heals, you won't feel anger anymore. What's left is a very strong heart -- one that is willing to go to battle with a tough armor; one that is ready to LOVE again.  

This is not called bitterness. This is just how you deal with it in real life.