Washed Out Hearts: Prayers and Love for Typhoon Washi Victims

Christmas is a time of merry making and festivities. It is that time of the year when stress is related to shopping for gifts or staying all day at the mall searching for that perfect holiday dress. We focus on the joy and the holiday cheer that overcomes almost every one of us. We’re caught up in the season that we always think that nothing would go wrong.

But life being as unpredictable as it is, would sometimes force us to deal with things that we never thought we’d have to deal with. More than that, in the midst of all the parties and celebrations, one wouldn’t know if somebody’s heart is breaking or if another is dealing with a great loss.

Last Friday night, I was thinking of what I was going to wear for our company Christmas party. I had a nice full dinner  and slept peacefully with nothing but anticipation for what the next day was going to bring.

In another part of my country, people were sleeping soundly as well not knowing that when they wake up, they would be left with nothing. Some may never even have woken up.

It was December 16, 2011 when tropical storm Washi (local name Sendong) wrecked havoc in the southern Philippines and destroyed not only homes but families as well. As of now, an estimate of more than 1000 people are dead while a big sum are still missing. With death tolls rising, local government decided to hold a mass burial for all the victims of the storm. Funeral parlors were running out of coffins and the bodies are piling up everyday.

I knew what happened but it was only tonight when I saw the pictures that I saw the gravity of the situation. You know how it is when you hear news over the radio or have it passed from one person to another? It becomes a blurry image of the reality. That is why it is only now when I saw clear images of the situation that I realized that it is real and that people have lost so much.

Every Christmas, I see articles about understanding the true meaning of the season – that Jesus was born on earth to save us from our sins and to offer us redemption; hope. Every Christmas, we get blinded by the pretty lights, the fancy gifts and the glamorous events.

Redemption. Hope. Faith. Love. These are the values that Jesus gave to man when He saved His children from condemnation. This Christmas, why don’t we go past the twinkling lights, the decorated trees and perfectly wrapped gifts? This Christmas, why don’t you offer your prayers, your heart and whatever you can give to send warmth to these people who have suffered so much?

Nobody deserves to be alone on Christmas. Moreso, nobody should be overtaken with so much sorrow and grief. My heart bleeds for all the children who have lost their mothers and fathers; to those parents who have lost their kids. We complain of not having enough money for all the gifts we want to give yet these people have lost more.

The world is a big place with people of different nationalities, races and cultures. But like this blog, we are still neighbors in a global sense.

Let’s help each other. Let’s help them.

The greatest gift we can ever give this Christmas are the ones that can’t be bought.

There are various means of helping. If you want to help in any way that you can, click here.

Sendong Photos were taken from here. (Feature Image included) Click for more.

Before and after photos were from here.

Sendong Relief Poster source.

Are You A Replica Of Your Past?

I stumbled upon this on Tumblr a few moments ago. Just to get it out in the open, I don’t normally bother reacting to things I see there. I just simply reblog, like or ignore. However, when I see statements that I feel strongly about, I can’t help it. I have to say something.

“Something in the past created them, and sometimes it’s impossible to fix them.”

Here are a few things. Yes, an experience creates a person’s perception of things making him who he is today. However, there is a difference between letting that experience define you regardless if you are helpless or not and letting your decision as a reaction to that experience make you. You still have control over who you want to be and how you intend to see things. It’s your decision to be depressed and it’s your decision to put the past behind you, move on and be happy. I know it’s not easy as it sounds because believe me, I’ve been there but taking an extra effort to rise beyond your circumstances is a much more beautiful story than one that is just solely based on a person who just let things happen to them.

Yes, every person has their own story – some happy, some sad but they can act differently unless they choose not to. I had a pretty twisted history, too but I did not let that get to me. I did for the most part of my middle school and high school which then led to more bad decisions but there comes a point in one’s life when you realize that you have got to be more than who you are now because of what you’ve been through. And when one goes through that, that’s when you start getting up and moving forward.

Yes, something in the past made us into who we are but we can choose to not just be a living and breathing replica of our past. It is in our hands whether we want to remain the same or not.

And yes, some may be impossible to fix only because they refuse to be fixed or they haven’t realized yet that they need fixing. It’s not about letting others “fix you”, it’s about helping yourself so you could be better.

What about you? What do you think about this statement?

Featured photo taken by me using the iPhone 4. Post processing with Instagram.

Awkward Beginnings

There is a certain type of pressure that comes with writing a very first blog entry at an international neighborhood. There is that constant fear of people not appreciating your thoughts, grammatical error slips here and there and the thought that you may not just be good enough.

I have always been bad at beginnings. I am awkward, I falter and I don’t exactly know what the best thing is to say. But then I remember that out of all the blogs lying out there, mine was good enough to be noticed by someone. Someone who by far thinks that I can offer something to the world. Then I realize that maybe I don’t need to falter, maybe I don’t need to say the right things, maybe I just need to be me.

Hi everyone, my name is Jen. I’m a single mother of a beautiful 5-year-old girl, lover of music and the arts and has a constant urge for adventure. Here I will share my thoughts, my experiences and my loves.

Join us and be a part of a wonderful global blogging experience. :)