Ending This Decade with….

A grateful heart.

The decade 2009- 2019 was a roller coaster one. It had its share of ups and definitely low points. Hills and valleys. But in all those seasons, I was assured and kept secured that God was with me. That alone is enough reason to be grateful.

This decade saw me mourn the deaths of my precious loved ones — that of my father, grandma, uncles. But it also saw me rejoice in the truth that they are home in the arms of Jesus and someday soon, we will be reunited again.

This decade saw me shifted careers. From working in a posh 5-star hotel as a public relations officer, I am now enjoying my job as a preschool teacher. It was a shift I never regretted, though. Everyday that I go to school and get to see and experience the funny antics of my students, it’s an everyday reminder that I am exactly where God wants me to be. I am also grateful that I am still able to continue my passion for my writing as I still get to write for certain projects every now and then.

This decade saw me grow my faith in God and flourished in my walk with Him. It’s true when they say that you can experience more of Jesus if you spend more time with Him. I’ve come to know Him more and not just as a God resting in Heaven. He is my personal God and Savior. Year 2019, specifically, was the year that I’ve experienced God as my protector and shield. I am blessed to be experiencing this unconditional love from Him everyday. I am not a good person but His love is making me want to be better everyday.

This decade saw me answer the call to go to the nations. A calling I didn’t know I am actually deserving to have, but God qualified me for it. I went on a short sojourn in Medan, Indonesia and is now enjoying my season in Vietnam. Apart from the Philippines, these nations hold a special place in my heart. I got to enjoy their beautiful culture and share the beauty of knowing Jesus at the same time.

This decade also saw me keep the friends I knew from way back then and gain new friends I now call my constants. There were some I lost along the way but nevertheless, I am glad to keep those worth keeping. There were hellos and goodbyes as there were healings and restorations.

This decade saw me opened my heart again. I lost my first love in 2004 and I thought my heart won’t be able to love again. This new love isn’t the same as the old one, but who would want a repeat of an old love? I’m thankful that this new love is something I could enjoy discovering the beauty each new day. I like that it isn’t predictable and I like that I feel more secured now. It wasn’t the usual “highschool kilig” feels when we met. Rather, I felt more at home with him. I felt home with him. Will this love be until the end? Only God knows. I have offered this new love to Jesus and anchored it to Him because I know that only Jesus could make it work. I want Him to not be a special guest in our relationship but a very essential part of it.

In a few hours from now, I will be saying goodbye to this decade. This decade that gave me a different look at life. I am just thankful that God didn’t let me end this decade with unanswered prayers. I am grateful for the gift of family and friends who never fail to make me feel loved and cared for. Most of all, I am forever thankful to Jesus for choosing me and for loving me unconditionally all the days of my life.

Year 2020. I am ready to create new memories on your blank pages.

Back to School Teacher Blues

After a month of rest (well supposed to be two months but I worked for the summer camp so it was trimmed down to a month of vacation), I’m gonna be back to work again tomorrow, the 1st of August. And I share with the sentiments of the millions of teachers all over the world who’s going back to work again, I am not yet ready to go back.

Not that I don’t wanna work ever again.

Don’t get me wrong. I love my job. I love my school. I always tell everyone around me how thankful I am to be part of that school.

But…I am just not ready. Not physically and emotionally ready for any back to work stuff.

But tomorrow can’t be escaped. And to sprinkle some positivity, tomorrow should not be dragged.

I should view tomorrow as another blessing because I’m still part of my dream school. It helps to remind myself of that feeling I felt when I finally got offered this teaching job in this school. It helped to motivate me for the first day of going back to school.

Plus! It helped that we got our salary today! Yeehaw! I love my school!

So tomorrow can’t be escaped but it can be enjoyed. Work for now so I can save up and travel more during school breaks.

Cheers to all the teachers who are coming back to school soon!

What Will You Do If You Become An Instant Millionaire?

I believe I’d already answered this question twice before (on different occasions) with the same answer—I will build more schools for those children whose parents don’t have enough means to provide them the education they need.

It was the answer I gave when I embraced this calling of being a teacher.

This answer might be too good to be true for some, too righteous maybe, but really, that was the instant answer that came in my mind when that question was popped.

I want to build schools for those kids in the far flung provinces in the Philippines. I’m an avid fan of GMA-7’s documentaries and I must admit that my heart never fails to ache whenever I watch docus of children who had to walk a thousand miles, most of the time barefoot, just to get to their school. I want to build a school near them so they don’t have to travel that far just to have the proper education they need.

I want to build schools for the children of the poor communities, especially those who really want to study but don’t have enough means to do so. I want to make these children feel that as opposed to what they’re normally being told, education is not just for the rich or those who can afford, but education is for them too.

I want to build schools for children with special needs, those with autism or were born with Down Syndrome but couldn’t afford to go to SPED schools because they are too costly for them.

And yes, these schools I’m planning to build will all be free for everyone.

Back then, I never wanted to be a teacher. I even find this profession too baduy then. But God caused a 180 degree turn in my heart towards this profession. God gave me a change of heart. Suddenly, I found being a teacher such a noble job. In fact, I don’t want to label it as just a profession, but rather it is a vocation because teaching is a calling that requires a genuine heart to serve.

If only I could, I would want to go to these remote barrios in the Philippines and be a teacher there. But I just don’t know how. I don’t have yet enough means to do so. Or maybe, I’m still cowering of what my future will be if I will leave my life in the city and retreat in far-flung areas to be a volunteer teacher there. Or maybe still, there’s just no opportunity being presented to me yet because I believe that if there is, I would gladly heed on to the call. I believe that my being adventurous and patriotic weren’t innate in me for nothing. I know someday they will be put to good use.

I believe that God called me to become a teacher from being a writer and public relations practitioner because long before, I already have this heart to make education available for everyone. I want to help these kids to start dreaming again and dream big at that. I want to shape their minds and mold them to think big and never stop hoping for better days to come. i don’t want them to stop thinking that life will be better for them and their families. Furthermore, I want them to get to know Christ more. I want them to learn to trust in Him and completely put on their hopes on Him. I want these kids to see Jesus Christ as their one and only Super Hero.

I am not a millionaire and I’m not even sure when I will be one, but I will continuously pray that God will make use of me to bring education to these kids of poor communities and remote places–millionaire or not. I will pray for open doors to make this desire a reality.

How A Preschool Moving Up Day Made Me Cry…

If my memory serves me right, the last time I cried on a graduation day was during my high school graduation. Back then, I cried as a young teenybopper who was so attached to her high school friends and to her school and a bit afraid of what the new journey in college will bring her life. I cried over Madonna’s song ‘I Remember’ since that song really spoke of how I felt during that last day of my high school life.

More than a decade after that emotional scene from my high school graduation, I found myself dewy-eyed again ’cause of a school’s culmination activity. This time, the role that I played was way different from the one I portrayed ten years back. From being just the one waiting for her name to be called to go up the stage, I was now the one giving the certificate to the students. I’m now the teacher.

Being someone who’s easily attached to people and things, our school’s Moving Up Day was something I was looking forward to and dreading at the same time. I was excited about it because it’s a brand new experience for me, but I dreaded it since it meant bidding farewell to the kids, especially those who are already going to big schools.

And the inevitable separation happened this morning.

At first, the teachers were cool about the event. We were even laughing while decorating the venue. Then the kids arrived with their parents, and few moments after, the program started.

During the speech of the school’s directress, when she expressed her gratefulness to the parents, especially the sweet mommies who’ve been so helpful, so nice, and so thoughtful to us, I could already feel my tears wanting to fall down. Thankfully, I was able to hold it back.

Then the sweet mommies asked us to stay on the stage because they’ve prepared a small presentation for us. Thereupon, the kids formed a line holding three pieces of roses each. One by one–wait make that all of them–went up the stage and gave the teachers the roses, gave us a sweet hug, and said ‘thank you.’  That was the sweetest and the most rewarding  scene I’ve ever experienced in my 7 years of working professionally.

After few picture taking, I went down the stage. Cole and his mom came to me and asked to take a picture with me. I hugged Cole because I’ll surely going to miss him since he’s one of the sweetest kids in class. Mommy Jane (his mom) then told me that Cole was crying last night because it finally dawned on him that he’s not going to Escuela Legarda anymore next school year. And I could no longer forbear my tears. I hugged Cole once more, this time, it was tighter and I told him I’m really going to miss him.

I’m being so emotional, I know. I’m a teacher so I should get used to this kind of scenarios since every year, we’ll have Moving Up Day and we’ll say goodbye to different sets of kids. But still…This whole thing was just so heart-melting and I never thought that parents could really appreciate teachers like the way these parents did.

Now I know what’s the toughest part of being a preschool teacher is. It’s not about teaching them the basics and really starting from scratch, not even changing diapers or washing them after they made poo-poo. It’s saying goodbye to little angels who’ve been my babies for the last 10 months of my life.

I’m not sure if these kids will ever remember us when they go to big school, especially if they’ll grow accustomed to it already. I hope they will, though. But I will certainly keep them in my heart for as long as live. I know for sure that at any random day, I would be checking on my old albums of the school and relive the precious moments spent with these little angels through those photos.