Counting Blessings

I was recently reminded that I have been given so much. Indeed, there are so many things I have to be thankful for. Bear with me as I count my blessings.

Warning: long post with a lot of self-affirmations ahead.

my parents

I was blessed with loving parents who never gave up on me.  They provided for all my needs and tried hard to provide my wants.  They never abandoned me even during times I was unlovable.

my grandparents

My grandparents were sweet and loving and totally adored me! Because of them I grew up believing I was beautiful!

My grandparents together with my mom, my aunt and my uncle.

My beautiful grandmother

my sister

I have been rather sad lately because my sister and I are not as close as we used to be. However, I'm still happy God gave me my sister.  God knew I needed someone to play with, to laugh with,  to sing with, to share my secrets with, so He gave her to me.   Though I used to pull her hair when I was four and she was two and she used to bite me, we still grew up as close as two sisters could get.

That's my sister wearing the blue slipper.

Just before we left for school. I was 13 and she was 11.

My sister in plaid.

She's the one in pink.

my son

My son was born strong, healthy and smiling.  He smiled at his doctor and showed a dimple on one cheek.  When the doctor brought him out of the delivery room to show him to my family, he smiled at my dad and showed two dimples, one on each cheek!

He was a happy baby, full of life, sweet and affectionate.  He entertained us and even crowds of strangers with his songs and dance.  He learned his ABC's when he was one and a half.  He could sing Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin from start to finish when he was two and he could hit all the right notes too! He learned to read sentences when he was three.  He wrote his first story when he was five. He made his first comic book when he was six.  He plays the violin excellently.  He can play a musical piece just by listening to it.  He now plays in church.  

After a music festival

Please find time to listen to my son play.  I want to share his music to the world.  You won't regret clicking the play button.
 This was taken a year and a half ago.

My is also good in drawing.

The Blessed Virgin, done when he was eight.

Ruel

He is really Godsend.  He has waited for me for so long and never gave up on me.  He is the most loving man I have ever met, aside from my dad and my grandpa.  He always thinks of my welfare, as well as my son's.  He thinks of my parents' welfare as well.  He is sweet and thoughtful and very principled.  He makes me very happy and I cannot wait to be his wife.

I don't think I can find a better man.  He is my superman!

I have been blessed with friends who are out of the country but I know for certain that they will always be there for me when I need them.  

Tina, Renan, Jen O, Maike, thank you!

I have been blessed with friends in school, in and outside our department, you know who you are.

Thank you.

My Sunlife friends, Myla and Lalaine...they know me inside out and love me just the same!

My fellow Brigadoonians who have made me feel so young the past months, thank you.

Jen T.

Jen was my college best friend. We did everything together, giggled and laughed about everything.   We shared a passion for writing to our penfriends all across the globe. Our biggest problem was how to talk to boys!  

We do not see each other as often as we used to but whenever we do, it's like nothing has changed. She is still the same old Jen I know who listens to me ramble on and on and who loves watching people.

Jen is the one in blue. This was taken when we were both 18.

Ate Lyn

She is a cousin I wasn't close to growing up but who is now like a sister to me.

Ate Bing

my cousin and my playmate

                                                              Fidel

He was my first, the father of my son. I would have had a different son if it had not been for him. In our years together there were good moments and those were blessings.  There were also bad moments and I still consider them blessings....in disguise.  

Mrs. Cellona

My grade four teacher who took notice of a shy girl.

Mr. Antonio

My Philosophy of Man teacher who believed in me and gave me the confidence I needed. He was also the one who taught me to appreciate the fundamental goodness of man and planted in me a certain hunger to become fully and truly human.

This has gotten way so long but I am still counting my blessings and I thank those who are still reading at this point.

Now let's go to me....

I have a quick, analytical mind.

I can write poems and stories.

I can write to inspire and to convince.

I can also make people laugh.

I enjoy dancing and God gave me the ability to dance.  I'm not saying I'm excellent at it, but people say I am graceful  so I guess that's good enough for me.

I can act.

I have been given plenty of opportunities to do the things I love to do.

I'm short and I cannot join beauty pageants but...

God allowed me to join one...and I earned a place too!

I'm not a good singer but....

I sang plenty of times in a choir and in front of an audience.

I wanted to be a movie actress but I did not become one.

However, God gave me the chance to act in a play.

Somehow I always get what  I want when I put my mind to it.

My students always win in contests whenever I help them.

My face is not the kind of face that stops people and makes them turn around but....

some people actually think I'm pretty.

AND my face really looks good in pictures.

I never needed a dentist to put braces on my teeth but people have always complimented me on my teeth.

I love Zambales mangoes and God gave us a small mango farm.

I almost died of dengue hemorrhageic fever when I was 18...

I told God, it was ok to take me but then I was so sad because I had never fallen in love yet.

And God allowed me to live.

And allowed me to fall in love, again and again...and again.

I asked God to send me someone, someone I can love and who will love me and my son.

He gave me Ruel.

We are getting married in December.

I am short and small in frame.

But I have learned to accept it, am confident despite of it and consider it as a blessing in disguise.

It actually allows me to move thru crowds quickly.

I prayed for a Church annulment of my marriage and it was granted.

I have everything I need.

I have been blessed with a Catholic faith.

I have a good foundation of my faith.

God protects me and my loved ones always. He keeps us away from harm and sickness.

I have so many other blessings that I probably have not mentioned here.

I have always wanted to have a lovely voice....

But God did not give it to me.

Probably, He was thinking I already had enough.

Hahaha!

I am loved and valued by people who matter.

So thank you, God, for everything. Please continue to bless me and my loved ones always.

I have certainly been blessed with so much.

I am blessed with this blog and with people who read it.

I hope they  will also start counting their blessings.