48. Old, SO OLD. My collagen meter may be low, but my happiness meter is at an all time high. The older I get, the happier I try to be. Really, happiness is a state of mind – the motto “fake it till you make it” is there for a reason. Believe you’re happy, pretend that you are, and at some point, you will be. 🙂

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Do I have problems? Of course I do. Thankfully, much less than most, and a teeny bit more so than some. But I’ve just been so blessed in other aspects that I CHOOSE to be happy. I know it’s easier said than done, but I try my best. I really do.

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BE HAPPY and then your happiness will vibrate out into the Universe and attract more to you to make you even happier!

1.) Forgive and forget. Forgiving is the easier part, forgetting is a bitch. Ang hirap naman kasing kalimutan nalang ng basta-basta ang nakaraan diba? You know of my deep wounds from my childhood. But after all that’s been said & done, last year after so many years & tears, I finally forced myself to forgive & forget. And now my heart is better for it. One day, I  just decided to talk to him & released all my anger & bitterness. So now these feelings no longer have any power over me. Ang laki ng ginaan ng dibdib ko. My Dad may not be my favorite person in the world, but at least he’ll always be my favorite “what if”.

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2.) Be Kind. Always. Even when it seems so hard. “Be kind to animals” (yung mga asal hayop) kung baga. Si Kap ang eksperto diyan sa “Be Kind” eh. My estranged aunts have been provoking me for the longest time. Tumanda ako ng hindi oras sa kanila. If it were up to me, I want an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. But Kap told me “Sweetheart, matanda na sila. Saka isipin mo nalang, tayo kapag pumupunta sa korte naka-kotse, may aircon. Samantalang sila naka-jeep lang. Sobra-sobra ang blessings na natatanggap natin, ipag-paubaya mo na sa kanila yan.” Eh di sige, drop na ora mismo. Sabi ni Kap eh. 😛

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3.) Be grateful. In everything give thanks. Speaking of these aunts, they had the gall, in spite of what horrors they did to me, na sampahan pa ako ng kaso for perjury for some Secretary’s Certificates I signed through the years as the Corp Sec of our family corporation. Wala kasi silang ibang mahanap na kusot pang-buraot kaya pati perjury pinatulan, makapanggulo lang. 20 c0unts, 10 each from Makati & Las Pinas. Thank God the cases in Makati have been dismissed. Itong sa Las Pinas nakapag-“donate” siguro sila kaya may warrant na akong lalabas. 10 counts, 300 days sa bilangguan. Congratulations blood relatives. Great job. I’m sure your namayapang parents & brother are very proud of your accomplishments. \m/ So here I go complaining to Kap. Yung kinita kasi sana namin for the month, imbes na maipangbayad sa ibang mga gastusin, dito lang mapupunta. Sa bail at sa abogado. 😐 Sweetheart, arangkada ni Kap, binigyan tayo ng Diyos ng kita itong buwan para ibayad diyan sa problema natin (take note, hindi “mo”. He shares even my burdens). Huwag mong isipin na gastos yan. Isipin mo nalang binigyan tayo ng Diyos ng pambayad, kaya huwag ka nang manghinayang. Pera lang yan, babalik din yan. 

May wisdom talaga itong asawa ko, mabuti na lang. ;P

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4.) Dream big. Be larger than life. Even if it’s not so possible, dream the impossible dream. It’s free. Dati, pangarap lang namin ang magkaroon ng mga paupahan for the kids. Slowly but surely, God has blessed us & given us the desires of our hearts. Ngayon, nananaginip na naman si Kap ng bahay sa may dalapasigan hehe. Next project daw para sa pagtanda namin. Sige lang my Honey, keep on dreaming. Wala namang bayad yan. ;))

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5.) Change what you can. But also accept what cannot be changed. Kwentuhan ko kayo. Umuwi si Babyson nung isang gabi with a beautiful Valentine bouquet na hindi galing dangwa -3 dozen take note. Inabot sa akin. Awwww! For me?? Nangilid bigla ang luha ko. *preno* Mom, he says. Can you fix the ribbon? It got loose eh. I’m giving this to *bleep* tomorrow. Ah okay. Urong agad ang luhang namumuo. Mej lang napahiya ako. ;)) Accept. Tanggaping hindi na ako ang sentro ng buhay ng anak ko at move on. Dadating talaga yang araw gustuhin ko man o hinde.

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6.) Spend time with family. Family is EVERYTHING. Of course 99.9% of my happiness is their doing. I don’t think I’d be as happy & as content as I am if not for Kap & the kiddos. I grew up lonely so I really make it a point that they never feel the same emptiness. My biggest purpose in life is to mold my kids to be the best that they can be and for them to realize their full potential. My happy & loving family is my biggest accomplishment, nothing can ever top that. My ultimate dream is to see them have successful careers because I want them to always be financially independent -even from their spouses, and to have happy families of their own someday.  Then I can rest easy.

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7.) Do what you love. I love to blog. It’s time-consuming, but writing (& sharing of TMI) is my passion. Sometimes I get burned out, so I take a break. I think that is the key. You have to love what you do & not feel trapped so it doesn’t seem like a chore. So kung may mga panahon in the foreseeable future na mej lulubog at lilitaw ako, pagpasensyahan nyo nalang pohwz. It just means that I’m recharging, but I will always go back to blogging. You won’t get rid of me that easily. 🙂

8.) Choose your battles wisely. Learn when (and what) to take, and learn when to give in graciously. Siguro nabasa nyo na yung Valentine post ko. It was meant to be funny, I hope you didn’t take it too seriously. Kilala nyo naman ako, I always try to make light of things. I hope I was able to make you laugh, even for a little. Over time, I have learned to choose my battles. If it’s something I know I cannot win, I retract my fangs & wait. But if it’s something important, I also know how to work it to my advantage. When I was younger, I would always let so many things affect me. Ngayon, kung hindi din naman that big a deal, at para na rin sa world peace, I concede.

9.) Life is too short. Enjoy it! Eat, drink, and be merry. But of course, everything in moderation. For my birthday salubong, I treated the fam to a dinner at Spiral in Sofitel Manila. We are in awe of the cheese section there, alam nyo naman, isang buong enclosed section ang mga imforted keso. While Kap & the kids are all about delayed gratification & they build their way up, ako baliktad. I always eat my favorite items first & in quantity too. And so, with an empty stomach, I headed off to the cheese section for starters & filled up my plate. Followed by Laksa. Steak, then chocolates. Lots & lots of premium chocolates dahil nga mahal ang bayad kailangan syempre sulitin. On our way home, my insides were raging war. Nagaway-away na yung keso, laksa, karne at tsokolate. Isama mo pa yung tsaa at kape! Try as I might to hold everything in until we reached home, what wants to come out WILL come out whether I like it or not. And so with supot ready in my hands, and a quick apology sent Kap & the kids’ way, I puked my guts out as we were cruising along the highway. Nagkataon pang sira ang power window ng kotse, so Kap & the kids had to endure the chinky cheese smell all the way home HAHAHAHAHA! What is malas, Again kids, I AM SORRY. It is certainly a night we will ALWAYS remember, albeit not with fondness. ;P

So yes, do take my advice. Eat anything & everything. BUT in moderation!

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10.) Lastly, always celebrate your birthday no matter how old you get! Life is a gift. Only one life, so soon it will pass. In the end, we only regret the chances & opportunities we didn’t take. Life is too short to end it with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, and forget about the ones who don’t. Believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, in the end, all that matters is that you made the journey worth it. <3

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As I start another year, please allow me to humbly thank you all for the love, kindness, support, encouragement, and friendship through the years. Indeed, many beautiful things cannot be seen or touched, but all these things that you continue to give me are felt within the walls of my heart!

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PS: If you don’t believe me, Ate was able to take a video of the tail end of my exorcist projectile puking episode, lokong bata! I suggest you continue & watch this ONLY if you have a brave heart, and a not-so-queasy stomach. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! @_@ Here in my blog, you don’t only get the good, but also the bad & the ugly. ;))

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Hanggang sa muli, mga kwentong mula sa aking puso. :-*