All Because of Him We Are More

I happen to have found the closing remarks I made for IV-HC's farewell party inserted in one of my journals.

They're obviously haphazardly written on pieces of scratch papers which I remember writing the morning before our program in a 7eleven store.

And because I miss my classmates, I am excited to blog again and I seek a better place for that piece, let me post it here.

My forever-favorite pioneer Honors Class picture

This closing remarks is lame.

It is competent

senseless

inadequate.

It is useless,

pointless

in every way.

You could think of fancier words from your English major vocabulary more than lame, incompetent, senseless, and inadequate.

But still, this remains useless, pointless in every way.

I could have started this off with the most inspiring congratulatory poem you haven't heard of, or the most moving farewell quotation I could write, but then

This

would still remain useless, pointless

in every single way.

Because how can a five-minute speech (or longer) bring you back to that moment when you entered the room and realized that you are part of the Honors' class and make you see how you fought and strove hard all those 3 years. And you, yes you. After all those 3 years, succeeded. Not just from a regular class nor from a random majorship. You have succeeded as a IV-HC English major.

Because how can a five-minute speech mark the ending of the 3 years we've spent as a a class, as students, actors, play producers, grammar nazis, OP writers, reporters, debaters, leaders, groupmates, workaholics, nocturnals, zombies, friends, brothers, sisters - the 3 years we spent as a family. How can this piece embody all those good and bad, happy and sad, exciting and dull - yet all beautiful memories that we shared?

Because how can a five-minute speech affirm how each and everyone of us has done more than our best, has performed more than what was expected of us and has lived up to our own exceptional standard of what an Honors class is.

Because how can this five-minute speech allow me to tell you fully how thankful I am to be part of this class, to be part of your lives.

Because how can this five-minute speech ever be enough to depict how brilliant and great God is to handpick 20 superb individuals, combine us in one class, get us through the thick and thin of college life, cut us out a little, push us a bit more, then lift us up and let us flourish in greatness in a way we never imagined we could.

This piece would never be enough.

Any piece would not be enough.

You gotta tap that person beside you,

because he/she

is never the lame

incompetent

senseless

inadequate

that this useless and pointless closing remarks can box in every single way.

Our memories are far more than what words could describe or relive.

Our achievements are far more than what honors could give.

We, Honors Class, are more.

And all because of Him, we are.

To My Mami

They say that we get to have our 2^nd mothers in school and they are our teachers. I say, I also got my 3^rd and almost-real mother in College. But she’s not a professor or just a mother to me. She’s actually a best friend, an older sister (sometimes my twin or even younger: D), an adviser, and a sister-in-Christ. She has multiple roles in my life that to sum it up, she’s an important person, one of the closest in my heart.

                Today is her birthday. I’m not particular with her age, but I’d say she’s not growing any older. Her advanced years of wisdom and experience never hindered her from relating to us: the less experienced.

                Since she was born on the 18^th of April, I’d give 18 messages for the lover of words herself. (In a stream-of-consciousness order :D) I do hope to get an extra allowance for this :D

To my (almost-real) Mami,

1.       God sent you to complete the mother-daughter relationship I never fully had. Your concern and presence always made me feel that I am a loved daughter.

2.       We, the royal family, are blessed to have the “pretty genes” that run in our bloodline and in our chromosomes because of you! :D

3.       Speaking of pretty, you do look pretty in your new hair-do J

4.       Our favorite haven (NBS) and your favorite spot (near the shelf of classic books) would always hold my favorite memories of mother-daughter crazy, fun and “intellectual” times.

5.       McDo: I will always love this FASTfood chain because ironically, we always had our LONGEST “brain-twisting” talks here.

6.       Mami, we’ll solve the “us problem” of the world right? Can’t wait to continue our shared diary! :D

7.       The best thing about our mother-daughter relationship is that though it may not be real-life, it’s the ideal J

8.       Mami, I’m trying to be impulsive here (I’m in a computer shop) but I think it’s definitely hard. As hard as you trying to determine whether you’re reflective or impulsive. :D

9.       Probably when I was born I had a part of your brain and a piece of your heart, that’s why we often think and feel the same.

10.   You are the best mirror I can look into J

11.   Today, I prohibit you to frown and be “emo”!

12.   I am looking forward to another overnight in your house, wherein we could watch a movie while I’m battling against sleepiness. We could watch A Crazy Little Thing Called Love and I’ll cry over again.

                             

13.   Jane Eyre has bound us together: in our dear admiration for Charlotte’s great novel and for our UNFORGETTABLE NOVEL REPORT in English Literature. I surely owe our beautiful presentation to your nocturnal and artistic skills. And I also thank you for understanding your sleepy-head daughter! J

14.   Writing, aside from thinking, is another thing we enjoy in common. I want to read your new write-ups Mami. I also pray we’ll write a book together based on the lessons (recently on paradigm shift) that we’ll glean from our shared diary.

15.   I pray that your love life will not continue to wait. I know that we (your daughters) have our pseudo-daddies but I really pray a real one and the best partner for you J Of course, if one of our pseudo-daddies is the one, I pray that lightning (God, in this matter) shall strike him to make him realize he doesn’t need to look far. :D

16.   I know that you’re my Mami who loves collecting (superior to reading) books and I love the way you really invest your money in them!

17.   We are the slow-readers with deep comprehension, field-dependent with deep concentration and these prove the “Like mother, like daughter” cliché.

18.   I intentionally did not greet you through a text message (aside from the fact that I rarely have a load :D) and I want to greet you here. HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY, BLESSED BIRTHDAY MAMI! I love You!

P.S.

                I pray that these words are enough to let you love me more so that like my sisters, you’ll buy me a new phone. Haha! Smile Mami! :*

                

                                      

Not Because SHE asked

It’s not her birthday. But maybe it’s because her new profile picture is the first one I saw in my news feed. (:D) It’s not because SHE asked me to do this (SHE no longer wants me to) yet I chose to do this.

SHE said that SHE didn’t want promises made to be broken. And people said a gift that has been asked spoils the act of giving. However, I say, the promise (of making a blog about her) is not broken (just delayed for a while by the one who made it :D) and in a few minutes (or hours) it would be fulfilled. And I say, a gift that is chosen to be given when no longer asked is a splendid, heart-felt gift.

The SHE and her I’m talking about, I can define with the best 10 snippets that I have known about HER after almost 2 years of being her favorite sister. :DD (I don’t know the risk I’m taking as I tell the world this truth, but the truth, I believe, will set our other sisters free!)

10. FOR HER TO BE FEATURED IN A “WORST OUTFIT” ARTICLE IS AN IMPOSSIBILITY.

            SHE is the fashion guru in class, the best costume department head that any play production could ever have and the head-turner “fashionista” wherever she goes. I’m still waiting for her fashion blog and I think I’ll be one of her numerous readers in the future. J           

9. SHE COULD LOOK INTIMADATING BUT I’LL TELL YOU THE CONTRARY

            Truth be told, I was intimidated the first time I met her. Maybe it was my “fragile personality” that made me feel that way, or it’s really everyone’s first impression about her. But ladies and gentlemen readers, I tell you, SHE is far from intimidating. SHE doesn’t brag when SHE has millions of reasons to. SHE doesn’t make one feel inferior when SHE is really larger, grander than the usual down-to-earth, easy-to-be-with friend that we know SHE is.

8.  TALK ABOUT OUR SIMILARITIES:

            I am ecstatic that I suddenly realized we have a lot of things in common!

LEARNING STYLE: SHE is a visual learner and sometimes field-dependent (but not even half of my field dependency I think)

REFLECTIVE: We are battling for the MOST REFLECTIVE AWARD in class. One way SHE proves herself worthy of the award is when she finishes last in an exam, or when SHE internalizes her report.

RARELY RECITES IN CLASS: Of the 40 hands inside the classroom, ours are the two pairs that are rarely raised.

RESERVED TYPE: I can tell that SHE is the reserved-type whenever we’re outside or with people we don’t know. SHE would be quiet and be annoyed with our classmates if they’re making loud noise.  And I think SHE also reserves her most serious and intimate talks to people closest to her heart.

BEAUTIFUL MASTERPIECE: We are sisters, we look like each other because we’re both God’s beautiful masterpiece.

           

7. TALK ABOUT OUR DIFFERENCES:

MY EVERYDAY DIALOGUE IS “Ate bigyan/hawaan mo naman ako ng kasipagan mo!” Sometimes I think I am industrious and responsible but whenever I hear what SHE has accomplished, it makes me think again.

K-POP ENTHUSIAST: SHE loves Korean artists, movies, tv shows, songs, food and all other Korean stuff probably. I will not forget that instance SHE told me that it occurred once that SHE only had Korean songs in her phone.

KIND OF TECHY SAVVY: This is related to her being a K-POP fan. I can say that SHE is kind of techy savvy since SHE is the ultimate torrent download supplier of her co-K-POP enthusiast and believe it or not, my wife (it’s a long story), Debie, whose demand SHE could not outrun.

            CHOLERIC AND OUTSPOKEN: When it’s natural for me to follow, SHE’s a born leader. When it’s hard for me to express things, SHE has the strength and prowess to directly and clearly speak her mind.

6. CAPITAL S-H-E

            SHE is probably one of those who are unconsciously building the feminism beliefs in me. I used capital S-H-E to emphasize her strength and independence as a woman, a daughter, an Ate and a friend. SHE seldom cries, but then, I think those are the times that I would rather want to be seldom.

5. I LOVE IT WHEN SHE TALKS ABOUT HER FAMILY

            I really love hearing stories about her Mama and Papa and about her sisters who seem to be her BFFs. The beautiful family SHE has makes me think that fairy tale families are still possible even up to now.

4. AWAY FROM THE CAPITAL S-H-E

            Paulo Coehlo wrote in “The Alchemist”: “I’m a woman of the desert… But above all, I’m a woman.” And SHE too has a kryptonite. I think these are the people closest to her heart like friends, family or XY chromosomal creatures like… the code name in one of her status updates?! :DD

3. HER LOVE FOR THE ROYAL FAMILY, MG, and FRIENDSSSSSS

            I admire her so much for her generosity, care, thoughtfulness and LOOOVE for the people SHE treasures. SHE treats them like those with her own blood and it made me think that blood isn’t always thicker than water.

2. HER LOVE FOR GOD

            One of my cherished moments with her are those times when SHE talks to me about her conversations with and prayers to God. Usually SHE would have these lines: “sabi ko kay Lord..” or “sabi ko Looooooorrrrrdd” And I’m happy to hear and not only see about her love for Him. Happier even, for her new Bible, which was given to her by her sister last December as a birthday gift.

1. MY ATE LISA

            SHE doesn’t want me to call her Ate LISABEL or worse LISABEL alone. She is ATE LISA, my Ate Lisa. She’s my favorite Ate and I’m her favorite sister (though we told this to every other sister we have! Haha!) This MY ATE LISA from the perspective of her younger sister Abbie.

This is one of my favorite pictures of her :)

P.S.

I hope I killed you with the sweet words I wrote here. But wait, there’s more: I LOVE YOU ATE! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! *KISS* *HUG* :DDD

Proud to be the Fashion Queen's Sister :)