Guess How Much I Love You

Guess How Much I Love You is a book that we read to GI many, many, many times.  His copy was a small  board book.  We would flip through the pages at night before going to bed.  GI had heard the story so many times he had memorised the whole book.

GI will always be my Funny Nut Brown Hare,

but my heart belongs to someone else.

HAPPY

VALENTINE'S 

DAY!

Ten Years

Today is the 10th year death anniversary of MacGyver's dad.

MacGyver shared these pictures today in FB.

He wrote, "One of Daddy's greatest legacy is his passionate love for kids."

That is the truth.  Nobody can deny that.

We miss you, Daddy.

08 November 2004 was a Monday.  Daddy had been hospitalized since the Saturday prior. We had been able to visit him that Saturday evening.  He seemed to be improving and we were happy and hopeful.

Daddy was scheduled for a test on Monday and I don't remember if there was a call to advise that something was amiss but I do recall that MacGyver left to go to the hospital early that morning. MacGyver said I didn't have to go with him, knowing that I had something scheduled at the office at 9AM.

Don't ask me why, but after mass I decided to take a bus to the hospital, instead of taking a jeepney to work.

I will always be thankful that I listened to the voice inside me telling me to go for the longer trip to the hospital instead of a shorter one to the office.  It was the single, most significant bus ride decision I have made in my life.  It is the one ride I will never regret taking.  

I arrived at the hospital and joined other family members at Daddy's bedside.

We prayed the rosary together as we listened to his heart monitor beep.

Daddy was with us until the last mystery.  

At least that is what I thought on that fateful Monday ten years ago.  

I know better now.  Now I know that Daddy is with us everyday.

Going Home

(This is from 11 November 2004.)

"I want to go home on Monday."

This was Daddy's request on Saturday, 6 November 2004, as he lay on his hospital bed at Medical City General Hospital. He had been there since early that morning, when he was rushed to the Emergency Room. He was scheduled for an upper GI examination on Monday morning, which we'd hoped would shed some light on the cause of the deterioration of his health.

He had not been well. We knew he was sick. In 2001, he experienced a swelling in his tongue, which affected his speech and caused difficulty in swallowing. He was diagnosed in April 2002 to have amyloidosis**, which is a very rare disease. Although the disease is not called 'cancer,' the treatment and prognosis are the same. Over the next two years, Daddy underwent chemotherapy which seemed to slow down the progress of the disease.

Daddy increasingly had difficulty in swallowing, so Mommy would lovingly prepare osterized meals. A few months ago, he complained that even if he hadn't finished his food, there was a sensation of being full. He was diagnosed to have liver cancer. There was a 10 cm liver mass exerting pressure on his stomach. He was experiencing a lot of pain. Standing up and lying down required a lot of effort on his part, and careful assistance on the part of his companion.

Over the past few weeks, his health deteriorated rapidly. A peg (a feeding tube straight to the stomach) was inserted to supplement his food intake, which was low, and was worsened by frequent vomiting. When traces of blood were noted as he vomited last Saturday morning, they immediately set for the hospital.

Daddy was able to rest on Saturday and Sunday. Medical City was like a second home to Daddy. His spirits were lifted when Dr. Alran Bengzon visited him on Sunday afternoon. He and Dr. Bengzon were friends from way back.

However, Daddy turned for the worse on Monday morning. He requested for his last rites, and received the Sacrament of Extreme Unction at about 5 a.m. 

Daddy died peacefully at 11:00 a.m., 08 November 2004, in the presence of his family. (God granted him his request.)

Please pray for the eternal repose of the soul of my father-in-law, Antonio. He was 73 years old. He was a simple man, a very kind and caring man. I will miss him a lot.

=================

**Amyloidosis is "a generic term for a collection of diseases that results in the abnormal deposition of amyloid protein throughout the body." In layman terms, the bone marrow produces proteins in the blood that the body is unable to break down and excrete. These proteins get deposited between cells of organs, causing it to swell until it fails. Common organs affected are the tongue, heart, liver and kidneys, although virtually any organ of the body may be affected.

Marriage Sunday

From the Catholic Care Social Services website (http://www.ccss.org.au) : The Diocese of Parramatta has set Sunday 14 August as Marriage Sunday. This provides the faith community with an opportunity to highlight the vocation of Marriage and to celebrate and acknowledge the married members of parishes.

Before the priest announced at mass this morning that it was Marriage Sunday, I had never heard of such a thing. However, I was pleasantly surprised. How appropriate, I thought, considering MacGyver and I will be celebrating our wedding anniversary tomorrow.

The priest recited some passages from the bible which I would consider as timeless.

1 Corinthians 13:4

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast,
it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.

I was thinking of the Fiddler on the Roof as he was going through the passages. You know, the part where Golde is trying to figure out whether Teyve loves him (this is after 25 years of marriage).

(Tevye)

Then you love me?

(Golde)

I suppose I do

(Tevye)

And I suppose I love you too

(Both)

It doesn't change a thing

But even so

After twenty-five years

It's nice to know

Yes, the hopeless romantic in me would really, really like to hear those words "I love you" said to me (with feelings and conviction, please) rather than the "I suppose I do" that sounds like a mere afterthought.

I love you, Dad. Happy Marriage Sunday!

Twilight

It is a love story with lots of twists. You have Edward... Bella... and Jacob ... love, of course, lots of love ... forbidden love... love between friends... love among family members... vampires... humans... werewolves...

I have read the book, thanks to GI.

Yes, I admit it. I read a book my teenage son borrowed from his classmate. How could I resist? First of all, the book belonged to GI's classmate, a fifteen year-old male. Secondly, GI actually borrowed this book and brought it home. GI bringing a book he wasn't mandated to read, home from school? Totally unheard of. Thirdly, GI reported that the book was being made into a movie. (He borrowed it some time in September, I think.) But the clincher was my (not-so) little boy, (more like) my young adult, READING a book approximately 2 inches thick. GI reading a 2" book? This book HAD to be interesting.

So I read Twilight before GI returned it to his classmate.  Being the hopeless romantic, I enjoyed the book.

(GI borrowed the 2nd book of the series from his classmate then we borrowed the 3rd and the 4th books from GI's cousin.)

The movie started showing in the Philippines last Thursday, November 27.  As expected, GI asked for permission to watch the movie this afternoon with his classmate. 

He said the movie was good even if it was kind of short and lacking in details that were found in the book. It's getting good reviews. 

I'll get to see the movie ... eventually.

The Giving Tree

It was RD that first introduced me to the book, The Giving Tree. He had brought home a drawing from school when he was five.

Their teacher had read them the story of The Giving Tree at school and had asked them to make a drawing about the book. I was amused by his drawing which had the boy and the tree, and there was a heart drawn at the base of the tree. I tried to get the story out of him but one can only get so much from a preschooler.

The sketchy details he offered were enough to intrigue me. I decided to check the book our for myself.

The Giving Tree is a story that spans one person's lifetime. The boy found love and friendship where he least expected it. The love he'd found was a special kind of love. It was love that was freely given with nothing expected in exchange. It was selfless love.


The friendship between the boy and the tree was unique. And although the story revolves around the tree giving much to the boy, it was very apparent that the love and friendship between the two made such giving and receiving almost natural. And in the end, when the boy became an old man and there was nothing more than a stump left, the two were perfectly happy to be with each other.

A wonderful book for young and old alike. In its simplicity there is depth. Definitely a keeper.

My Christmas Gift

MacGyver surprised me with this Christmas gift the other year. It may seem like an odd thing to give but I was touched. I was really touched.

The gift is inspired by 'The Mayonnaise Jar and Coffee' story found below. I think we had received that forwarded message some time in the middle of that year. It was one of those forwarded messages that really hit the spot. I consider it a 'diamond in the rough', I guess MacGyver felt the same way.

It was sweet of MacGyver to get the glass container, gather up pebbles and sand, buy golf balls and have family members sign one ball each. And he bought flowers, too. He knows that I get sad when I see fresh flowers wilt. Besides, plastic flowers were more practical for this gift.

So this was not an off-the-rack Christmas gift. He really put a lot of thought into it. He put much heart in it. It was his way of reminding me to focus on the important things in life and to show me that I have much to be thankful for.

I keep this on my desk at the office.


Here is the story behind the gift...


The Mayonnaise Jar and Coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things -- your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions -- things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

"The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff."

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you." Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18 holes. There will always be time to clean the house, and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked," he said. "It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a cup of coffee with a friend."

Meaning of Love

Meaning of Love -- 08 December 2002

The other day, I brought home a couple of choco candy sprinkled for GI and RD upon request. While MacGyver was watching the DVD of Harry Potter, they ate their donuts. Nine-year old GI ate his without a much ado but RD, who's almost five, tackled his by going through the icing first. Just as I expected, RD gave up after he'd licked off all the topping. I was carrying MyGirl at the time so RD handed over his half-eaten donut to his Dad (lucky me). MacGyver was kind enough to finish off the donut. What a guy!

Yesterday, we passed by the supermarket and I got them donuts again. This time I instructed RD to eat his donut properly. I told him he was not allowed to lick off the icing.

As they were finishing off their donuts, we discussed our previous donut experience. On MacGyver's finishing RD's half-eaten donut, GI had this to say, "Isn't that the meaning of love?" Sweet, but still ...

We all laughed then I mischievously asked, "GI, do you love me?"

He reluctantly answered, "Yes... but...," giving me a pleading look that indicated '... but please don't make me eat a half-eaten licked off donut.'