gratitude

*** just recently, a friend of mine wrote a whole entry dedicated to gratitude and it really got me thinking. No matter how bad one's life seems to get, there will always be something to be thankful for. If you think about it and find even just one thing that makes you happy, or something simple to be thankful for, then consider yourself lucky... because out there, there are millions of people who'd give anything to be in your place.

a different world...
I think it was last week, i had a dentist appointment at Shangri La. My sister, Aix, and I were gonna take the train because we decided that it would be really convenient and we wanted to go on a little "adventure" (haha). Who knew a simple train ride could be such an eye opener. You see a lota shit going on just walking the streets of Manila. Children roaming the streets trying to make a peso (and who knows whether it's to feed their families or to be given to some kind of synidicate). Children sleep on the island that separates the highways. What kind of a childhood is that? Families living on the side of the road or in cardboard houses next to the ilog filled with basura. Homeless people starving, just lying on the streets, looking like they're almost dead. Just look at Cubao and see all those people trying to find some sort of way to make a living... just to scrap up enough dough to make a so-called living. It's really sad... and it's hard to imagine a world so cruel, so ugly, & so painful... yet it truly does exist.

Out there, there are lives completely different from ours. Imagine having to work your whole life just to be able to put whatever kind of food on the table. Imagine a life full of straight up hard work & never ending struggles. Imagine being born into a life where opportunities are so limited... where your life has been written because they knew that it would never get better... a life where their main concern was simply to survive.

But there are certain people in that situation who are okay with the way things are... who appreciate the simplest things in life. That is something to truly admire.

back in our world...
i think we all manage to take things for granted... no matter how big or small. We fail to see the big picture and somehow concentrate on the bad detail. Nowadays it seems like it's so much easier to be negative and it's a lot harder to think positive. We often forget to appreciate the many blessings in our lives... i know i do. So here goes nothing...

I am thankful/grateful for...

Dylan. Who changed my life, came into this world completely unexpected and chose me to be his mother. Because of him i have learned to be more loving & more responsible. His simple presence can lift anyone's spirit & has brought my family closer together. My experience with him has opened my eyes and made me realize so much. He is my world & i love him more than anything.

My Mom & Dad. For all the love, support, & encouragement they have given me throughout my whole life. For the bond that we share. For never giving up on me no matter how impossible i became. For always making sure that i got the best things in life & for always guiding me towards the right direction. For understanding me so well & fully accepting me for the person i am.

My sister, Aica. Who became my best friend the day i decided i would stop picking on her. She's the only person in the world who i can go completely insane with and she always gets me. We have our weird moments that never fail to make me laugh. Our milliions and millions of inside jokes that are so crazy, i'll laugh by myself and people will think i'm weird. She's always willing to listen (but sometimes i nag so much she gets impatient, however, listens to me anyway) and is there for me no matter what the situation. She will forever keep me grounded and tells me how it is straight up. I love her unconditionally & she means the world to me.

Mars. Who strongly, sincerely, and unconditionally loves me as he does. He's always there for me whenever i need a shoulder to cry on. For never giving up on us no matter how insane it got. For sticking around & getting me through the difficult times and sharing with me the happiest ones. For his never ending support & encouragement... for understanding me and fully accepting me as i am despite my ugly imperfections.

The people who love me, food on the table, a roof over my head, clothes on my back, & a good education.

My happy childhood. My crazy, rollercoaster-of-a-ride teenage years--- where i learned so much & figured out who the hell i am and what i'm all about. And now, the beginning of a wonderful motherhood... =)

Toblerone, Ferrero Rocher, Haagen Dazs, Cibo, Big Chill, Auntie Anne's, Starbucks/Seattle's Best, & Mrs. Fields.

*sigh*
yes, life is good... =)
... watch it get better.