Walking in the rain

It was almost one in the afternoon when my wife and I left our house in Scarborough. Since it was her day-off from work, we thought that it would be the right time for us to spend a few hours together away from the daily cares of life.

This was last February and well, despite cold weather, we hastily hit the road wearing jackets, hat and gloves—not even the little drizzle falling on us was enough to change our mind; we were really bent on pushing our plans. Earlier in the day, I promised her that I would be the one to give her a treat either to a sumptuous lunch or dinner. We set off on foot, crossed the street just across our condo and then, took the bus going to the Kennedy train station.

From there, we took the train and dropped off at the Spading Station where we had to ride the streetcar that would take us to Toronto’s Chinatown. Our first stop was the King’s Noodles Restaurant to eat out. Lilia ordered our favourite dishes such as Hong Kong congee, chicken congee, and Chinese bread, scrimps wrapped on white flour, chicken feet and tofu with some vegetables.

While eating, we couldn’t help thinking about our son and daughter who are still living with us, so my wife decided to order dishes for takeout—soya chicken, cold cuts meats and pancit canton. Initially, I was quite hesitant to carry these stuffs while going around Chinatown but we didn’t have much choice since we were already at the restaurant.

This is our usual way of spending of free time together, our own way of bonding—first filling up our stomachs, and then walking in leisurely at Toronto’s downtown area. At least for a few hours, we could be together “alone.”

After our lunch, we went to a store selling clothes’ buttons to look for three buttons to replace the different kinds of buttons sewn on my winter jacket. Actually, I don’t see the need to have them changed because “ I feel Ok with that, ” I said to my daughter, who had told me before “ it’s not good to see three different buttons in front of your jacket, Dad.”

Well, I told her, “If you’re getting old, you don’t mind this kind of stuff and for me as long as I feel comfortable, it’s okay”.

Since Lilia is also into necklace/bracelets making as her hobby, we got going to the beads store but knowing that I would get bored there, I opted to get inside a thrift shop nearby where I bought a baseball hat and a Levi’s pants, both of which looked like they have never been used before. After paying these items for $19, I felt I needed something to warn me up so I went straight to the Second Cup coffee shop where I had a cup of coffee but even before I could finish sipping it, my wife came in and asked me if I still have the energy so we could go to a Chinese bakery where she could buy some pastries to take home.

Though a bit tired, we walked again and braved the little rains but while we were walking, I was humming these Kundiman songs “Ang Tanging Kong Pag-ibig and Maalaala Mo Kaya”until we reached the bakery. Well, crooning some love songs while walking in the rain or strolling under the heat of the summer sun, is still a good way to reinvigorate this stressful life—forgetting temporarily mortgages to pay, work-related stresses, illnesses, the need de-clutter our houses this time of the year and other anxieties that have been weighing us down.

After buying some pastries, we continued our “little holiday” —doing window shopping at various stalls lining up the downtown area and to wind up our get-away trip, we had a snack of sweet mongo dessert with coconut milk, siopao and drinks at a Vietnamese restaurant.

Working five times a week is no joke; we all need time off to pamper ourselves once in a while. Spending a little time together with our loved ones even for a few hours on our day offs goes along way in making our busy lives happy; it’s also a good way for bonding together.

So let’s all enjoy our day offs with our loves ones—working ourselves to death won’t add anything to our lives’ span but relaxing and bonding with our beloved ones will.

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Life’s success

One morning, while my wife and I are at the hospital waiting for our doctor to call us, out of the blue, I pose this question to her “ Do you think you can consider yourself successful?”

She says:” Well, being a nurse, I ’m satisfied with my job despite the hardships of this kind of work and the fact that I’m also satisfied with my spiritual life, I know I’m successful”

“ I can go to sleep, without worrying so much. I ‘m content with my simple life. Success in life can only be possible if one has the spiritual, emotional and psychological, stability,” she says.

Well she’s right, she’s found joy and fulfilment in her spirituality and in working hard and in the words of King Solomon “I have come to know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good during one’s life and also that every man should eat and indeed drink and see good for all his hard work. It is the gift of God.” (Ecclesiastes 3:12,13).

I‘ve e-mailed a friend in the Philippines and asked her the same question and she said “Successful? Yes, in a way...kasi being successful is not only about having a successful career and plenty of money...it's also when you get to see that you've raised your children well... and "spiritually" siguro because you're at peace with yourself and contented—I don't know if this is the right term) and you know God is always with you...and when you've learned His teachings, you can always look forward to a bright future.”

Yes, it’s true there is a link between success and spirituality because when a person pays attention to what God says, the Bible tells us “ Everything he does will succeed. (Psalm 1:3)

But why is it that having a successful and happy life has eluded many people?

Many of us could not find success and happiness in life as we have been using the wrong norms and standards in measuring success and gaining real happiness. The God’s Word warns of the danger of walking “ in the counsel of the wicked one.”(Psalms 1:1) And Satan is the “ wicked one” (Mat.6: 13) and he is also “the ruler of this world “and that “the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one”. John 16:11; 1 John 5:19)

And since Satan is the ruler of this world, he is the one influencing the minds of people, it is not surprising why most people are so engrossed in amassing wealth and seeking fame “ the desire of the flesh, and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life—does not originate with the Father but originates with the world.”

At Ecclesiastes 7:12, it says that “ Wisdom is for a protection the same as money is for a protection; but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom itself preserves alive its owners” So there’s nothing wrong with the money itself because we need money for our living specially if we have our family to support. (1Tim.5:8)

But what is wrong is the love for money, the Bible says “ For the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things, and by reaching out for this love some have been led astray from the faith and have stabbed themselves all over with many pains”. (1Tim. 6:10)

We cannot depend on these superficial and unstable riches since in the blink of an eye, everything will be gone. Look at what happened when the Typhoon Ondoy struck our country a few months ago: most of the material things—houses, cars, and other prized possessions that our kababayans had accumulated in their lifetime were destroyed in just few minutes

In this life, nothing is certain, nothing is secure, why-- when storms, earthquakes and other natural calamities hit us hard, then, all the material wealth we have accumulated through the years of handwork could easily go down the drain even without any warning. Even a serious illness is enough to cause the breakdown of our spirit.

As regards fame or seeking glory from the eyes of people who tastes change, it’s better that we make a good name before Jehovah God who said through his prophet Isaiah: “I will even give to them in my house and within my walls a monument and a name.... A name to time indefinite shall give them, one that will not be cut off”(Isa.56: 4,5) Because of their obedience to God, those acceptable to him will have “ a monument and a name”

Let’s all strive to do our very best to have a good name in the eyes of Jehovah God, our Creator and He will always remember our name to time indefinite.

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