It's a good thing!

My new favorite website: www.marthastewart.com

turtles

I have this fascination for turtles.

Without knowing why I liked them in the first place, I would find myself just accumulating turtle stuff: plush animals, keychains, paperweights, wood carvings. My grade 4-Matimtiman class even gave me a pet turtle, naming him Squirt. Even Mark searches for these turtles, I'm sure. He's just always hesitating because turtles are, well, turtles. For most people, they're not cute. My Dad told me that Squirt (God bless his turtle soul) stinks. So that say it all..

I wanted to find a deeper meaning to my affinity to turtles. So I asked my brother, who is my consultant on all useful and useless infomation, "What's so good about turtles"? He told me, matter-of-factly, "They have long lives. That's about it."

Ok. That's a start.

I think I like turtles because they're slow. And despite this pace, they get to where they're supposed to be, be it at the beach where they'll lay eggs or out to sea, where they'll spend hundreds of years. Being slow was never a bad thing for me, specially if it meant that you were more certain of your decisions and actions. As I read in Contact, "Slow and steady, Ellie."

Much of my life has been, well, slow. I was never the bright student at the beginning, or the friendly one at the first meeting. But after sometime, when I've become more comfortable, I've also become more of myself, too.

Now, I'm in sort of slow motion again because I want to discover my life's passion. The way I'm going, I'm not really sure if my "beach" or my "sea" is in the horizon anytime soon. What's important though is that I'm moving, no matter how slow, and not frozen or worse, stuck.

Besides, if turtles can live hundreds of years, I've got a lot of time :)

photographs

Ever since I was young(-er), I loved pictures.

During highschool, I'd never forget a camera during field trips or fairs, and I would click away (is that how a camera sounds?). All throughout college, I continued with this interest...even joining the yearbook organization. Back then, "I would NEED to take pictures for the yearbook" was my excuse. When I became a teacher, I became even more of a shutterbug...it felt like I was creating a photo scrapbook of my own kids (hundreds of them!) Now, I invested in a digital camera, lest I go bankrupt with film and developing.

There's something about pictures and how every person in it has that big smile. No matter what the mood was before that particular shot, toothy grins and smiling eyes come out. And I relish that happiness captured on a piece of paper.

Something also has to be said for the memories captured in a photograph. Plenty-a-time, I would look at the pictures at would tear up or smile or even laugh. Because when I look at a photo, the memories are as real as the day it happened. And there are just those days and moments that you would like to relive because it was just...happiness.

Photographs, for me, are reminders that despite troubling times and big problems, there are those moments that stand out and give you this immense happiness. They show me that beauty still exists in this world...we only have to look at it.

family

It's a great feeling to be part of a family (in every sense of the word).
It's bliss to be part of two.

Last weekend was spent mostly with Mark and his family, granting that he only had four days and then he had to be back in Cebu. And spending time with them made me realize that I am quite lucky. I simply adore his nephew and niece, who always light up upon seeing their uncles or lola or parents or me :)

And we actually have families everywhere, at work or with friends. They are these people with whom you can be yourself and at the same time, be a better you.

That's what life is all about...these people who unexplicably are imbedded in your heart that they are actually your heart. Reasons for everything, sunshine in your life, walls of support, your life's constants...

surprises

I love surprises!

Last night, low and behold Mark came home from Cebu. Although I knew something was amiss (by his cryptic replies when I called him that afternoon) but I didn't really expect he'd be here in the flesh. And to think, I was expecting to spend "hearts" day with myself.

Makes me think, does Valentine's Day really affect people that they do quite the unexpected things? In the office, us girls receive bunches of roses and chocolates from the same people who endlessly tease and make green jokes (typical Meralco men, as they say). It's like, this day, people are extra expressive of their appreciation.

Anyhow, this may not count as my best Valentine's yet but it still turned out to be a good day.

introduction

Happiness, to some, could seem elusive.
There are just those days when everything goes right and you go to sleep with a smile on your face. And then there are those darker days when you feel lonely or just sad.

In all honesty, Happiness or Unhappiness could be just a problem of perspective. No one becomes happy by keeping to herself and not interacting with people. You couldn't bring a smile to your face if you were always thinking of things that annoy you. Happiness could be a lifestyle.

This blog is more for myself, actually.
To constantly remind myself that my life has such good things in it.
To force myself to look and appreciate these things.
And to shout it to the world because such joy should not be kept to one's self.