On Daddy’s Birthday - 25th Aug

Dad and mom during his birthday a few years ago

25 Aug - you would have been 78 here on earth

Alas you left us just short of your 76^th

And yet in spirit you are still with us

In all the memories that we have of you

In the images both in print, electronic, in our minds and in our hearts.

The picture of you as our caring dad

Since we were tiny until adulthood

You were there to provide, teach, encourage

You taught us so many things about life and love.

We really miss you, Daddy – and we wished you are still with us

To tell you about our day, the challenges, the successes

But we know that you are now at rest

And enjoying the presence of the Lord.

We are blessed to have a Daddy like you

We are thankful to have known you as such.

Just a few words today to express how we feel

Lots of words have been said, still many more left unsaid,

Many tears have been shed, still many more to be shed.

But that is life, we still feel the pain and the grief,

Your absence will always be noticed.

And yet you would want us to keep going, living

And so we will, but not forgetting, always remembering

Not only on your birthday, but every day.

We love you, Daddy!

Special day

August is a special month. My Dad’s birthday. On the 25^th, he is supposed to turn 77. He passed away when he was nearly 75. It still tugs at our heartstrings to think that he is physically gone, and we no longer could hear his voice, no longer could we hug him, no longer could we go to him for advice, or to just share a story or two, or to discuss some issues for his opinion and sometimes, decision. Although we know he lives in each of our hearts. We can see him still in the influences he had with us in our lives. His memory lives on, and we remember him always, we think of him always. 

Last week I came across a status message in Facebook which touched me so much … so appropriate at this time during his birthday month. Each time I read it the tears start to come … I am sure you will be touched too!

If roses grow in heaven, Lord, then pick a bunch for me. 

Place them in my Daddy's arms and tell him they're from me. 

Tell him that I love and miss him and when he turns to smile, 

place a kiss upon his cheek and hold him for a while.

today's bdays

Today my mom celebrates her 77th birthday, while a younger sis celebrates her 42nd. Yes they have the same birthdays. So how does one celebrate a loved one's birthday who is separated by distance? Today I prayed for them, asking God to bless them, to give them good health, strength, guidance, protection and a good/ fulfilling life. I also included a prayer that their hearts will be open to the Lord and they will draw close to Him, as He desires to draw near to them.

It is a practice in our place that we have to eat noodles during birthdays. They said for long life. It is sort of a Chinese influence. We would usually prepare different types of noodles such as canton, bihon, palabok, etc. Spaghetti is also ok. So today I told myself that I will have some noodles. So at breakfast I had 'bami heng' - that's yellow egg noodles with some roasted red pork and vegetables, without soup. To celebrate further Key & I had ice cream for dessert after our lunch, then after dinner we had chocolate cake. After arriving at home tonight, before we did our laundry, we had almond cake. So it was a day of celebration, it is not often that we do this. If only we were near a Secret Recipe bakery, we would have bought our favourite cakes such as tiramisu and cheese cake. We had to make do with the above. We were thinking of my mom and my sis, missing them and other members of the family, wishing we were there to celebrate with them. Of course missing Dad terribly.

I was also able to call my mom at lunchtime using deedial service. She was in a restaurant with her friends. Sure glad to talk to her. I tried to call my sister but there was no response. So just communicated with her through sms and facebook.

May they experience God's answers to our prayers and feel loved always.

Remembering Daddy, today and always

Got electronic reminders like the one below which we do not really need as we remember...always.

25^th August, Dad’s birthday. He would have turned 76 today. Now he is at rest, eternally with the Lord. Every time I think of him, which is almost everyday, I remind myself that he is at rest, at peace, no longer troubled by this world, no longer in pain. That he is now enjoying the blessings of eternal life with the Almighty God.

To honour his memory, and to continue his passion for education and helping others, we have established the Judge A.K. Nietes, Sr. Memorial Scholarship to provide financial assistance to high school students from Anini-y and Tobias Fornier towns of Antique Province, Philippines. Dad spent almost 15 years as the municipal judge of these two towns during the 70s till the mid-80s. He valued education and considered it as the main legacy a parent can provide to his children, or a community can provide to the youth. He loved reading, writing, crossword puzzles, music and sports, and advocated trusting in the Lord, which he considered helpful in developing the whole being of a person to become a useful member of society. In choosing students from these two towns, and a school from one of them, we hope that we can share and spread God’s blessings to those from remote areas oftentimes not reached by the support enjoyed by schools in the capital and main towns.

Through the assistance of our friends, Bernie and Fe Salcedo, Diclum National High School in Tobias Fornier was identified as the first school to benefit from this endeavor. DNHS caters to students from both towns mentioned above. The first batch of five poor but deserving high school students have already been chosen, out of ten applicants. They were requested to submit an essay focusing on reasons for going to high school, factors influencing their decision, how they are using use or improving their talents and interests, and the impact of being a high school student to their community.

Each applicant is qualified but there is only budget for five this year. The main purpose of helping out in our own small way is to help reduce the drop-out rates of students in high school. It is fortunate that tuition fee in public high school education in the Philippines is free. However students are burdened with day to day expenses as they travel to school, purchase school supplies, as well as meet the requirements of their subjects i.e. school projects.

We hope that through this effort we can instill in the youth the importance of education, encourage the recipients to keep going to pursue their dreams, that poverty is no hindrance to getting a good education and excelling in what one is doing, and that despite the difficult situation in our place and in their homes, they are still special. May they learn to always thank God for His blessings, now and in the future, when they achieve their dreams for a better life for their families and their communities.

We also hope many will follow this example, as we ourselves are also following the examples of those who have done this before us, especially those who are now abroad as OFWs or immigrants, or even those who are  still in the Philippines. Every one of them sees the need and lends a hand to help.

Will you?

Dad's 75th birthday

Since last year we have been discussing about how to celebrate our Dad’s 75th birthday, which is today, 25 August. We were planning of going home again to Antique and holding a party with family and friends. He wouldn’t have any of it though and he told us not to hold a party for him. And now there is really no need for a party as he left us to go back to our Creator last April, four months short of his 75th birthday. We continue to grieve of his passing away, of his leaving us, of the times we wished we could still talk to him, laugh with him, discuss things with him. We miss him, his voice, his laughter, his concern, his sense of humor, his love – everything that a father is to his children. There are regrets, what ifs, and should have beens. And yet in the midst of these, there are things to thank God for. We thank God for giving us Dad as our father, who was responsible, did his role as a father diligently, provided for our needs, gave us security, taught us many things, led the family with authority, and many more, that helped us to be what we are today. Many times in the past, especially when we were still young, my Mom would tell us that we would be lucky if we could meet a man like our Dad to be our husband.



We think of him everyday, and especially today on his birthday. I continue to listen to the song With Hope. Today I read in 2 Samuel 1:17-27 the lament of David for his best friend Jonathan, a devotional in today’s Our Daily Bread. It says that in grieving for a loved one, it is important to bring to mind the “cherished details and shared experiences of our lives together.” We give time to remember, in a deeper sense, thanking God for specific things, the events that happened, the little and big things, the impact of a person’s whole life. Indeed, today and everyday, we give time to stop a while, remember and think of Dad, honor his memory by doing what is good and beneficial, and give thanks to God. The precious memories of Dad’s life and the truth of God’s love and hope of salvation to those who believe will comfort us in our sadness and heal the pain of our loss.


More photos here.

Today is Aug 5th

I wrote in my FB thoughts that I am still affected by hospital, wake and funeral scenes. And that my sibs tell me the same thing. It's true. Because we always remember our Dad who passed away last April. I have not looked at the wake and funeral photos for quite some time now. I just look at the photos when he was still alive. and the pictures in my mind, the memories of times together through the years, the last few times I saw him, at home and even in the ICU.

Thus with Cory Aquino's death and all the media releases and photos until the funeral today, I also feel the sadness and loss. As a former President she had made a great impact not only in the Philippines but also the whole world, in terms of showing that there is another way to achieve democracy - she didn't do it on her own though; she was supported by the people. She made a difference in the way she lived and did her work/duties, thus gaining an untarnished reputation and a place in Philippine history and that of the democratic world. It is best for others to emulate the good examples she had shown...as a wife, mother, leader...as a woman of power, strength, substance.

Today also marks my grandfather's 108 birthday. He passed away in 1984 but we always remember his birthday come August. It doesn't have to be a big celebration. Just thinking of him is enough to honor his memory. One of the 'almost' permanent memory for him is the naming of one road in our hometown as the Rep. Emigdio V. Nietes Avenue. It was a tribute to him during his centennial birthday.

In a few week's time, on the 25th, my Dad would have celebrated his 75th birthday. We were planning to go home and have a party to celebrate. But this time there will be no big party. Instead we can continue to remember him and honor him by living our lives the way that would make him happy and glad, and to give thanks to God for the time that he was with us.

This train of thought is similar to what God wants us to do as well, as His children. We are called to live our lives honoring Him. Jesus tells us that every time we break bread and drink from the cup of wine we do them in remembrance of Him. This gives me a clearer picture of what it exactly means to do things in remembrance of Him, in proclaiming His death until He comes.

life's refrain

this is the title of the first book i self-published. i made this for my mom and sis who celebrated their birthdays last 12 nov. my mom turned 75 while my sis turned 40. it was an exciting time as i was able to go home, together with my three other sisters who live in other provinces in the philippines. another sister lives next door to my parents. so there were five of us sisters at the same time at home and what a riot! our two other sibs, another sis and our bro were not able to come home. the pic on the right is the cover of the book. the featured bouquet is a special one.

for my dedication page, i wrote this:

For Mom and Dad,

for all the whispers of joy in the midst of life’s chaos, contributing to life’s refrain

i wrote the following for the preface:

I was planning to call this book something else, with the word ‘stuff’ in it. However, Key said that ‘stuff’ sounds so boring. Then we said that we should get a line from one of the poems or essays in the book. Thus, life’s refrain. If life were a song, I hope that the poems and essays in this book can be its refrain. Just hum it and add la, la, la … The idea of putting these on paper came up as my siblings and I were planning to celebrate our Mom’s diamond birthday this year (2008). Seventy-five years … not just golden but diamond years. Precious, best, forever …

A sister (Marlyn) also shares the same birthday with her. I remember that time way back in November 1968 when we were all expecting Mom to give birth to Marlyn. She waited until the 12^th to come out.

My prayer is that through my writings I can convey my love and appreciation for my Mom and my sis, and to all family members.

May your lives be guided by the Lord Almighty day by day and that each day will be filled with gladness and joy as you trust in Him.

Happy birthday, Jenny!

It's better late than never to greet a birthday celebrant. Like Jenny who just had a birthday a few days ago and had a great celebration! That's great! Greater still is her birthday bash contest, which runs until 30 Nov 2008. Rules are simple, and prizes are great! So what are you waiting for? Head on there to find out more by clicking this link or the picture below!

HERE ARE THE PRIZES:
1st PRIZE
$20 from Jenny Talks
$10 from Nita's Random Thoughts
$5 from When Mom Talks
$5 from Buzzy Me
1,000 EC Credits from A Slice of Life
500 EC Credits from A Life in Bloom
500 EC Credits from Simply Me
500 EC Credits from Nita's Corner
500 EC Credits from Great Finds and Deals
500 EC Credits from Batuananons
125x125 ad spot from Thomas Web Links
125x125 ad spot from Simply Jen
2ND PRIZE
$10 from My Fruitful Voyage
$5 from Moments of my Life
$5 from Blessings in Life and Nierva Dot Com
$5 and 500 EC Credits from Kitchen Deelite
500 EC Credits from Way of Life in OZ
500 EC Credits from Because Life is a Blessing
500 EC Credits from Fab & Chic Finds
500 EC Credits from Filipino Online Community
500 EC Credits from Computer Technology Gadgets
125x125 banner ad display from My Precious Niche
125x125 banner ad display from Food on the Table
3RD PRIZE
$5 from Fab Finds, etc.
$5 from Just Blogging It and PRC Board Exam Results
500 EC Credits from Around HongKong
500 EC Credits from Whats Up!
500 EC Credits from Digiscraptology
700 EC Credits from My Cross Roads
500 EC Credits from Healthy Living and Lifestyle
125x125 ad spot from Thomas Travel Tales
4th PRIZE
$5 and 500 EC credits from A Mother's Horizon
1,000 EC Credits from Nierva Dot Com
500 EC Credits from This and That
500 EC Credits from Scraps & Shots
500 EC Credits from Rumination
125x125 ad spot from Erlinda's Wandering Thoughts
125x125 ad spot from Tech Stuff Plus

Her precious niche

There are so many nice blogs out here in the blogosphere ... really interesting, colorful, insightful ... and am sure each blogger/bloggie/blog owner considers her/his blog as precious. One such blog I came across today only is called "...my precious niche...", and today is its first blogsary! So happy 1st blogsary to you, Eds. May you keep blogging ... and keep adding some nice things to the readers' lives day by day!

http://www.birthdayjoys.com/graphics

saturday...a birthday

supposed to post in the other blog but sometimes i drop by here. today is kiko's birthday. an ordinary day for him as guys go. maybe just being practical. he had to go to work also today. but i prepared a small cake and card. tied the cake box with a nice gold and red ribbon. he appreciated it as well. of course i gave him a birthday kiss. since it's saturday we did laundry as usual ha ha ha. oh well, now that's done so we plan to go out and have some nice dinner in a nice restaurant...we will travel to singapore end of the month so we consider that as his birthday treat as well.