God, Happiness and Life

Mothers, I consider are heroes of our times. She gives birth to a child. Physically feeds the child from her own swollen breasts. She nurtures, sacrifices and sometimes even die for a child. There are countless stories of mothers dying from childbirth, or those who die trying to save a child from being mortally wounded, from an accident or fire or drowning. Mothers are venerable. But mothers make mistakes too. After all, they are humans, not programmable beings that at a drop of a hat move according to a set of instructions. Yes, they too err. Like loving their children too much, where it eventually becomes a disservice to the child. Mothers have feelings. Though they are masters at the art of sacrifice they too get hurt. From indifference and subtle and overt acts of disrespect. For mothers, sacrifice is equated with love. But they need their children's understanding. Please consider that they are no longer the spring chicken they once were; trying to be all things to everyone, a...

The Ibanags just like most Filipino groupings are matriarchal. When my mother was younger she wielded a power over me that forced my tongue in check whenever she gave me a scolding or admonition for a real or imagined “wrongdoing”. No one ever talks back. Let alone me. I can not recall if there ever was an instance when I mastered enough courage to explain anything even when there was a chance to do so. But it sure did happen one day when I was already 26 years old and had 2 children. Swell. :-) The elderly are treated with respect in the Ibanag culture. Deference is essential if not required and is lavishly displayed and shown. Proper language and the right tone of voice characterize conversations with the elders. It is not uncommon to take the elder’s hand, bring it to the forehead or kiss the hand to show courtesy and respect. Women are venerated in the Ibanag family. Most of the time they have the last say in decisions involving family affairs. Although Filipinas are kn...

Today, I celebrate life. Not with material possessions but with peace, in me and in others.

"For parents, birth rituals and ceremonies provide an immediate sense of connection as well as inclusion of the child into the clan, tribe or community. These rituals establish at a very early stage, who they are. The rituals also serve as guideposts as they grow and develop their own sense of identity. Even if they drift away from or reject their heritage, their early experiences give them a place to return to if they so choose". The Ibanag culture is filled with childbearing rituals and practices which have been handed down from one generation to another. Here are some of them. 1. It is said that if a pregnant woman has a lot of blemishes or pimples on her face, her baby will be a girl. 2. If the mother glows and radiates beauty, the baby will be a boy. 3. If the mother craves for sweets and other carbohydrates, the baby will be a girl. 4. If the mother is craving for oily or fried foods, the baby will be a boy. 5. The mother should not eat 'balut' (a native duc...

As I mentioned in one of my prior posts somewhere in one of my blogs, the Ibanag dialect is somewhat difficult to learn because when you speak it you can sound like a chirping bird :-) I learned the dialect by just hearing it from my Mother who use it everytime her relatives come to our home to visit. And this was not that often. You see, her relatives from Isabela, that's where she was born, come to spend their vacation with us every summer, yes the whole summer months. And yes, EVERY summer of EVERY year. Well, they don't come empty handed. They bring sacks of rice, ample stocks of meat enough to feed all of us for 1 month. They bring live animals too, like chicken, piglets, not to mention baskets of fruits and vegetables, even our neighbors get their share. Wherever Ibanags are, you know they are around because they are so loud and so noisy. They have this habit of speaking all at the same time :-)Sigh. Now if that is not enough reason for anyone to learn the dialect, I d...

I can do this 24x7x365 Cartoon by Dave Walker . Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons .

The last time my family and I went on a vacation was in 1995. That was more than 10 years ago. We were invited by relatives who owned a beach house in Batangas. The place was gorgeous and a few minutes a way by pump boat is Sombrero Island. My children were quite young then. It was a trip that I thoroughly enjoyed and so did my children. I could say they had a great time because we brought along some of their friends. We stayed in a resthouse which was a few meters away from the beach. It was a cold summer night. We had barbecue and bonfires if you know what I mean. Our first night, I was totally awake. I could here the waves' murmuring sounds of jubilation. (as if) I wish we could ALL be together again just one last time? Perhaps this coming April? But I doubt it. My children are all adults now. They have their own lives to live. But if we were to get together again there are a few places I dream of visiting... if only.