If you would like to hear accomplished women sharing their thoughts on the topic of work-life balance, you may want to come to: Conversations on Life’s Choices: Achieving Work-Home-Self Balance. This will be held on July 15, 2010, Thursday, at Function Rooms 1-4. Venue is the Ground Floor, AIM Conference Center, Benavidez cor. Trasierra St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.

Ms. Chichi Robles Fajardo will be interviewing the following: Ms. Boots Anson Roa (media, TV, and movie personality) Ms. Nina Aguas (a Senior bank executive) and Ms. Sharon Fernandez, a retired executive who is now a full-time wife and mother.

You can contact Imelda at +63 918 914 4633 to confirm your attendance. A fee of P500 per head will also be charged to cover the corresponding costs.

Happy balancing!

After enjoying the sight of dolphins, we moved on to the Manjuyod Sandbar for some swimming. All was well and fine until my husband and son got stung by a jellyfish. That cut short our swimming time.

I have never been stung by a jellyfish before so I have no idea what it feels like. From what I saw, the area that got stung gets quite red and swollen and from the feedback that I got from my husband and son, their stomachs and back started to ache too and their chest started to feel heavy.

I had brought some antihistamine/anti-inflammatory medicine with me and so I asked my husband and son to take one each. I don’t know if the medicine worked but after some time, they started to feel better. My son, surprised that I had such medicine with me, while we were in the middle of the sea exclaimed: “What would we do without a mom?” (That was really music to my ears…)

As an afterthought, I told my son: “Well, if you didn’t have a mom, you probably won’t get stung because there would be no one to plan our trips…” I was joking of course and my son probably knew that too but as he smiled, he looked confused, trying to decide whether he was happy that I was there to give him the medicine or whether he should be angry about the sting and all.

Such is life. Things are hardly black or white. Situations are never perfect. We all love our mothers but I am sure we do not get along with them all the time. But then again, that is the essence of true and lasting love, right? If all parents and children were perfect then love would be easy and it would lose its very power.

Love for country is also something that can leave us with mixed feelings. Tomorrow, May 10, 2010, is election day here in the Philippines. One part of me feels excited about the prospect of change but another part of me feels hesitant and worried as well about not being able to find a leader who will truly bring about change. Well, we hope and pray for the best. Just like a jelly fish sting, we will survive this and be stronger after. As we go to the polls though, let us vote wisely for the sake of our children and our motherland.

Happy Mother’s Day to all our loving mothers and stewardesses of the highest order. Go out and vote tomorrow. Vote wisely.

To read my latest article on Mother’s Day and the Elections, please visit Of Mothers and Our Motherland.

One of my firm beliefs in life is that the concept of stewardship will change the way things are in our country and in the world. Stewardship is based on knowing that nothing we have is really ours and that all that we have is given to us to use and take care of for the good of others.

Election after election, presidential candidates assume office only to disappoint us in the end. Corruption is still a major problem, our countrymen leave their families to earn a decent salary in other countries, and a lot of Filipinos remain poor and uneducated. We are a country of highly intelligent, hard-working, and charming people; we are blessed with abundant natural resources but the way things are in this country leaves a lot of room for improvement.

Still, hope springs eternal and on May 10, 2010, you and I have it in our hands to choose the person who will lead us in the next six years. Hopefully, that person will be a steward. How can we tell if the president is a steward?

The person who will be president must be grateful. He must be grateful for the chance to lead this nation and like any other ordinary individual grateful for a gift, the gift of the presidency will be handled with great respect.

The person who will be president must be responsible. He must be capable of dispensing his duties as president in an organized and moral manner. He must use his talents and his unique gifts as an individual to improve the lot of his fellow Filipinos, particularly the last, the least, and the lost.

The person who will be president must be generous and must give back with increase. He must be generous with his time, talent, and his own treasure. He must not enrich himself while in office. He must give back to the people in terms of service. He must give back to this nation a sense of propriety, instill a culture of discipline and decency, and lead us all to be generous with our neighbors and to think of the good of others who may be beyond our circle of friends and family.

On May 10, 2010, I urge you to vote wisely. Remember also though that transformation and change do not lie with the leader or with the president alone. You must be a steward yourself as well. You must also be grateful, responsible, generous, and must give back to others with increase.

That is my dream — the Philippines as a nation of stewards. A nation acting as a loving and caring family. As Lilo and Stich say, no one gets left behind.

If you wish to read further on my take on choosing whom to vote for, please read The Vote to Right.

While I personally believe that such is true to a certain extent, I also would like to think that on our part, there must be some amount of effort to search as well. Jeremiah 29:12-14 states: “When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord…”

During the recent Holy Week, I went on three half-day retreats at the Ateneo, from Holy Thursday to Holy Saturday. Not being a graduate of the Ateneo, I was not very familiar with the campus. Being the parent of someone who studies in Ateneo, my familiarity with the place was limited to the Grade School, the High School, and the Church of the Gesu.

And so I set out early in the morning of Holy Thursday to find the Escaler Hall at the Science Education Complex where the retreat will be held. Prior to that, I had asked for directions over the phone and was given some general indication but in the end, the lady I was speaking with said: “There will be signs.”

I entered the Ateneo campus on Holy Thursday morning and asked the guards where the Escaler Hall was. His instruction was clear: First intersection, right. First entrance, right again. I followed the directions to the letter and found myself in a parking lot surrounded by several buildings. I parked my car and got off and started to explore the place. Prior to my entering the car park, by the way, I saw a teeny-tiny sign which said: This way to the retreat or something to that effect.

As I went around the building which later on I would find out to be Gonzaga Hall (if I remember correctly), I saw two other retreat participants who were also searching for the right place. The lady thought Gonzaga Hall was Escaler Hall already and the two of them (a lady and a gentleman) both did not see the sign at the entrance of the parking lot because it was, in fact, very small.

I finally saw an Ateneo staff working around the area and so I decided to get some help. I asked: “Kuya, saan po ang Escaler Hall?” (Kuya is a respectful term for elder brother. Saan po ang Escaler Hall means: Where is Escaler Hall?)

He replied: “Sa kabilang building po. (It’s in the other building) Doon po sa may vine. (The place where there is a vine.)”

I did not get the last part of his answer clearly enough and so I asked again: “Saan po? (Where is that?)”

He repeated: “Sa may vine.”

It was then that I understood what he meant. It’s where the vine is.

I turned to talk to the other retreat participants and told them what I was told. They didn’t follow right away so I went ahead.

As I was walking to the place for the retreat and as I saw the structure with the vines, I smiled to myself. I was thinking: “How symbolic. The place where we will have the retreat is where the vine is.”

I knew there was a message there. John 15:5 (TEV) states: “I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who remain in me and I, in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me.”

I thought to myself: Yes, Lord. The message is clear. Without you, I cannot do anything. You sent me here so that I will learn something that will make me bear fruit.

Searching for God takes effort on our part. While God seeks us out, we also need to find Him. In life, just like in my search for Escaler Hall, there can be little signs that guide us but if we are not attentive enough, we can miss them.

We also need help from others. We grow in faith and seek direction from others. And while we all journey to search for God, our paths are not exact, nor is the timing of our getting there. We have our own individual journeys. Each meaningful — for the person traveling that chosen road.

Sometimes, when we search for God, we feel lost and we are not sure if we are going in the right direction. At times, it can just take a single instance, a single sign, and we know, we have found Him. When that happens, we experience profound joy, relief, peace.

It is almost a week since Holy Week but more than a Holy Week, I wish you a holy life. May your days be filled with numerous opportunities to encounter the risen Lord. He is searching for you…but in His search, I feel that He is also longing to be found by your loving and determined heart.

May the joy and victory of Easter live in you always as you strive to bring the Lord’s light and love to others. For when people in need see the Lord through us, that is when we know that we have truly searched for God and have found Him.

I suppose it was an indirect way of saying that as Christians or Catholics, it is everyone’s responsibility to evangelize. Bringing people closer to the Lord is a job or vocation that we all have. It is not reserved for priests or religious sisters.

For this coming Holy Week, April 1 to 3, 2010, I would like to gift one person with the chance to attend a Holy Week Triduum Retreat at the Ateneo de Manila University. This will be held at the Escaler Hall, Science Education Complex Building. Daily schedule from Holy Thursday to Black Saturday is from 7:30am to 12:30pm. Retreat Directors are the following: Fr. Miguel B. Lambino SJ, Fr. Victor C. de Jesus, SJ, and Fr. Arturo M. Borja, SJ.

Recollection fee per person for the three days is P1,200.00. If you would like to have the chance to attend the retreat for free, please leave a comment for this blogpost and complete the sentence (you may write more than one sentence): “I would like to attend this retreat because…”

I will shoulder the cost of the recollection fee for one person. If there are several people who leave a comment, or join the contest (there are other ways to join and to have the chance to win, as will be explained in my other website), I will choose the winner by seeing which answer or comment best connects with me.

I intend to choose the winner on March 23, 2010 and will announce the name shortly after that. Instructions will be given to the winner by e-mail or through my blogs.

If you would like to inquire about and make a reservation for the retreat but not join the contest, you may call Ida Solis at 426-6081 to 82.

I hope to hear from you.

The talk started at about 8 or 8:30pm, with more than 70 parishioners in attendance. Most of them were those who served the parish in different organizations and ministries, plus a few young people whom I suppose, tagged along with their families and elders.

I am always happy to give talks on stewardship as I personally believe that understanding the concept of stewardship is the key to a more meaningful and peaceful life. Since this was a talk about Advent, I stressed that Stewardship was having an eternal Christmas. It is about accepting God’s invitation to fulfill our role in achieving God’s dream. Christ Mas. Mas in Spanish means more. Stewardship means having more of Christ in your life. Stewardship means making Christ more real to others.

To Fr. Ronald, parish staff, and all the parishioners who chose to spend their time that Saturday night listening to the Stewardship talk, thank you very much.

Here’s to more stewardship talks in parishes, schools, organizations, and even companies, in the near future!

The year 2009 leaves us with thoughts of the devastation caused by super typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, as well as fears on the restiveness of Mayon Volcano. In the midst of such occurrences, we remember that everything in this material world is fleeting and that while providing for ourselves materially is necessary, we must focus more on aspects like faith, hope, and love.

No matter what the new year may bring, let us take comfort in Deuteronomy 31:8: “The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Mom’s A Stewardess, the book, is not just for mothers, I always say, but most likely, it will be most appreciated by mothers and by women. As I face 2010, I remember a quotation from Mariles, a writing classmate of mine, when she said what a male friend once told her: “Women scare me. You bleed for 7 days and you don’t die.”

Just think about it. Women go through a lot and survive. With resolve and faith in the good Lord, I am sure that 2010 will turn out to be fine. There will be happy occasions to sustain us and challenges to strengthen us. So I wish all of you a grace filled 2010. Happy new year!

Finalists in the same category were:

8 Ways to Comfort with Grace by Rita Avila (Publisher: St. Pauls Publications)

Confessions of An Impatient Bride by Rissa Singson-Kawpeng (Publisher: Shepherd’s Voice Publications) and

The Christian Extra Challenge by Fernando de Leon Trinidad (Publisher: Fernando de Leon Trinidad).

Congratulations likewise to Bishop Francisco F. Claver, SJ, who was given the Lifetime Achievement Award.

As early as last night, I have been receiving text messages from friends urging people to pray. Here is one such prayer I received:

“Dear Lord, we fervently pray for Your intercession so that our nation will be spared from another threatening typhoon. Our suffering people have not recovered from Ondoy’s wrath. Please prevent Pepeng from hitting any of our islands. Save us from further calamities by embracing our country with your protective grace and merciful blessings.”

More things are wrought by prayer than we can ever imagine. Please pray that the Philippines be spared from further rains and floods.

“Our Father in Heaven, we humbly pray to you as a nation.

We plead to Your merciful heart that You may look upon us with compassion. We pray for our brothers who have lost their lives…Receive them into Your heavenly kingdom. We pray for those who are lost and those trying to get home to their families. Make their way easy. We pray for those who have lost their homes. Give them comfort. We pray for those who are still exposed to bad conditions and are still awaiting help. Give them strength. Everything we do for our unfortunate brethren, we offer to You and Your glory. All this we pray in the Most Holy Name of Jesus.”

If you are looking for ways or means to help, you may wish to consider the following:

Christ the King Parish in Greenmeadows is accepting donations in cash or in kind for the Typhoon Ondoy victims. You can send your donations to the Parish Office. For inquiries, you may call 6330280 or 6871909, Tuesdays to Sundays.

Philippine Daily Inquirer Relief Drive: This is in cooperation with the Philippine National Red Cross, Ronald McDonald House of Charities, Assissi Foundation and Sagip Buhay Foundation. You may send your donations of instant noodles, canned goods, milk formula, blankets, and clothes to the Inquirer office at 1098 Chino Roces Avenue cor. Mascardo and Yague Sts. Makati City. You can also bring your donations to any McDonald’s branch. For questions and concerns, please call 897 8808, local 206 and look for Megi Garcia.

Ms. Celia Elumba of Alay Buhay ComDev Foundation: Celia e-mailed me to request for help for communities in San Rafael, San Mateo, and Marikina. Celia is a trustee of NGO Alay Buhay. Donations of clothes, food, and drinking water will be appreciated. If you wish to get in touch with her to inquire about how you can help, please call her at 426 1096 or text her at 0917 811 8673. She may even be able to pick up some of your donations to the extent that it can be arranged.

Bo Sanchez and the Kerygma Family: You can visit kerygmafamily.com and find out more about their Fund Drive. They offer ways by which you can donate online (via Credit Card or via Paypal) so this is ideal for Filipinos and individuals abroad who would like to help out. You can also make direct deposits to their BPI and BDO bank accounts. Other instructions are given on their Fund Drive page.

Typhoon Ondoy has hit our fellow Filipinos really hard. Let us all do our share to help in any way we can.