How to Move On after a Break up

By: LESTER TAGA CAPAS

How indeed? Moving on is possibly the most difficult thing to do especially when you've fallen in and out of love for the first time.

The trend among young adults seems to be building their world around someone they love. When you're young it often seems like the end of the world when your heart is broken but that is not the most painful thing that can happen in your life.

When you occupy yourself with the regret of losing someone who you thought was the one, you are closing the door on many opportunities; opportunities to find someone better, opportunities to do something good with your life.

There is no sure fire way of teaching someone how to recover from a break up but here are some tips from someone who has bit the ground one too many times.

1. Seek comfort from your family and friends

It is annoying how sometimes parents will smudge your mistakes in your face but who is better to approach than people who know you for who you are?

Talking to your parents about your experience is not only a positive effort but a good try. If they ignore you then thank goodness you have friends! The worst thing you can do is keeping it in and holding back the tears hoping it will pass.

Let it out sooner so you can breathe in fresh air and one day, who knows? Perhaps you'll even laugh about it in a conversation with friends. "Remember how ugly you looked back then crying over? Hahaha".

2. Occupy yourself with positive thoughts

Watch a movie buy a cookbook do whatever you can to keep your kind off that nonsense. If you stay in a corner sulking you will move on much slower or not at all. Occupy yourself with things you can do that will benefit you.

Go to the gym try out for track and field. Never let your mind stay focused on what you have lost so you can keep your eyes set on what you can still gain.

If time is not on your side make it! You live only once, to worry about your hair turning grey is the least of your problems. Indulging in conversations is a good way of keeping fresh.

3. Acceptance It is never easy, never

But it doesn't mean that you have to live with it forever. Isn't it better if years from now both of you are somehow friends and you can talk without holding grudges.

Acceptance is always easier if you learn to love yourself before anyone else. People who lack self-love accept at a much slower pace if they ever even reach the point of acceptance.

Acknowledge that some of the fault may be yours. Eat it up. You're not perfect either.

4. Meet new people

The more people you meet and the more friends you make the higher your chances of finding someone new. Never use someone new to fill up old holes. Give them a new space in your life and do new things together.

Finding someone new to love will not be as easy if you have not accepted that the first time was not meant to be. You have to put your mind to it.

Remind yourself that someone who doesn't want you is not worth you and you will never be worth less than the value you give to yourself.

Find someone with a good sense of humor. It is rare to find people in complete packages so if you are to make a choice; a good personality is a safe bet.

5. Chocolates and a balanced diet

Self-explanatory, ok perhaps not. But still, if you want to keep your mind off a breakup may as well worry about Diabetes instead. Diabetes is permanent, break ups and heart aches are not. Diabetes has a costly maintenance heart break has none. Diabetes has no cure, heart aches only require a little love. Diabetes is a logical and serious threat to your life and health. Barely anybody has died from a heart ache.

 6. Don't be foolish and snap out of it

The last thing you want to do is do something stupid. Never do anything rash in the heat of the moment. You may not live to regret it. You have to open your mind to the possibility that perhaps it simply is not your time to meet someone who you will spend your life with. Don't cut your wrists that is not only stupid it is a means of inflicting pain that probably won't even get your ex to flinch one tiny bit.

7. Keep your heart open and your mind at peace

Never let the experience embitter your heart. Keep the door open but learn to kick people out when they obviously don't belong there. Sometimes you just have to pray and meditate.

Flowers bring color into this otherwise drab world.

There are red, violet, white, pin, yellow or orange flowers.

Flowers are God's gift to the world.

What would the world be without these beautiful and colorful flowers? Here are flowers of different colors and types.

Feel free to use them in your blogs and websites. Just credit this blog as the source. Thank you.

Short Story: No Ducks Allowed

By: LESTER TAGA CAPAS

The sound of thunder echoes throughout the mountains as Tata Manuel struggles to fortify the roof of his house.

"Rodel, get me more ropes!" He yells as his eldest helps him. "Accursed radio! They didn't say anything about incoming storms!" He curses as he struggles to climb the bamboo stairs.

Image credit: en.wikipedia.org

He wobbles, trying to balance himself with all the ropes he brought. His footing is slightly unstable but it rocks the weak stairs.

He reaches the top tiers when it collapses under his weight. He falls 10 feet onto a pile of firewood. The fall knocks him out and heavily damages his back and limbs.

The next morning he awakes, still dizzy. "Gem ge ge glass waarrr..." He struggles to speak but the fall seems to have damaged his central nervous system.

His wife cries beside him. "Manuel!.. Manuel! Oh Manuel! Where will we get the money to pay for your treatment Manuel!.." She sobs helplessly as she raises the glass of water to his lips. "Even if we sell the farm we won't have enough.... Manuel...what will we do now?"

Her Eight kids cry with her. The eldest sons volunteer to look for money but everywhere they looked, they just could not raise enough money.

News spread of the accident within the barrio when one day... "Knock knock! It's me Bong, let me in.."

"Answer the door marie." The mother says.

" Sylvia, what happened? Kumpare? What has happened to you??"Manuel struggles to speak but to no avail.

By this time he looked dry and helpless. "What will we do Bong? We don't have enough money to take him to the doctor and the nearest one is at least four days on carabao from here?"

Bong sat down in despair for a moment but then looked up with excitement. He holds Manuel's paralyzed leg and says "Kumpare, have you heard of Mang Teryo? Expert albularyo? He is only two days travel from here and he gets better results than any doctor can get you. Plus he is cheap!"

Manuel looks at his kumpare and shakes his head in affirmation. "Well then let us go! You will have your legs back kumpare! You will have your legs back!"

At the back of his mind " Good lord what have I gotten myself into now?" Manuel asks himself.

They take a two day trip on carabao going to the famed albularyo.

Bong looks at his kumpare and says "He moves from place to place and we are lucky that he is in town, he will be leaving again soon."

They reach an isolated place deep in the forest. The smell of incense suffocates the atmosphere and they see long chains of rat bones and small animals tied to the trees.

They see a small hut decorated with animal skulls and feathers fenced off with the long bones of cattle. "Albularyos do not have these in their homes? Are you sure we are in the right place Bong??"

Sylvia asks greatly irritatedly but then a small man with a Belly bigger than most of his body comes out of the hut.

He walks from side to side as if he were a Penguin. He is dressed in simple clothing and noticeably gasps for air from time to time.

"Mang Teryo?" Bong asks.

The figure lowers his eyeglasses and says "Yes".

"Bring the meal..I mean the patient in..".

Manuel's sons look at each other reluctantly but Bong ushers them to do as Mang Teryo says.

Inside the hut, there is a big table with beddings and Mang Teryo tells them to lay Manuel down on a prone position. He then scatters a foul smelling oil and some herbs all over Manuel.

"What is that for?" Rodel asks in a low voice.

"Oil , seasoning and dressing to prepare him for eati...relaxing.." Mang Teryo replies.

He orders the four boys to hold a limb each and stretch Manuel's body. They do as he says and he presses on the back causing it to crackle and he proceeds to push on the back of the neck.

Mang Teryo mumbles a little and then looks angry as he claims to have forgotten some words on the incantation. He grabs a bottle of brandy and gulps it down. He wobbles and approaches Manuel now fiercely reciting words that make no sense.

"He is speaking in latin." Bong tells Sylvia and she only looks on in a disturbed amazement.

"Where is the chicken?! " Mang Teryo yells in drunken rage.

They bring him a chicken and he snaps its neck pouring to blood into Manuel's open mouth. He tells them all to leave him and Manuel alone for the divination ritual which requires they be alone.

They leave and hear Manuel screaming in pain. They cannot see what is happening but Bong reassures them that it is all part of the curing process.

After half an hour or silence Sylvia can take no more and busts the door open to see Mang Teryo feasting on her husband. She screams in horror as the boys enter and restrain Mang Teryo.

His face has changed into a ghoulish figure. He easily overpowers them, when suddenly he is hit by a bag of salt and he falls melting to the ground.

The real Mang Teryo appears looking little different from the monster he had just killed, "That was an evil spirit pretending to be me."

Sylvia cries as she stares at Manuel's bones devoid of flesh.

Mang Teryo then looks at them with pity and offers a 4 percent discount on any future medication they may require him. If they can find him. The real Mang Teryo then walks on into the night leaving the grieving family wishing they had just gone to see the doctor.

How to Know If Your Spouse Still Loves You

No matter how situations are in your relationship there are words that you should never say to your partner.  Once you say things you can never get back the words.

Words are the most powerful weapon you can use against your partner. If you want your relationship to last, then you should avoid saying these hurting words.

“I regret the day I met you.”

When you say these words, you are saying so many things, such as,

“You’re nothing to me now,” “You’re unworthy,” and several negative interpretations, which are hurtful. Once you inflict this pain, the scar would always be there to haunt you for the rest of your life.

“You’re a slut.”

If you are a man, never say these words. This is an insult, as well as a slap. Not even a person who characterizes that adjective wants to be called as such.

You should never say these words because you are attacking the core of her being, her character. Talk about the situation and do not attack her character. Character is the only thing left for a broken-hearted woman.

“You’re a good for nothing …”

Again, in this sentence, you would be attacking your partner’s character. You are putting a label on your partner using a personal attack, which should not be the case.

Let go of personal insults, and talk about the situation or incidence, without degrading the morale of one another.

“You’re ugly.”

The day you say this to your partner means that you no longer love her/him, because couples who still love one another would see each other as the loveliest or most handsome person in the planet. Saying "you're fat" is also mean-spirited.

Attacking the person’s physical characteristics, because the outward appearance is a relative thing.

Persons may see things differently; what is beautiful to you may look ugly to some people, and vice-versa.

“I don’t love you anymore.”

Unless you mean it, never say these words, even in jest, because it is a direct declaration that would hurt the person you love, tremendously.

This statement is the end of the line for any relationship. Don’t say it, if you don’t intent to break off right after the words come out of your mouth. You can never take it back again.

If you value your relationship, these are the words you should never say. There are still several of these words; you just have to determine yourself what would hurt your partner or not, and follow your heart.

When you love a person, you would learn to say only loving words.

Learn to say "Thank you"  and "I love you" as often as you can. One pointer that you may want to remember is to be generous with praise but slow with your criticism.

Amazing Double Rainbow Pictures

Rainbows are Mother Nature's wonders. Looking at the rainbow is like viewing a miracle that can happen to you. There are several rainbow quotations that you can take note of: "At the end of the rainbow is a pot of gold." "Reach for your rainbows."

Image credit: From a student abroad

Image credit: From a student abroad

Pictures of Flowers in Bloom

Flowers are part of Mother Nature's wonderful flora.

Without flowers, how would the world appear? In some countries, they have festivals for flowers.

One of the most loved flower is the rose.

It's a symbol of life, full of pain and joy that both co-exist to make people live complete lives.

Its petals are incredibly beautiful, but along its stem, are sharp, harmful thorns that can inflict pain, if you're not careful in handling it.

Roses come also in different colors; you have pink roses, red, roses, purple roses, blue roses and the virginal white roses.

Together with roses, orchids are likewise popular for Valentine's day and special occasions. This is because of their exotic appearance.

What about you? What's your favorite flower?

Bottoms Up

By: LESTER TAGA CAPAS
 

He takes the bottle to his mouth and sits on his favorite wooden chair. "A beautiful antique, isn't it? All these years and this chair is as beautiful as ever." 

He puts the bottle down and gently touches the arm-rests. "The same can't be said for me can it old friend?" 

He pulls his pet dog gently towards him. "All time ever did was turn these old bones brittle." The dog licks his cheek and he smiles sadly. 

"To think , nearly 45 years ago I told my mother this would be a waste of money. They don't make chair like these anymore. Born from hard labor and skill."

" Mr. Carbonel..Mr. Carbonel? " Knocks on the door "Mr. Carbonel?". He stands up to check on who it is. "Hello Karen how are you?" 

"Mr. Carbonel, can we borrow your bike?" He taps her head gently, of course you can. Be careful." He waves her goodbye when the girl's mother scolds her from afar. 

"Return that.." Her daughter argues but returns it. "Mr. Carbonel please, stay away from my children." "But ..Elle.." Without even looking at him she turns away.

He walks towards his chair slowly with a heavy heart.

Looking up he prevents the tears from further coming out and sits down. He gulps down a large portion of the vodka in his bottle. "At least..I have you..." 

He looks at the bottle with a miserable grin. He finishes the contents and blacks out. He unconsciously falls to the floor crying and laughing at the same time. 

"I shouldn't have moved here, I should have just let them live their life without me. They would have been happier.." 

He falls asleep on the floor until the next morning when someone knocks at his door. The man finds the door unlocked  " Mr. Carbonel are you alright?" 

He helps him up "We saw you from the window..Mr. Carbonel.." 

He sees the blood on the floor. "Mr. Carbonel you're bleeding!!" They rushed him to the hospital. He was accidentaly stabbed by the knife in his pocket when he collapsed on the floor. 

The wound is fatal, penetrating his stomach and intestines. 

The doctor holds his hand as she prays, knowing it's only a matter of time. "My fault, it was all my fault.." He whispers. "You should never keep knives in your pocket." 

The doctor whispers back. " I should have never have left them back then, now, even my grandchildren don't know who I am.".

 He looks at the doctor " I thought I was doing the right thing by following my heart. I couldn't bear her constant nagging I was weak." He whispers angrily at himself and the woman he was forced to marry. 

"I should have never gotten her pregnant." He frowns.

"We had children, we had children but I chose the woman I truly loved. I thought I was right I was right wasn't I??" 

The doctor shakes her head "I don't know sir, It was your life and your decision, I can't judge." He looks at her " I thought I was right, I guess the blues got the best of me after all. I saved the best of me for someone who's love I couldn't have. 

Instead of giving the woman who loved me a chance. She wasn't always bad, It's my doing, I was the reason she became the cold-hearted nagger she was before she.." He coughs up blood. The doctor wipes his cheeks.

"Now, here I am dying with a complete stranger." The doctor looks him in the eyes. "Surely you must have done some things right in your life?" The doctor inquired. " Not that I can remember, all I did was sit Idly in that chair thinking of my mistakes never solving them. I'm going to die anyway. Please do me a favor doctor." 

He writes down a number on a sheet of paper. "Please tell my children that I'm sorry for taking their mother from them, It was the spur of the moment when she caught me with the .."

The doctor stands up. "I'll lend you a phone, you can use your dying breaths to apologize and say goodbye." " No! They might hang up if they recognize my voice, but for a stranger it would be easier." 

The doctor looks at him . "I am not a doctor nor am I a stranger, you have known me all your life." 

The old man is confused. " I was there whenever you beat your wife and kids, whenever you fell asleep in church, I was even there when you killed your wife. You had so many chances to atone for your sins but did not, all you did was reason your conscience away, you did me a favor." She laughs. 

The old man stares gasping for air. When suddenly his breathing stabilizes. The lady is gone and he touches the bed sides but they are red hot. 

Stung by the heat he recoils when the surroundings burst into flames and a voice is heard. "I have known you all your life, but now, you will know me, that I am real and that all sins must be paid by fire.." 

The old man sees a vision of him dying that afternoon, and screams...