A Heart-Warming Story of Mother and Child

 By: Lester Parlade

Eleven o’clock, her heart beats faster as she listens to it worriedly. She grasps the pillow on her chest and listens to the sound of her heavy breathing.

She gets up from the couch and checks if anyone is at her gate, she checks her phone for missed calls and messages.

Past one in the morning and still nothing, she wants to go out and look for her daughter but she doesn't know where to start.

Her teacher says she left early after school. She tries calling her daughter's friends but none of them are picking up their phone.

She doesn't know if she should call the cops and phone in for missing person. Three in the morning, and she's on the verge of tears.

Her hands shake as she tries to prepare some coffee. She thinks of all the chores set for the day but can't stop worrying.

She goes to her little son's room and embraces him worriedly. She is about to break when someone knocks at the door.

Her face turns white, she doesn't know if it's her daughter or the police coming to tell her about a possible incident.

She hears her daughter yelling for someone to open the door. She trembles with relief and anger.

As she opens the door "Where have you been? You had me so worried you didn't even tell me where or what you were going to do!?"

Her daughter yells at her "With my friends! I don't have to tell you everything! If i told you, you wouldn't have let me!"

Her eyes flare up “I almost died worrying about you and that's your reason? What if something bad happened to you?"

Her daughter walks towards her room ignoring her.

She grabs her hand with anger "You don't know what you just put me through because you don't know what it means to be a mother yet, but someday you will."

Her daughter breaks loose with irritation. "You don't own me, stop treating me like a kid, I'm not!"

Her mother slaps her " You think you have the world on your shoulders, you think your father would be proud of you?!"

Her daughter shouts "If he were alive he'd be here to protect me from you!" She rushes to her room and slams the door.

Her mother breathes painfully but with a little relief "At least she's safe, she whispers".

She looks at the clock and it's already past four. She hasn't slept a wink.

She cooks breakfast and says "Thank goodness it's Saturday."

She cleans up a bit though with a heavy heart.

Six in the morning and her boss asks her to come to work.

She says she isn't feeling well but her boss reminds her of how bad she has been performing recently.

She hasn't been getting any good sleep ever since her daughter started her rebellious ways. She would come to work every other night worried, tired with little sleep and full of heartache.

She tries to take a short nap but it isn't enough. She gets ready for another day of work as a cashier and she has to look good doing it.

She enters the store and by ten in the morning hundreds of people with hundreds of items in their shopping carts have passed her by.

She hasn't eaten, just had coffee, she uses her lunchtime for a nap and at five in the afternoon she is completely worn out.

She comes home to the sound of loud music and her daughter won't even tune it down so she can sleep.

Her daughter's boyfriend is smoking in the living room and her son won't stop bugging her about a toy he wants.

The following week, her teenage daughter comes home crying, her boyfriend has left her and she's pregnant.

Her mother breaks down not knowing what to do.

She momentarily holds back her anger and tells her everything will be ok and whispers "Lord help us".

How to Get Back on Your Feet Again after a Breakup

Moving on after a breakup is difficult if you don’t have a clear-cut plan in doing it. You have to condition your mind that the breakup is final and that there’s no going back. 

You have also to accept the fact that your relationship has finally ended. Here are steps you can implement to get back on your feet again after a breakup.

1.    Accept the fact totally

You have to accept the fact no matter how painful it is. Psyche yourself not to pine over memories that no longer bring you joy but pain. This is the most crucial step that you MUST do, so you can move on.

2.    Throw all items that remind you of him/her

Next throw all items that can remind you of him or her. You don’t need them anymore. Don’t hope for another chance with a person who has left you already. Once, he’s done it, he will do it again. Do you want your heart broken over and over again, until nothing’s left of it? Be kind to yourself and love yourself by throwing all those bad memories.

3.    Go out and spend time with friends or meet new friends.

Being alone may not mean loneliness but it’s best if you have people around you who can cheer you up. The more, the merrier. If you’re an innate introvert, then you can always curl in bed with an interesting book. Don’t allow yourself to be idle, so you won’t have a chance to pine over an unworthy person.

4.    Treat yourself to a new wardrobe or makeover

Buy new clothes and get a sassy hairdo to reinvent yourself. Show him that he no longer matters to you and that you’re doing great without him. This is your best revenge for his misdeed.

5.    Embark on new endeavors

Now is your time to do the things you’ve restricted yourself to do because of him. Go traveling or start writing a book. Do something you’re interested in. Think out of the box and challenge yourself to accomplish an activity that can challenge your creativity and intellect.

6.    Smile

Smile, it’s not the end of the world. He’s not your Mr. Right yet. Somewhere along the road of life, you’ll surely meet him, and when that time comes, you wouldn’t want him to see you frowning, right?

So, go on with your life and continue improving yourself, as you enjoy what life has to offer. Be happy and contented because behind the clouds, the sun is still shining.

Poetry, the Guitar Player

His eyes were dreamy,
distant as he strums,
the tenuous bands that
stretched against his fingers.

Image credit: kaylynnkrieg.wordpress.com

He gazed at them
as they had start to hit the drums,
the guitar trembled
in his deft right hands and lingers.

The guitar player plucked
his life in endless songs,
while in his home,
his wife awaits with renewed hope.

He bowed and smiled
at the happy throng.
But deep inside
his heart was sad,
trying to cope.

You see my friend;
the guitar player has a story.
His wife, his love, is sick
and down with cancer.

He needed all the money
for his wife’s recovery;
he has to play
until his fingers
bleed and conquer.

Poem, The Final Attempt

I taste your lips so hungrily

I hope you’d stay and rest.

Your head is nestled happily

between my luscious breasts.

Your eyes met mine with pity,

I felt your soul reach out.

My womb is baby-empty,

That’s all it is about.

I know that there’s still hope for me,

Let’s give ourselves a chance.

A final try is meant to be,

let’s waltz our final dance.

Valentine’s Day Poem - Just so You Know

Just so you know, I am still here.

Loving you with a heart, without fear.

Missing you every second of the day.

Wanting to be with you in every way.

Just so you know, I grieve inside.

Longing that you would be by my side

Wishing on the stars and moon above.

Waiting for you to make the move, my love.

Just so you know, I have not forgotten.

The love we had, although verboten.

You’ll always be a part of my encore.

My love forever and ever more.

Image credit: Fe Potter (thanks for the image)

How to Express Yourself: When You're Young: Express Yourself, Before It's too Late

By: Lester Nang Dinuguan

"Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish"- Albert Einstein.

"When you're young and you're in love, you'd think it was the end of the world when the person you love rejects you, especially when you think that person is the one." I find that often true. To be young with many dreams, to be full of hope, to be full of love to give. How do people age into cranky shells of their former selves? Time, a lot of time, when you're young you often don't know what you want, until you're old enough to regret not having sought after it when you had the time.

People change, you can experience great joy that will lead to your contentment as time goes by. On the other hand, you may also experience things that not only dampen, but crush your spirit and take any trace of hope you have. When you're young you think everyone is against you and that you're being singled out, even if they only want the best for you. But who's to blame? What you see right now may not be as worth as you used to think it was. People can only advise, no one can dictate your destiny, it's all up to you.

Some people have high hopes and big dreams but without the power to do so. When you're young and have everything you wished you could have do you ever foresee tough times to come? When you're old, tired feeling helpless and robbed, do you blame yourself when you were young? Or do you waste time on pointing fingers? There is always a choice, but when you're young things get blurry and the roads seem ever misty even when the goal is clear.

When you're young you tend to blame other people for your failures, but who doesn't? when you're old but successful, do you ever look back to the time when you were young? did you struggle? Or were you fortunate enough to be born with a golden spoon? When you're young and struggling, you want success and simple joys, you want a happy family and a good job, a smile to greet you everyday. But when you've finally met your goals pray the old feeling does not fade away. Sometimes we get too much heaven that we don't realize that we're in heaven.

Sometimes we're way up in the clouds that we forget how it's like to have our feet on the ground. When you're young you want to help everybody and wish you had super-powers. Then older people tell you that what you believe in is none-sense. you listen and forget what it means to dream and believe in miracles. You think only of what's rational and FORGET that a MIRACLE MADE YOU. You even question he who made you. When you're young you're full of smiles without a care in the world. Then comes your duties and obligations and you forget what a smile truly means.

When you're young play around and you get hurt, regardless of how long you cry and feel the pain, you will always want to play again. age shouldn't be a factor in vigor and perseverance. don't let the weight of your physical body drag down the strength of your spirit. When you're young you pray to God as you wake, before you sleep, before you eat and just about every time you get a chance even when you don't understand him. You grow up you forget to pray and you say he understands you for not going to church because you're busy.

When you're dying you realize how foolish you were to forget the one entity who would never forsake you. When you're young you love unconditionally although you have a strong sense of self love you have the urge to love others nonetheless. You grow up and grow cold you forget what it means to love other people and yourself. Although you can still love unconditionally and selflessly, would you have the same spirit as you did back then? You think you're bigger than everyone else who are mature enough to admit when they're wrong?

Keep laughing because society will laugh back at you, growing cold is not becoming mature, it's withering, becoming a shell too obsolete to put in a shelf, not even good enough to remember. When you're young you forgive and forget, when you're old you learn to bear grudges and hate. When you're young you'd do just about anything for what you want but slowly learn right from wrong.

When you're old knowing right and wrong you often disregard what is wrong to get what you want. When you're young and you love you over flow. When you're old you think you're too old for it and believe wisdom keeps you from such rash decisions as learning to love again. Such wisdom is wasted on the pretentious, you can outgrow your toys but you should never outgrow love.

When you're young you're scared of sin, when you grow older, yo have vices and you blame the lord when you get sick. Oh, please, don't waste your time. The lord didn't create the elements for you to abuse and get cancer or any other vice related disease.

When you're young and appreciative you learn to say thank you at the smallest things, when you're old you forget those small things, those small words that could mean the world to other people. when was the last time you said "thank you" and meant it?

When is the last time you said sorry with a tear in your eye and never did it again? When was the last time you prayed just so you could thank god? When was the last time you told someone you love them just because you did? If that's what you call maturity you are mistaken, it's called ingratitude and rudeness, it is also called pitiful.

When you're young you are devoted, when you grow old, make sure you mature right. Maturation is not outgrowing the basic acts of kindness and love, maturation is finding better ways to do them! I am ending this with a thought I recall from the past "You can't enter heaven if you don't have the innocence of a child".

Food Trip: Korean Food Pictures and Others

Korean foods are the trip nowadays. If you haven't tasted Korean cuisine, now is the time to it. Here are some pics of delicious Korean foods. Dig in, and enjoy the spicy sumptuous dishes.

All pictures courtesy of  Sir Nikes Alviz

Sushi: Image credit: Nino Alviz