Reminiscing Truths ⚓

      Another week of ECQ flew by. It's funny how, during the first week, the hours seemed to stretch on forever despite the countless things I needed to do for work--online classes, conversion of regular classroom teaching materials to online class-friendly ones, etc. As the ECQ stretches on, however, I realized that my adjustment to this abnormal situation is not as drastic as the others'. Once I've come to think of my stay-at-home days as a replay of my homeschooling days (except for the fact that I'm the teacher now), things are easier to get used to. I've reverted to the same routine, and now we're "getting the hang of it." We also started having more Zoom watch parties, which of course are featured in this week's snippets. :) March 29, Sunday - Day 15       We watched this Sunday night, after our worship service, when the Youngles had a Zoom watch party. The American Gospel: Christ Alone is a documentary film that examines in det...

I know in mind and heart that this is your most difficult birthday just yet. How it feels to have an ever gnawing pain with you when you wake up in the morning, and when you go to sleep at (mid) night, and every single time you let your thoughts wander far enough during the day. Maybe you also feel sometimes that you have to "suck it up and get on with it" because "it's been months," and you can't do anything about the past, so you just have to move forward. It's hard and difficult and painful, and the task before us is looming and terrifying. I mean how can life be not terrifying when so much has changed? But He who promised to us life and life abundant, in this world and the next, is faithful. And somehow this thought gets me through the hardest nights. Hoping it would also be of comfort and soothing balm to you. I love you, and happy birthday. I'm always praying for you, and for the day when we'd all cross beyond the River to our ete...

No matter what, we have to keep moving forward, even if we have to crawl.                                                 ― Kellie Elmore My 2018's end is marked by the death of my brother, Calvin. He died last December 7 because of a blood-poisoning disease, typhoid toxemia. He was fifteen. This occurrence shocked the tears and grief out of us, and while the hustle and bustle of the wake and burial compelled me to set my own emotions aside to take care of logistical things and other immediate concerns, I knew I had to deal with it soon after. Sure enough, when I opened my emotional ice box to retrieve these emotions, they came back in strong currents, in huge waves. And the best (or worst, still can't decide which) part in grieving after everyone else has grieved is, you're left on your own. After every condolence has been thrown out and said, after ev...

But I'm barely breathing. Yep. Going classic The Script here. And I also should've been doing play analysis, and grades, and output checking, yadda yadda. I know. I know. I'm not in my most productive mode. But things have been toppling up so fast lately, and like the back pain I have to get a massage for at least every other week, I need to do a more in-depth processing of every "lemon" of emotions I have, or this would totally swallow me up and paralyze me to complete inaction. As the whole world knows, it was World Teachers' Day yesterday, October 5th. There was a simple program in UMAK HSU yesterday morning, where the teachers were (rather instantaneously) told to prepare a dancing/singing presentation. (And yes, I "danced", if you even call that dancing.) There were also a lot of little things that happened throughout the program--food, raffles, the PTA president subtly campaigning for her government official husband, students coming ...

Joash Maramara Photography (2018) And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” (Revelation 14:13) August has, for the second time in a row, proven itself to be a month of grief for me. The last two weeks have subjected my entire church, and more especially the Maramaras, in deep emotional turmoil with regards to Kuya Ryan's falling ill.   Suddenly, our hands were all filled with tasks and things that we could do for this family who has done so much for us. From entertaining Ethan and Mikki throughout the two very long weeks by playing various board games. (And yes, Dix It is the best.) To setting up "camp" for everyone, to keep the insects out and to have a semi-adventurous feels despite everything. To simply just watching the kids. Or, uh, with the kids. We Youngles had our...