It's been 7 months and I can almost still feel the wind flowing through my skin. Going to far off places can help me recharge my batteries and just think about life, family, friends, and the future. It's always been my thing to be concerned on what's going to happen next or what does the future hold. Some say I'm just being practical to plan things out. It's easier, I guess. Playing it safe is how a dear friend of mine described my living.
I'm gearing to a path that is safe and secure. But is it all worth it?
So when April came, so did the Holy week for us Catholics here in the Philippines.
For me it's somehow a breather that would help me let go and assess what I would want to do with my life. My soul-searching weekend started and luckily our family decided to go south on Maundy Thursday to do our duties as devout believers of the christian faith.
We arrived somewhere in the Batangas province. The place was far, refreshingly quiet, and extremely windy. This is just the place I actually I hoped for.
Bringing the camera was a rewarding thing too. It's somehow gives me the opportunity to relax and let loose. Every click of the shutter is just a joy that I'm very fond of hearing. It gives me motivation, drive, and peace of mind. And that's what I needed during this trip.
Now here's my aunt and youngest cousin who automatically flashed their fresh faces while the camera takes its part.
One of the things that I love when going to grottos are the gloominess that surrounds it. Imagine how time went by in this place. Imagine how many faithful gathered and stared while the virgin witnessed their prayers and presence.
So let me take you how the rest of day went.
I've managed to finish a roll for this day and seriously, I kind of wanted to have brought an extra being that I'm with the whole family and the bonding with the cousins were just timeless.
Some say, when you capture photos, you capture memories.
Well for me these are not just memories, these are my most treasured stories.
So we went back to Manila during night time and did our share of the traditional Visita Iglesia.
But what struck me most was the homily at the Easter Vigil that we attended on Black Saturday.
Technically I could not recall what he said totally, I mean, its been months since then and this post was extremely on my draft list. But one part of the homily literally shocked me to the very core. It's not being over dramatic or anything. He was just brutally honest or just simply, he was telling the truth that most of us are avoiding. He was talking about death.
He reminded us to visualize ourselves inside the coffins and imagine ourselves dead.
Then imagine looking at our tombstone and the important things that it showed:
Your name, birth date, death date, and occasionally an epitaph.
But what the most necessary is the in-between, the dash that separates your first day to be alive and your last day in living.
He reminded us to live. Live our lives and make the most out of it. Always ask ourselves if we have lived to the fullest and shape our in-between, this in-between.
We have only one life.
How do you want to be remembered?
How did you lived?
Did you lived accordingly to what you have planned or on what have love?
These questions made me realize that I should keep on pursuing and do what I love so that in the end I could say to myself. I have lived well.
This October, the visionary that have changed the world have passed away. Steve Jobs have inspired millions and still continues to give wisdom and knowledge even to the likes of me. During the week of his death and all events that were happening, I stumbled upon an archive of him giving a commencement address to the graduating class of 2005 in Standford University. His voice was commanding and reassuring and his words just transcends and shakes me to the very core. It's like the perfect answer to my questions. He quoted: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." And he goes: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" He added: "And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something." He mentioned that
"The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."
True enough, he didn't settle. He helped shaped a generation's future. He change the course of history. This is why I am so inspired with all the he have said in that address. I need to keep looking for the things I love to which it could greatly help me live my life to the very best. And at the end of the day if I have lived my days knowing that I've done what I love then I can finally rest and be at peace.
