For Everything There is a Season

Someday I hope to tell my grandson that,

For Everything There is a Season and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to harvest;

A time to hurt, and a time to heal; a time to breakdown, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to stop;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to loathe; a time of war, and a time of peace. 

Pictures I posts are representation of how I see life in the world around me which someday I hope to tell my grandson that,

There is a season for everything and our life has a purpose. 

Life's Journey ...

My Baby Gage, as you embark in your life, your journey must be deliberate and strategic.  Your actions should be well thought-out.  Not intentionally or innocently hurting people along the way or compromising your integrity to accomplish your goal.  You must be at peace with yourself at all times until the end…

Desiderata

O PLACIDLY AMID THE NOISE & HASTE, & REMEMBER WHAT PEACE THERE MAY BE IN SILENCE.  AS FAR AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT surrender be on good terms with all persons.  Speak your truth quietly & clearly; and listen to others, even the dull & ignorance; they too have their story. 

Avoid loud & aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.  If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain & bitter; for always there will be greater & lesser persons than yourself.  Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.  Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.  But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself, do not feign affection.  Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity & disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.  Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.  But do not distress yourself with imaginings.  Many fears are born of fatigue & loneliness.  Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees & the stars; you have a right to be here.  And whether or not it is dear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. 

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors & aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep pace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery & broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.  Be careful.  Strive to be happy.

♥ ♥ ♥

Baby Gage - Year of the Tiger!

             My dear Baby Gage, in Chinese Astrology, you were born on the Year of the Tiger and I find the Tiger’s character descriptions quite fitting because intuitively these are the traits that I know you already possess from the moment I laid eyes on you.  Having these traits embedded in you already is so magical, so amazing as if the Gods designed our connection - I know it's no coincidence that you came into our life. 

          In my heart, your birth was a symbol of new hopes, dreams, and aspirations for a better world. It is my wish that you will share my zest for life and compassion for humanity, as well as to advance my profound hope to build stronger communities through people empowerment.  I love my life and I live it to the fullest.  I exist, not just live.  I explore and I experience.  And I continue to learn and evolve.  In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves.  The process never ends until we die.  I will pass on to you the wisdom I continue to learn as your guideposts.  The choices you will make will determine your destiny; and those choices are ultimately your responsibility. 

My hope for you is to be courageous, responsible, respectful, and resourceful.  

Be courageous, brave and strong; to never be afraid of “fear” because fear is the #1 reason that prevents people from succeeding.  

Be responsible, reliable, dependable, trustworthy, independent thinker and ability to make sound judgment, taking ownership of everything you do; and be consistent with the way you manage your life both in business and personal.  

Be respectful of yourself, your family, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, even strangers.  But to respect others, you must love and respect yourself first!  Your thoughts and desires are manifested through your actions, like a mirror for others to see.  Respect all people; be fair, be just, be honest, be kind, be patient, be empathetic, and be open to understanding and accepting of peoples’ differences; awareness and appreciation of diversity. 

Be resourceful, ingenious, imaginative, inventive, quick-witted, creative, and have the initiative to handle difficult situations.  Surround yourself with people who are resourceful and strive to learn something new everyday.  But make no mistake that no matter the age of the person, what type of work or how long the person has worked; or the type and number of college degrees the persons have; no one could claim that he or she knows EVERYTHING!

My dreams for you are many, but above all is to have peace in your heart; to love and be loved, to make a positive difference in peoples’ lives; and to leave the world a better place than when you found it. 

And my aspiration for you is to be someday the President of the United States and  the first from the Filipino race.  So you see, my Baby Gage, Lola has your life all planned out for you!

           

          Education will be a significant part of your life as you will be learning everyday for as long as you live.  Learning and breathing are synonymous.  You will obtain your education from home, school, and, most important, from life itself.  Learning and living are the same thing.  You will learn from each thing you see, each fact you acquire, each person you meet, and each experience you have.  There is no experience from which you can’t learn something.  

          From each experience you will acquire additional strength and confidence within yourself that would prepare you to meet any challenge when it comes your way.  It is important to keep the flexibility of mind and the hospitality toward new ideas, to be able to welcome the new flow of thought from wherever it comes, not resisting it, weighing and evaluating, and exploring the strange new concepts that would confront you at every turn.

            The learning process must go on as long as you live.  When you stop learning you stop living in any vital and meaningful sense.  And the purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.  

          So you see my Baby Gage, how delighted I was to stumble upon this illustration of and about the Year of the Tiger!  I think it was made especially for you!  You're a blessing from the heavens above, but you still have to earn your stripes!

Why does the tiger have stripes?

          There’s an ancient legend that tells the story.  When a tiger cub is born, he doesn’t have a single stripe anywhere.  In fact to look at him, he really isn’t much of a tiger at all.

          Still, the little cub starts to explore and have adventures.  He starts to grow, and he starts to learn.  He learns courage, and kindness, and how to think for himself.  He learns all the things a cub has to learn, if he’s going to really be a tiger, the lord of the jungle.

          And as he learns, the legend says, everyone starts to see his stripes.  The stripes that are the marks of his maturity, wisdom, and pride.

A tiger who takes a tumble quickly learns to pick himself up and dust himself off.

A cub can feel afraid, it’s only natural.  That’s when he finds the courage to face down his fears.

Everyone wants to know what this cub has to say for himself.  He tells them, whenever they’ll listen!

A smart cub knows where to find shelter.  A kind one makes room and shares it with his friends.

Every creature the curious cub meets is different, every one unique and fascinating.

This cub enjoys nothing better than making new friends and doing things together.

The tiger begins to see his place in the world.  He starts to find out who he is, and see all he might do.

Growing stronger, the tiger is proud to be able to help others when they’re in danger.

The path of life has many pitfalls.  But the tiger is smart, and solves problems ingeniously.

As he’s growing up, the tiger glad cares for the younger ones.

Climb higher, go further, achieve more.  This is the tiger’s creed.  He never stops being himself for a moment.

The tiger leads, and others follow because they see his strength and wisdom.

Gage Loren, you are a TIGER!

♥♥♥

The Day Before …

“We were on Home Road and Sawmill Parkway, the red light had just turned green when suddenly right in front of our very eyes, pow, two vehicles collided! Oh, my God, it could have been you, your mom, and me in that car wreck…”

It was a warm and beautiful Monday, August 16, 2010, the day before you were born your mother had a doctor's appointment at 2:00 pm. We got ready and left the house early as your mom likes to be prompt. And you should know that she gets upset when we're late. Anyway, I looked forward to accompanying her to the doctors office which was her 37th week of pregnancy check-up. I was curious to hear what the doctor would say about your mother's current condition.  

Your mom drove because she gets nervous when I'm behind the wheels.  Quite frankly, it was just fine with me because I don't like to drive.  In San Francisco, when I'm not taking public transportation, I have people drive me around.  So I guess I lack practice.

We were on Home Road and Sawmill Parkway, the red light had just turned green when suddenly right in front of our very eyes, pow, two vehicles collided!   

The delivery van to our left collided with the mini-van to our right across the road who failed to stop at the red light.  The delivery van to our left was north bound on Home Road in the same direction as we, but at full speed because the light had already turned green by the time he got to the intersection.  The mini-van who hit him was east bound on Sawmill Parkway but ran the red light. 

Your mother immediately pulled over and we both got out of the car (with my camera in tow) to check on the status of the drivers and passengers.  Thank God no one was hurt, at least that was apparent to us; we didn’t see blood, but the victims were definitely shaken and shocked! 

The African American man driving the delivery van was near tears and the woman driver of the mini-van who could have been Latin American clearly was scared out of her wits!  We felt sorry for all of them.  We saw a man with his cell phone calling the police.  We stayed on the scene until the sheriff arrived.  Meanwhile, while we were waiting, I took some pictures of the accident. 

After the sheriff arrived, we told him that we witnessed the incident and offered to give our contact information, but he declined.  We were not sure why; perhaps there’s a “No Fault” law in Ohio! 



We got back on the car to proceed to the doctor’s appointment in which we are now going to be late for.  On the drive we just realized that it could have happened to us!  We could have been in that car accident!  We were  only a car behind the delivery van.  It happened so fast!  If we were not at a stop light waiting for the green light, it would have been you, your mother, and I colliding with the mini-van from across the road!  The gods and the angels must have been watching and definitely protected us.

We arrived at the Women’s Care Center in Columbus on Cherry Way Drive for your mother’s appointment with Dr. Nicole Zochowski.  Your mother introduced me to the doctor, the nurse, and office assistant.  I went in the examination room with her.  The nurse weighed your mother and took her blood pressure and recorded it on her chart.  For the second week in a row your mother lost weight as well as her blood pressure was high again. 

Finally Dr. Zochowski entered the room; she took her blood pressure again only to confirm that it was still high. Dr. Zochowski also noted (again) that your mother’s feet and legs were swollen; she said that she would probably induce your mother “tomorrow” … that would be Tuesday, August 17th.



Doctor measured size of your mommy's tummy



She instructed your mother to lie down so she could continue her examination.  



Doctor listened to your heart beat.

After the examination, Dr. Zochowski said that she will send your mother to St. Anne’s tomorrow, August 17th for inducement.  Your mother shared with her doctor that I, (Lola) know about numerology and favors the number 19 better than 16!  Dr. Zochowski smiled.  I took the opportunity to summarize to Dr. Zochowski in a concerned tone your mother’s condition based from the six days of observation; that your mother was very, very uncomfortable, she was going through some emotional challenges, unable to sleep and rest, and quite frankly, miserable and unhappy!

   

After a brief pause, Dr. Zochowski said, “Okay, why wait until tomorrow?  Given the facts that your blood pressure is still high, you lost weight again, and you’re still swollen; why wait?  I’ll go ahead and send you to St. Anne’s Hospital tonight to have you and the baby monitored.”

Before and After

Pregnancy





                            

                                                                      

                                               

Suddenly, we were quiet, the three of us; as if the judge had just handed the verdict … We’re going to the hospital today, NOW!  We could have the baby anytime in the next 24 hours or sooner!

We got on the car, headed back home to pick-up our bags.  Your mom seemed distracted on the drive back to the house.  I’m sure so many things were going through her mind.  She was scared, nervous, and confused --- the moment she has been waiting for has come, the baby is coming any time soon and she feels ‘alone’!  I let her be; she needed her space; she needed to think.

Auntie Angela was excited to meet you!

After we arrived home, your mom called your father to share the news.  She told him that we're going to the hospital to start induce the labor.  Your mom was in no mood for further discussion, so I took the phone away from her and I said to your father calmly that we're enroute to the hospital now and your mom will be induced tonight.  As the father of the baby, we wanted to give him the courtesy and options to participate in the birth of his son; but it was solely his choice. 

I was having my own host of emotions, too.  First and foremost, I was happy because I would finally meet my grandson, Baby Gage and hold you in my arms yet I was scared for your mom, but I couldn't tell her that because I was supposed to be her source of strength.  I should not cry, at least not that she should see.  I was ambivalent about how I would fare in the delivery room watching my daughter give birth to my frst grandchild.  But she will be so "relieved once the baby is born," I told myself.   There were so many emotions from the unknown, oh, how I wished your g’papa was with us to witness this beautiful miracle … the birth of our first grandchild, Baby Gage; a symbol of hope, dreams, and aspirations!  

♥♥♥

Columbus, Ohio …

I took the red-eye flight out of San Francisco to Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, August 10^th and arrived in Columbus on the morning of Wednesday, August 11th, six (6) days before you were born because g’papa and I were concerned over your mother’s condition.  Her doctor had put her on bed rest on her 37^th week of pregnancy because she was having health problems. 

Her blood pressure was high and she was losing weight, while her thighs, legs, and feet were swollen.  The doctor mentioned the possibility of a c-section because it appeared that the baby, you Baby Gage was already too big for her. 

Your g’papa immediately changed my flight to leave as soon as possible to take care of your mom because she had no one there to help her especially given her current health challenges.  There was no question that I have to be there as soon as possible.  She was my first born and I love her very much.  I could not believe that she's now going to have a baby ... that she's going to be a mother, too!

The anticipation of seeing my first grandchild born was absolutely amazing.  The opportunity to take care of my daughter and grandchild was truly an emotional and rewarding experience!  And the time I spent with your mom was very special which I will always remember.  I am a very lucky woman ... 

 

I flew on Frontier Airlnes; the seat was so uncomfortable with minimal leg

space even for people with short legs like me!  However, for $20, you could purchase additional 5 inches of leg space!  Isn't that ridiculous?  The bad economy has really affected every sector of the business industry, but that’s another discussion which I will talk to you about later on a separate conversation. 

 

I could never fall asleep on the plane no matter how hard I try.  I was not a happy camper on the flight from San Francisco to Milwaukee.  We arrived in Milwaukee about 6:00 am with a transfer flight to Columbus at 7:30 am but it was delayed another hour; I skipped breakfast because there was no time to eat and after waiting over an hour they announced that the plane will be late!  Making sure I ate and on time was your g’papa’s strict “order” to me.  I already didn’t listen!  And he's always right!  Darn!  I miss your g’papa.  This was my first long distance flight in a long time and without him! 

Finally the plane showed-up and we boarded on a small plane to Columbus.  I liked the small plane because we have more space per passenger and there was no more than 24 passengers on the plane.  It reminded me of the private planes I traveled on for business.  We arrived in Columbus nearly 10:00 am and I could not help but feel the humidity.  The weather forecast was thunderstorm with heat index of 100-104 degree from noon to 8:00 pm tonight!  I've never been to Ohio before.  Welcome to the Mid-West!

I called your mother to let her know that my plane arrived.  She was already outside waiting for me.  I was delighted to see her; she looked very pretty.   But she looked much bigger than the last time I saw her in San Francisco for her Baby Shower in June.  We drove straight home to Powell, about 40 minutes from the airport.  Not much later after we got home, it rained.
 

Staying idle is never my strong suit.  I like to keep busy.  I don’t enjoy sitting down doing nothing.  I like to work on something and see tangible results.  I loathe laziness and lazy people!  Make a note of that, Baby Gage.  So while we were waiting for you to decide when to come out of your mommy’s tummy, I spent the six days keeping myself busy starting from your mother’s house! 

Due to your mom’s condition, it was difficult for her to clean the house.  Although she hired cleaning people, they just don’t clean as well as I do!  Besides, my assessment is that the furnishings needed to be re-arranged anyway.  And that warranted a thorough general cleaning first.  So I cleaned ... and re-arranged her house! 

Your poor mother was too weak to argue with me so she just trusted me!  But it was all good.  Your mother liked the way I re-arranged her house!  As a matter of fact, it was so clean and everything was organized except your mom claimed that ... now she could not find her things! 

I got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed your mother's bathroom floor clean!  I cleaned it so well that she could deliver you right on the bathroom floor!  By the way, I don't even clean my own houses the way I cleaned your mom's house.  We hire people to clean our two homes.  

In my enthusiasm to clean, I accidentally broke her big glass soap container which cut my hand!  It cut through the Playtex glove and my hand bled profusely.  When your mother saw it, she checked the cut, wrapped my hand with a white towel and immediately drove me to the “Urgent Care Clinic” as I will need stitches!  On the drive, I asked your mother not to go on labor while she was driving me to the doctors!  When we arrived at Urgent Care Clinic, the ladies at the front desk was confused as to who the patient was.  They looked at your mother and said, “I hope you’re not on labor because if you are, you’re in the wrong clinic!” We laughed!   The doctor gave me three stitches and I have a slight scar to show you someday.  

One thing about your mom is that she must have “Over Compulsive Disorder” – (“OCD”) because just about everything in her house is arranged in some sort of order, like the Library of US Congress!  Her DVD’s are in alphabetical order according to category.  The gadgets in her garage are in boxes arranged by type or use with the boxes clearly labeled, all stacked in one corner.  The dishes on her table are according to the seasons.



Your clothes are all organized and grouped by age and/or sizes folded in clear bags.  The clothes that are in hangers are also separated and identified by age or sizes.  The hangers are all the same brand and same color; hangers are hanged the same direction and so with the clothes; from short sleeves to long sleeves, to color, etc.  Your shoes are held together by pairs with a vinyl string and velcro.  Organizaton is the common theme throughout her house; everythng is organized! 

Let’s see how you’ll fare in your mom’s organized home!  I’m sure that she will train you early so you would be organized, too just like your mom and that's GOOD!

 

While we waited for you to come out, your mom showed me around town.  She took me to a Japanese restaurant called “Tokyo Sushi” because I was craving for some “sashimi,” that’s raw fish.

Top on my list of favorites are Hamachi (yellow tail), red, white, and blue tuna.  Yum, thinking of them makes my mouth water!  But unfortunately, not only that the choices were limited but the food was not as delicious. 

We are so spoiled living in San Francisco where you can eat the best authentic ethnic food anywhere in the world!  

 

Powell, Ohio just does not compare!

We also went to “TGI Friday’s,” a restaurant chain where we met her girlfriend, Ashley.  Ashley was also pregnant, expecting a baby girl in two weeks after your due date.  Both pregnant ladies had desserts while I had a glass of God awful red wine!  On the other hand, the two pregnant ladies voraciously devoured their calorie-rich sugar loaded desserts!

Your mother took me to Liberty Park for the annual picnic of the Philippine American Society of Central Ohio (PASCO) where we ate some pretty good Filipino food and met some pretty nice Filipinos!  We asked them to help us find a Filipina babysitter for you!

Your mother wanted her nails to look good when she goes to the hospital, so we went to get manicure and pedicure at the Vietnamese nail salon where she goes.  I was surprised that men worked at the nail salon; I guess I just never had a guy work on my nails and toenails before!  But I could not believe how expensive it was for a mani & pedi -- $100?  I can get one for $20 in the Marina and $30 downtown and they do a great job!  Your mom said its about "supply and demand."  

 

But one thing I could say that was very good and San Francisco quality was the massage we got at “Massage Envy” or “ME” appropriately named!  It's your mom's massage parlor.  The place was clean, modern, and the total ambiance was very relaxing and spa like; the ladies at the front desk were nice, friendly, and knowledgeable; the supplies they use are natural herbs and aroma therapy; and the massage therapists are certified and well trained!  They were so good that we all had several massages.  Body massage is very important because we live in a fast-paced society and it’s very rare we have a moment to focus on our own bodies.   That’s one of the healing benefits of massage; it’s a meditative time to focus inward and relax.  I had the massage therapist worked on my head, neck, hands, arms, back, legs, and feet.  I was in heaven!

On August 14^th, three days before you were born, I drove to the hospital for a dry run with your mother.  That way if your mother goes into labor in the middle of the night, I would know how to get her to the hospital!  But the dry run turned into wet run with rain and thunderstorm!  All right, it was sort of romantic but nerve-racking.  First you hear the thunder, then it got windy, then a bunch of small golden leaves accompanied the wind as it glided on our windshield, then the rain poured!   I must admit that the golden leaves blowing with the wind was beautiful, I don’t think I‘ve ever seen that before.   But driving in the rain and thunderstorm was a bit too intimidating! 

And all I could think of was, “Your mother best not go into labor in the middle of the night during the rain and thunderstorm because she might just have you on the bathroom floor! …”

♥♥♥