My 2008
I would say that 2008 was a great year for me despite the economic recession in the different parts of the globe, including my beloved country the Philippines. There are several reasons why this is so. First, my first child was born on February 12, 2008. It was one of the happiest days of my life…..but it was also the scariest…..coz my wife gave birth to our first child through cesarean, and waiting outside the delivery room was an ordeal. I felt like I’m a condemned man inside a court room waiting for my verdict. But once the sentence was pronounced, my anticipation and mixed emotion turned into joy and thanksgiving. And why not, the sentence was just overwhelming……my wife was in good condition and I’ve got a healthy baby boy. Babies are, and will always be a “miraculous, precious gifts.” Second, I’ve got a good and decent job as an English teacher in a Korean Language School. Though the pay was not that high, but it’s enough to sustain our daily expenses. Third, my wife and I were very thankful that we were able to wither the storms of the first year of our marriage, and so we celebrated our first wedding anniversary on May 24, 2008, which was also my 30th birth day. Well, no one is getting young….. Fourth, I was lucky enough to be awarded a scholarship from Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP) in Berkeley, California. So, by August 21, 2008, I flew to the United States for my graduate studies…….whew, back to being a student again….Another reason to be thankful for this 2008? (A big sigh of relief)…..I survived the first semester…..yap, my first semester went by just fine, despite the difficulty of adjusting to new things, that includes culture shock….the constant attack of homesickness which, I have to dealt with from time to time, and not to mention lack of sleep just to finish the long readings and difficult assignments orpapers. But I survived it all, and that’s more than enough to be thankful for.
Now, its holiday break. What will I do? I don’t know somebody here in the US to spend the holidays with…….but God knows my predicament and arranged my visit to Lompoc, Los Angeles. One of my classmates was kind enough to invite me to spend the holidays with them. So, even if I missed the chance of celebrating Christmas and New Year with my own family, I still celebrated it with wonderful people, in a wonderful and lovely home. I would say that the generosity and kindness of the Bonnell’s couple made all the difference. They welcomed this stranger into their home and let him felt the spirit of this season in a special way. This was the best gift I received this Christmas. The opportunity to celebrate this important season in the warmth of a home. We will surely forget most of the things we get this Christmas. But some gifts we will remember forever, and this……I will forever treasure. Indeed good people make us see what it means to be blessed by God. He has blessed me with good people, and with much sincerity…let me say, “THANK YOU” for being such a blessing…..to Dcn. Judy Lin for inviting me over. To Boyd and Gladys Bonnell for welcoming me into their home. To Dede for the Christmas presents and the exciting Happy Bunny Treasure hunting. To Fr. Kater, who believed in me and made all the way possible to bring me at CDSP. And of course, to my dear freinds, and supportive family……To all, this is my wish and prayer this 2009, “May your heart continue to be the channel of God’s Love for others- giving and sharing not out of your excess but out of your inherent goodness.”
With all these……I am most gratefull to Almighty God for such blessings this 2008. To God be the Glory……..
