Jan 12, 2010

At the end of the day...

Welcome 2010!  This is my first blog for the year. Apologies for my delayed reaction. Haven't had time to reflect on the lessons of 2009.  But one valuable thing I have learned last year which keeps things in perspective is summed up in just one phrase.

Last year, I heard it from lots of people, said often,  up to three times a day.  I wondered what they meant when they said it. And why it mattered.

"At the end of the day", they say, despite the challenges and difficulties, the joys and victories, what matters is that we are being true to ourselves and to the people we love. What mattered were not things but people, our relationships. At the end of the day, when you lay yourself down to sleep, what matters is that you were able to love. If you made people around you happy, if you were able to help, to serve, to make someone's burden a little lighter or the world a little better.

Coming out of a disastrous typhoon last year where people found themselves bereft of material things, they have reason to rejoice because what mattered most was that their loved ones were  safe. If there is any blessing in any tragedy, this is it. Finding that at the end of the day, what matters to us has been with us all along. I hope this year that it won't take any more unfortunate events to bring  us to this enlightenment.

In my heart, I begin 2010 with the end in mind. Because at the end of the day, what matters is that our lives mattered somehow in terms of giving and receiving love and multiplying care to as many people as we can.No longer taking the people we love for granted, making time for them, taking the risk to express our care and concern.

I found that at the end of the day, it is really between you and  your God as you reflect on the days, months, years and you fall asleep, surrendering to dreams. Every day, we wake up blessed with a fresh start. A time to change. The time  to live without regrets happens at the very moment we wake up, breathing in life deeply. As the day draws to a close, I pray that we will always choose joy. Because no matter how bleak things seem to be, there is always something to smile about, if you would take the time to notice them.

At the end of the day, love remains.

Happy New Year to you and your loved ones! God bless us in 2010!

2 comments:

Julia said...

Happy new year Marj! It's never too late.
See you soon! Lots of Love, Julia.

Marj Duterte said...

Happy new year too Jules! I am so HAPPY for you! Skype soon! Just watched a movie that inspired me. Hope someday we could backpack together and ride the train in Europe. See you soon!

Love and Hugs, Marj