My Greatest Dream

A visit to Tito Joey V. in the hospital got me all sad and pensive today. I admire his quiet strength despite his sufferings and even amidst all of the pain, the natural cheerfulness of his spirit comes shining through.

So, I am both sad and happy at the same time. I admire Tito Joey for the way he has blessed the world with his work. But most of all, I admire his love for his children.

Which brought me to a simple realization. This week has rather been lonely with some hints of longingness for something I can't put a finger on. On my computer, there is a photo that says: "My greatest dream will come true..." As a very visual person, I surround my self with pictures of things I long for in the future. But this particular photo, which I daily see on my desktop, and has possibly been embedded in my subconscious, remains a mystery to me.

I would look at it daily and ask myself, what exactly is my greatest dream?

And so I wondered for months, not really knowing but trusting that it will somehow at some point dawn on me. I thought, Lord, is it about writing a book or starting a business. Even though I feel, they are beautiful dreams, I couldn't bring myself to think, that one of them was the greatest one of all.

And there it came, over chili con carne and ice cream, a sudden light arriving in the evening. At the home of Jaja O., while helping her prepare for her dear mom's 60th birthday celebration, it hit me.

Hugging her child, while shedding tears for the best memory she has of her mom, something touched my heart. How can our simple conversation turn out to be an extraordinary one? Seeing Bernadette's postings of the child in her womb on the same day, placed the icing on the cake. How wonderful it is to see a dear friend's dreams coming true and another one living it.

And I felt that despite the grandness of my dreams, I realized all I wanted above all was to be a good mom in the future, in the tradition of all the great mothers in the world. What a privilege to raise children who will be blessing the world with their gifts. The greatest treasure one gives to the world is what one leaves behind. Hopefully for me, it will be children who will grow up in love with God and their country, helping make the world a better place, better than ours.

The dreamer in me continues to hope that someday it will all come true. But today, I am just happy that I am reminded of what matters most in life - the love of family - and how the greatest gift someone can receive is the unconditional love of their parents, and if orphaned or needy, the awesome love of the greatest Father of all.

Thank you dear friend for inspiring me with your beauty and strength. Mabuhay ang mga nanay! God bless you! Thank you tito Joey for inspiring me with the way you live your life, by raising children who will bless the world just like you do.