It's Holy Week but...

It's Holy Week, but I still haven't done anything "holy". I mean like meditation, fasting, abstinence, going to confession, hearing mass, Bible reflection...not even watching "10 Commandments" on TV!

I'm still swamped with work and there seems to be no letting up.

Help! Lord, I need You! I miss You! I long to be with You this holiest of weeks. Please fix my schedule so I can do something, anything - to reflect on the meaning of Your Sacrifice for mankind and for me.

I love You Lord, very, very, very much! I offer my "busyness" to You! I offer my life and everything to You!

All glory, and honor and praise be to You, my King!

In Record Time!

For two nights now, I have been begging my mom to cancel our appointment at the De Los Santos Medical Center for my MRI. I can't imagine lying down straight for 45 minutes when at home, I could not do it! I had to sleep sitting on a chair.

But my mom would hear nothing of it. I had no choice.

So when we went to the hospital, she and I were praying that I would be able to do it.

The man before me was moving a lot so the medical guy had to keep saying, "Sandali na lang" (This will just take a short while).

When it was my turn, I had a hard time lying down but I made it. My legs were placed on top of a comfortable foam. And inside the "coffin" I went. I was a bit uncomfortable but I tried my very best not to move. I tried praying the rosary but could not concentrate. I was still on my first decade when it was all over!

My first words were "I was a good girl, wasn't I?" The guy nodded. I asked how long it took me. He said 20 minutes. Wow! I set a record! They earlier said it usually takes 30 to 45 minutes. I made it!

To celebrate, my mom and I ate Japanese food at Sushiya in Tomas Morato. We ordered Bento Box of steamed rice, tofu, California Maki, 5 pieces tempura, iced tea and we even ordered green tea ice cream (something different). Yummy!

Praise You, Lord!

Now the big question is, what will the MRI results show?

Party!

In our family, there are six April birthday celebrants. Last night, we had a party here in my mom's condo.

First things first: the food - crab, lechon, kare-kare, barbecue, two kinds of pancit, KFC (two kinds), Indian mangoes, fresh mangoes, chocolate mousse with strawberry topping, rice, and soft drinks. Yummy!

A lot of them remarked at how big my tummy is and how "manas" my feet are.

As usual, there was much laughter - even if one nephew and one niece are still grieving over the death of their grandfather.

Someone brought a book without a cover. My youngest brother commented, "I cannot judge this book!" Everyone laughed. Then I said, "Inggit ako (I'm envious)". That's because when I crack jokes, hardly anybody in my family laughs.

Oh well, there was picture-taking with our Kuya as official photographer. Wait for the photos.

Tomorrow, I will be facing another test - the dreaded MRI! How can I lie still for 45 minutes when I cannot even do that in the confines of my home? Lord, let me be still so that I would know what is wrong with me. Please?

Whew!

I had my blood test today. Results? My RBC count and hemoglobin are still down, even went further close to "minimum" level. But no, I wasn't required to undergo blood transfusion. The dosage of one of my medicines was just increased from twice a day to thrice a day.

Whew! That was a close call!

One down, one more to go on Monday (that MRI).

Meanwhile, tonight, it's party time. Family members are coming over to celebrate the birthdays of all April celebrants. Yahoo!

Down or Up? Something or Nothing?

Tomorrow, I will undergo yet another blood test. And if my RBC count is still still too low, I will undergo a blood transfusion. Oh no! Lord, let the results be normal this time. I can't have that blood transfusion. I have a family get-together. I have reports to write. I have projects to attend to. I command you, red blood cells! Increase in number to a normal level or else...grrrh!

And then on Monday, I will undergo an MRI to find out what really is causing my back pains. Is it something that would require operation or nothing of that sort? Lord, let it be nothing!

Don't we wish we could just command away our problems? But then, as we often hear, there is a purpose for everything. We may not always know right away what that purpose is but trusting that there is one should be enough to get by.

And so, despite my busy schedule and my medical problems and absence of that special someone, I get by.

When Final Ain't Real

Just recently, a salesman went to the office selling DVDs worth P50 each. I asked for romantic comedies and he showed me three. I was thinking of actually buying them when I was told I had a phone call. Saved by the telephone!

Buying pirated movies? Would that have made me a co-pirate? By the time I finished with my call, the salesman had left. Good thing!

It's annual income tax-paying time and I just finished computing how much I will be paying this year. Funny, I have two worksheets - one labeled "final", the other is "real".

Guess which computation I actually followed? I decided to get real. Although the "final" version would have saved me about P3,500 cold cash. You see, I was thinking of not declaring two sources of income which I felt did not go to me anyway. But then, I couldn't be sure so my conscience decided for me.

Oh well, honesty has a price...it has its rewards, too, primary of which is peace of mind.

So, tonight I shall be sleeping well...unless my back aches again! But better to be sleepless due to back pain than because of a nagging conscience.

This is honest Nimia, signing off.

My Beautiful Mom Turns 77

It's April Fools' Day. It's also my mom's birthday. She turned 77 today. I jokingly told her to buy lotto tickets because double 7 is a lucky number. Even without my telling her, she would have and she did.

I feel so lucky to have a mom like Alicia Serapio Gamo. She ...

...is beautiful (I got my beauty genes from her!) but I admit that when she was 16 vs. when I was 16, she was much prettier

...is soooh thoughtful...she remembers what food I like, she buys me clothes and other stuff

...does not mind so much that she is currently my personal maid - she cooks, washes dishes, buys groceries, cleans the condo, etc. for me

...loves me even if I'm not her favorite child (it's our youngest who is her favorite but I don't mind)

...makes sacrifices for me like going out of her way to buy my medicines, put those medicines in medicine boxes, she wakes up in the middle of the night to put Salonpas or hot compress on my back, she gives me pain killers whenever I'm in terrible pain, and so on

...talks about me to her friends and other people who are her regular telephone callers (I'm her favorite topic!)

...moves fast, is well-organized and neat, has common sense, handles money well - all qualities I don't have

...exercises often, dresses up well, does not usually wear bra, knows how to put on make-up and how to fix her hair - vanity personified! (just like me, except for the bra part)

I'm writing all of these things because I know she'll never get to read this. She's computer illiterate.

But one thing for sure...I love my mom and I won't exchange her for any other mother in the world!