fortified at 45

im a certified middle aged woman. i think i belong to the generation x (born between 1964-1982)

at 45 i have lived morethan half of my life..and .... maybe...most of the years in my life are behind me rather than in front of me now. gosh...am really old.

though i wish i could bring back time so i could look younger...& prettier...

....the wisdom i have gained through the years is a great reward compared to my carefree younger years. and though life is not always a bed of roses i felt so thankful for having been born with supportive parents and spoiling granny.

high school graduation 1982

learning comes with age...
and i'd like to share some insights about life and a favorite quotes that goes with it.

" you reap what you sow " after all the hardships and sacrifices in medical school and the gruelling residency training, i was equipped with knowledge and  experience that made me ready in my chosen field and face the challenges ahead.

bs biology graduate

 this is what i like to instill  in the minds of my children...
"if you study now you will play later but if you play now, you will pay later"

ob gyn resident

"never compare yourself with other people"  i think each person is given a distinct and special talent and how one uses it will make the difference.  what is important is at the end of the day you will say that you did your best in any given situation.

"to whom much is given, much is expected" ...my career had made my life fruitful and id like to share  my talents  ...be it rendering services to others or helping the envirovment. i think each one of us can contribute in our own way to make this world a better place.

 "We never know the love of our parents for us until we have become parents."

Now i know why my mom was strict with us when we were young.

 i love seeing my eldest sons transformation from being tiny naughty toddler to an an  awkward teenager.
i knew the date when my only daughter had her first period and was so excited to tell her about menstrual cycle...and im still looking forward to the day she  will go on a diet.  
i still enjoy the little tantrums of my youngest son for he will always be my baby.

for every hardship and trial that i went thru i always say..."this too shall pass" ....and  "behind the dark clouds is a silver lining". my life had been a series of ups and downs but the crisis i faced made me a stronger  person . the hardships we experience makes life worthwhile if we face them bravely.

through the years...i had experienced the noisy and confusing life of a teenager, read a lot of books and took so many examinations during my medical years,  been through different tasks as a young mother and wife ... but now i enjoy  the calmness of night for it  gives me a chance to appreciate life whether spent with prayer or time with my family.

fine lines and wrinkles may seem visible on my face but i enjoy the respect and admiration
of my juniors though sometimes i find it "insulting?"  when people call me "nanay".
id rather be called "tita".

middle age is another phase in my life and im thankful because i never felt so stable, grounded and  comfortable as i am now. happy birthday to me !!!

for everything there is a reason..and there is a season.

at 45..im energized and fortified!

A-ffort

We celebrated our annual Christmas Party last night at our residence.
We didnt let the rain spoil our night...the show must go on!!!

It was quite different because we had a Miss Bebot Contest just like in Eat Bulaga.
Our contestants were Nursing staff at the hospital.

I was awed with the preparations they did to make this event successul. Thanks to Raymond for making this possible.

Everybody participated as they joined the contestants in the talent portion.

Leo, the ICU nurse won the Best in Talent with his redition of Kuh Ledesma's Sino ang Baliw?
nakakabaliw ka Leo!

I also liked his answer in the Q&A portion.

Lucky, the ER nurse was Shamcey Supsup and he gamely played his part. I liked their dance performance. Thumbs up to you Lucky and your group. You were a real talent!

Mark, another ICU nurse was also a discovery.

Who would have thought that a shy guy like Mark can carry his gown so well with poise ...

Melcris, our OR nuse was also a beauty to behold.

I thought he was the most beautiful and enchanting Bebot that night. I can really mistake him for a woman.

and of course...George, the radio tech was a winning surprise for the night. He could carry himself well the moment he walked on stage.

 From the best in gown to best in national costume ..youre a winner...no wonder he was crowned Ms. Bebot SNH 2011.

To all the participants, I salute you for an unforgettable night.
The five Bebots were all winners in my eyes as they made the night truly memorable.

Im really touched with the hospital employees as they gave their all in this party.
Congratulations and Merry Christmas!!!

21 at 44 (my first half marathon at 44)

its always great to celebrate  "first" times...everything seems to be fulfilling and challenging ..

though id been running for a year i still experience butterflies like when i did my first marathon last sunday...after all ...nothing is as exciting and as nerve wracking  as the first time you experienced it.

til the very night before the run, self- doubts and worries hound me like ...am i really ready for my first half marathon..will i endure the miles...what if my legs give up..

but at 4:30 am i found myself running at the QC Intl  Marathon along the Memorial Circle en route to La Mesa Dam to run my first 21k.... and I made it! whew....wow...aww... t'was really  a big leap for me..im proud , and amazed and it hurts.( my legs!!!)

 my stats can attest to that ...I finished after 2 hours and 44 mins with pacing at 7:44mins/km.  I was at number 702 out of 1050 runners ( all ages , both gender) , not bad ? ...for my age.? i dont care.! although im hoping for a new PR(personal record) in the future.


id like to thank my husband who drove  me to the venue and my children who waited for me at the finish line.

as a reward ,  i bought myself a newbalance singlet for my future run. and a steak for lunch at mercato.

at least before i turn 45 in a few days i ran my first half marathon.!

and hopefully at 45 , ill be able to run my first marathon.

im preparing for my first marathon  come april 15, 2012.
its a lot of running and training for me in the next few months. and hopefully ill come prepared
as this is my next goal .

"It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit."
-Dr. George Sheehan

TAKBOLUSYON

This morning i joined the first ever fun run in our town in support to my brother, the incumbent town mayor for his advocacy in giving quality education to his constituents...thus the project "TAKBOLUSYON"was conceptualized , also in honor of our great hero, Andres Bonifacio.


There were many participants as this is a bike -run event. Some hospital staffs were with me. My son RJ brought along his bike, while my daughter Nica decided to run. Gun start was at 6:00 AM and everyone was in high spirit.

I ran , walked, jogged  and ran again till I finished the 8KM event.  And at the finished line they told me I was the third place finisher in the womens division. Really?

What an inspiration for me  to run more in the future!
This is what I got!

Running is my passion. Its been a year since I started running and I look forward doing it everyday.

To all the finishers, congratulations and hope to see you in the future runs.
To the organizers, thank you and hope this will be a yearly event.

"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it."-Oprah Winfrey

with my kuya mayor arnel

Christmas Tree

i remembered last year... riki, my husband made a halloween display at the front gate of our house for our three kids.

they were so frightened yet happy but were frustrated because everyday some passersby took away our props.

 so we decided to stay away with the halloween theme this year.

to my surprise he decided to build a christmas tree for us. i thought it was just the usual stuff with its lights and trimmings but when he said he would build it at our front lawn ...

then i said it must be something big....and i told him i dont have a budget for that. : )
to my amazement he told me to just watch.   and so did i.

 it took him and some helpers four days to set it up.

and this is how it looks now....

how sweet of him to put this up to delight everyone and most especially our  family...
now i know his heart is not only big but also his christmas tree.

everynight we gather near the tree and enjoy the cool breeze late november  brings.
he really has a way to touch ones heart.

i know my kids will forever cherish this gesture made by their dad.

Christmas time will come year after year but the christmas tree their dad made them
will fill their hearts forever and its memories will always linger on.

“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.”-Burton.

ABOUT FACE !

One ofthe greatest desires as a human being is to "belong".
Im happy that I belong to this class of 79.

Most of us who attended that occasion  could attest the joy and
excitement as we "reunite" with our former friends.

As we age, friends come and go
for every new chapter in our lives, a friend comes along.
But somehow we could always relate to an old friend.

No matter how many years had passed,
how many small and big truimphs we have encountered
how many failures and trials we experienced
nothing compares when shared to a friend from way back.

I hosted the reunion of our  class last October 30.
It has been 32 years since we graduated from Elementary at  St Marys Academy.

 When we saw each other it felt nostalgic.
We were like school children reminiscing those good old carefree days.

We all looked back and laughed.

We may have added a lot of years in our face, got some wrinkles here and there
But memories were vivid in our minds.
I could still see the face of each one as a young child.

aying & i

The boys from our class grew some belly and lost some hair but they're still the same... naughty , funny and bullies!

While the girls were still talkative as usual. Though I think we have not aged as much as the guys from our group : ) Im sure I'll get a protest from this comment....because we're still menstruating!!!

Everyone was happy and shared where their lives had taken them.

Learning about each other and seeing where  we have all gone was the best part of this reunion.

 It really was a blessing to be reconnected to old  friends and revisit memories that only us could have shared.