When September Ends: Timeless Memories

Here comes September: the beginning of the Merriest season in the Philippines, the start of the Autumn season, or Fall in the West. It is the beginning of many beautiful things and the end of not-so-glorious days.

September is a month filled with joyous celebrations. It marks the addition of another year to my life, the start of a new and extraordinary cycle. Birthdays are special, filled with love and gratitude for the blessings received, the wishes that came true, and the unexpected joys that unfold.

What makes September special is the Birthday of the Mother of Christ. It was on September 8 when the universe conspired for what my heart desired. I prayed to our Divine Mother, so I made this day special. She listens and prays for us all.   Heart's Desire: An Answered Prayer is a testimony of the intercession of the Holy Mother, the Blessed Mary. This day will forever be memorable and to be celebrated.

As September draws close, we have another special occasion to celebrate: Our Mother's 66th Birthday on the 24th. A simple yet meaningful family gathering over dinner made this day unique and heartwarming.

What made this September memorable was the soulful conversation with Reverend Father Jeffrey Estrella while having lunch at the beachfront restaurant on September 17. We discussed life, faith, and the beauty of nature. He shared insightful stories and wisdom that left a lasting impression on me. He is the Parish Priest of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Lomboy Parish. 

We also had a family weekend getaway with my grandfather on Sunday, September 22nd, at the beach. That was like extended summer fun. The waves on the shore are so calming, and the sea view on the hilltop is breathtaking.

On the journey to the summit, we visited our beloved Bato Arobo on September 23rd. The natural beauty of the mountains is a sight to behold, pure bliss. Here, we immerse ourselves in the wonders of nature, taking deep breaths, meditating, and basking in the serenity that surrounds us. 

As September approaches, my heart is filled with love and gratitude. I am blessed to have the best people in my life who protect, care for, and support me in whatever I do and to whoever I become. September will always be memorable, and its joy is so meaningful.

© 2019 Del Cusay

Birthday Special: Celebrating our Mother's 66th Birthday

When born into this world, we are blessed with the gift of life, which is something to be grateful for. We are bound to a journey of knowing our life purpose. 

Since birth, our Mother has guided and raised us well. She nurtures and protects us until we live our own lives. She made many sacrifices for us to have a brighter future. She loves her family and us, and her energy is about having a family to love and care for and guiding her children to know our life purpose and follow our path.

As we grow to adulthood, our Mother is still there to support us and share life lessons and wisdom. Her years of life experiences have made her stronger and wiser, and she is always there to listen and provide guidance. She is our best counselor, always ready to offer her wisdom and support in times of need.

Today, we honor our Mother as she celebrates her 66th birthday. She deserves the best for her selfless love for our family and the religious community she had chosen to serve. 

Her love has grown beyond self, creating a ripple of goodwill to us, her children. She will be our guiding light and our strength. As we age, we understand her selfless sacrifices and her fight for a better life.

We wish our Mother the best of life as she celebrates her 66th birthday. May she continue to follow her dreams and make them come true. Her goals and visions of the future are bright, and we are hopeful to catch a glimpse of that light as we grow and move further for a meaningful life.

© 2019 Del Cusay

Living the Best Life From Metropolitan to the Countryside

Life in rural areas may seem unexciting or tedious to some people, just like my fellow millennials. At some point, they may feel lower energy due to the lack of more significant and better opportunities offered to them.

That's exactly how I felt a little over a decade after finishing college and getting my professional license. Back then, I saw myself working in an urban area, a bigger city that was vibrant and more alive.

That dream became a reality. I lived and worked in Metro Manila, which is the city of dreams for many people, especially my generation. It is a place where we can enjoy the best of the corporate world: working in a great and big company, wearing corporate attire, earning better compensation, and living the best life. Those are the great things about urban living; we have the best of everything.

Despite some success and career fulfillment, my time in the city led to a profound self-realization about what success truly means and what we must sacrifice to achieve our most coveted dreams. It was a period of personal growth and self-discovery that I wouldn't trade for anything.

I have experienced city life, which is highly livable in the Philippines. In Metro Manila, from the former Capital - Quezon City of the north, down to the finest Business District of Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. The fantastic mountain resort of Baguio City in the Cordilleras and the Finest culture of Iloilo City in the Visayas. Those places where I have lived and worked offer the best life with the highest national livability index. Rural areas or towns are not even considered livable due to a lack of economic development and other factors.

After more than a decade of living and working in the top livable cities in the Philippines, I see economic development and opportunities in the countryside and an emerging local economy through good governance and better planning. 

Despite the economic development and prosperity in more fabulous cities like Metro Manila, people living and working in those cities are experiencing the downside of urban living.

For years, Metro Manila has been having difficulty solving issues on livability. I have experienced problems with public transport as a commuter for several years. I have suffered from falling in a long line on a metro rail due to glitches and a lack of train coaches. Due to traffic congestion, I have endured hours on the bus on the way home after work. We have suffered from days of rotational water interruption. Those are part of the basic needs we have endured, and the cycle seems to go on year after year. We have suffered from it, but that has become our worst reality.

There are more things we have sacrificed. Our health has been at risk due to the stress those problems have caused. More people are getting sick, maybe not due to the nature of work, but due to stress, anxiety, and fatigue caused by air pollution and travel time on the road, from home to the workplace, and vice versa. I endured almost 5 hours of travel time in a day when I worked in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig while living in Caloocan City. That is from North to Southbound and vice versa. I was not alone. I am among the thousands who share the same fate in the Metro. Those are the sacrifices we have to endure for a living. But that may have come to an ending.

Living in the Metro is excellent, but there are options here in a city that is no longer healthy—only for survival's sake.

There's a certain contentment in the countryside, in the Rural area where we used to live. We may have temporarily left Rural living, but it will always be in our hearts. While others make endearing sacrifices just to live their dreams in the Metro, we are fortunate to have a countryside we can return to.

In the countryside, we enjoy vast land and greenery. We have the best natural landscape and scenery. We breathe cleaner air and drink spring water. We are awakened and greeted by the chirping of the birds at dawn. We can see the incredible sunrise while having a cup of coffee. We have a bright sunny day and look up above the blue skies. We see the mountains, the hills, and the valleys. We can swim in a river or waterfalls. We can witness a beautiful sunset. At night we can go stargazing. We go to bed and fall asleep early. We have a good night's sleep. These are not our vacation escapes or fantasies. This is not a dream but our living reality, which best describes the place we love to be.

That's a quality life! Not much extravagance, but only a natural living that rural life offers.

In the city, people can build a fortune amidst chaos and suffering; in the countryside, we can live a life of simplicity and serenity. In the town, we define success by the number of wealth, while in the country, we feel successful when we are in perfect health.

No wonder, in today's time, more people are investing in real estate properties in emerging provincial areas even though they are already established in the cities. Some would acquire a townhouse property. Others would buy a lot for future house construction. More families spend their vacation on an eco-farm. More people patronize farm tourism activities to escape the city life's hustle and bustle.

We developed our family country farm with the Divine's grace and built our dream farmhouse. This family real estate is where we partly live a quality life together. The process of building our dream farmhouse was a labor of love, a testament to our shared dreams and aspirations. It's where we make our dreams a reality and create a better life and community of Divine love and light.

© 2019 Del Cusay