The Root of Evil

I always believed in Jean Jacques Rousseau's belief. He said that "man is by nature good". We are after all created in the likeness of God. 

Despite everything I've been through in my life, I'm lucky I'm not jaded or angry at the world. I was telling Sister Lirio last night that I haven't cried because of what happened. She said it's probably because I'm being strong for my Mom. I think it's also because I was expecting this to happen. 

Because the story started over 15 years ago. It started with envy. It started with copying a look. How one acted. Then followed some missing items, a bit of money missing here and there. A firing happened and then supposedly a change.

It was good for awhile and forgiveness was given. But the envy kicked in again. More items started to go missing. Then more money started getting lost. The thought of rehabilitation was there, but it was I guess too late. Relationships were badly affected. Evil took root and it grew. 

I left but I didn't escape it. Little did I know I wasn't free from the work of evil. I found some papers showing that whatever my parents worked hard for me was gone. I told Sister Lirio I'm resigned to the fact that I'll never get it back. 

Good tried to prevail, but envy took over. I was told that they do not deserve the love of my family. 

I also always believe that hardwork pays off. My parents provided me with a good life. We're not rich. We just had enough to enjoy and be comfortable. When we all finished our studies we all worked hard to also provide for our families. 

The envy could have been turned into inspiration instead. Motivation to work harder to achieve your dreams. Just taking what isn't yours to fulfill your wants isn't as satisfying as working hard for a need. 

#BeKind #StaySafe #VoteWisely

Action Filled Day, Iz Tired Zzzzz

I'm only blogging now. I've been busy going through some documents which I found in Mom's basement. It took me an hour and a half to sort it and now Miggy's doing another step of sorting. Yes, that many. 

It was an eventful day. I'm just really grateful for all the help we're getting from family and friends. It must be what VP Leni feels when she sees all her supporters. Pampalakas loob. It took all my will not to hug my friend's Dad. He reminded me so much of my Dad and I almost cried at some point because I miss my Dad so, so much!

Mom and Tito Louie finally get together after more than 2 years.

It was a difficult day to go through, but I reminded myself I had to keep calm to also keep my Mom calm. I read someone post on FB the other day saying that Virgos are always classy. I actually wore earrings, a blouse, pants and shoes! Haha. Another friend even gave me advise to comb down my hair. I didn't have time anymore and just let it stand. 

Also brought my oximeter. My friend reminded me to make sure I was breathing properly and had a stable heart rate. O2 went down to 93 and heart rate was above 100. It went back to normal when everyone was gone. 

Still have loads to do. I smiled when I saw a handwritten note by my Dad. I'll never forget his handwriting because only me, my Mom and Miggy could understand it. He took pre-med before he became a lawyer. I expect to encounter Dad more when we start cleaning the house. 

I'm now having Mom focus on her gardening and getting her to re-start quilting again. She still walks fast and sometimes we have to run to catch up with her. Before I left her house I caught her washing dishes. If I reach her age (86!), I hope I won't make it hard for Miggy hehehe. 

My wish now is for my siblings to come home. I think my Mom will feel more reassured when she sees all of us together. Book ko na lang kaya sila ng flight noh? 

#BeKind #StaySafe #VoteWisely

My New Suspenseful Life

“Criminals should be punished, not fed pastries.” ― Lemony Snicket, The Blank Book

I'm taking a break today. My temp has been elevated for two days now and I hope I didn't pick up an infection from the smelly basement. I hope there won't be any calls from the police or barangay today. They've been trying to force their hand to get in my Mom's home. They can't scare me with threats. In the first place, they should have followed what was agreed on. 

I'm really grateful for the support from family and friends. I know Daddy has been guiding us also from heaven. I found our lawyer because of him. I've also been getting advise from friends who are experts in this field. And I've been getting reminders from everyone to rest. 

Mom's in high spirits. Hope we both can get a haircut soon.

My original plan for this week was to re-pot the cactus Ate Rose gave me. It has outgrown it's pot. I was also going to put up the pink parols (with help of course) and was hoping my new posters would be delivered already. I've also been working on taking over managing Mom's household and scheduled a mangangalakal to pull out our old ref. I was also going to start working on my summer curtains and have lighting installed in our living room. I honestly still hoped there were no anomalies happening. It is what it is now and just have to do what's needed.

Mom's newspaper subscription is back. This was her first request and coffee!
I gave her my supply muna since it was late already when she told me.

A friend told me it was divine intervention already. It was really hard to make a move because I've been so worried about Mom being left alone. We've been trying to find a new helper for two years already. Mom doesn't want to live with me. She still prefers to be independent. I agreed with my friend because I've been praying hard to resolve the issue. I also prayed hard for guidance. 

And you know my prayers were all answered. Even my small whims were granted (i.e. getting Tita Olive to cook spaghetti for me). A long-time prayer to be closer to my siblings was also answered. I now understand my new mission and why Papa God sent me back home. My Fitbit shows that my sleep score has improved a lot and I've been waking up earlier. 

I hope I have a quiet day today. I need it to finish reviewing Mom's accounts. It's a lot of numbers and like a puzzle. Remembered the days when I would prepare budgets at work. I was also designated person to finish whatever was left at the end of the year. Let's just hope for the best. 

P.S. Spoke too soon. I'm definitely not having a quiet day. I ordered some pizza though, easier to eat while reviewing numbers. 

#Bekind #StaySafe #VoteWisely

The Filth

The stench they left made me gag yesterday. How can anyone live that way? I saw some photos where they partied, dressed up nicely, accepted visitors and basically used the house like it was their own. They never asked permission from my Mom for their capricio.

I realized, no matter how you try to make yourself look good, the stench of the bad things you're doing will seep out. But I can't imagine how people could live in a place that reeked of rat urine. To think we had been doing pest control the past two years. They lived a really dugyot life. I promptly got sick yesterday after checking if my Mom's old plates were still in the basement cabinet. 

The past few days I've focused on securing my Mom. I'm putting things back into proper order. Paying unpaid bills. Getting supplies since there wasn't anything to eat, not even canned goods. There wasn't even any cleaning liquids, not even Joy. Everything is filthy and I honestly don't want to touch anything at this point. At least the roof isn't leaking now, I managed to have it fixed and the work just finished last week. 

Criminals don't have remorse because they think they deserve what they've taken. I believe in working hard and living within your means. Whatever I have and whatever I can provide for my Mom was born out of many years of toiling. I will protect and take care of my Mom to the best of my ability. 

#BeKind #StaySafe #VoteWisely

Joker had No Remorse

I always wondered why Gotham City had a very dark setting. The places Batman went to always looked filthy and scary. It was a permanent crime scene. Batman was after all the cape crusader. He battled Joker, the supervillain who has a manic laugh. I've associated that laugh to someone who has no remorse. 

I thought things would be quieter yesterday after the debacle we went through on Sunday. Our neighbor's revelation was an eye opener on what happened in the last two years we were all forced to be away. She judged me for not taking action immediately and allowing things to get worse. 

To be honest, I felt defensive. I told her I've been sick and I had to confirm our suspicions first. Actually, I prioritized getting Mom checked up first before I did some sleuthing. Yesterday while dealing with harassment I realized that we were at fault too. 

My Mom is the type of person who would keep things to herself. She'd absorb all the pain to make sure we, her children, were protected. I suspected what was going on and tried to take over the management of the finances, but she refused. She told me she thought it would have been hard for Miggy. That's how she was taken advantage of. 

As a child, I always thought my Mom would remain the same forever. At the age of 78 she took care of me for 2 months in Singapore after I had heart surgery. She was also still managing my domestic finances until just before the pandemic. My Mom is the strongest person I know and I wanted her to remain the same. She's also very independent and never wanted us to hang around with her. She'd get impatient when I stay on the phone with her for too long (she prefers long calls with her amigas). 

Thinking my Mom would be the same was our downfall. In my mind I thought she was the same person she was when I was growing up. Strong, independed, a great admin. She tried to shield us, but I realized there comes a time when you have to take care of your parents differently. She's still very stubborn because I wanted her to stay in my house while I was fixing her affairs. She refused, as usual. 

And Joker would never have any remorse. Kuya said you can forgive, but justice has to be served. 

#BeKind #StaySafe #VoteWisely