Crying Times and into the Circle of Love

As I was crossing the EDSA-east avenue pedestrian, I saw this boy carrying two bagful of garbage. Then, a bag suddenly fell and garbages rolled off the streets. So, I slowly picked up each flattened plastic bottles and returned it to him. Lo and behold! He looked into my eyes and said, "salamat po!". I can't helped it, tears rolled down my cheeks. I thought for a long time that I had this flat emotions but I was surprised that I can still empathized with real life situations. Then, while commuting, a text message also touched my heart, "elma (encio) passed away this morning at 7:10am". Elma was a good friend of mine. I used to visit her to buy something from her "tindahan ni Ate". She died of cancer of the uterus. But I was also thankful and she already overcame this physical pain. What I remembered from her was her concept of 'love for humanity'. Despite her condition, she served the Movement half of her lifetime. Also, she never thought that her physical dis-ability (hunchback) might be an impediment in pursuing a 'romantic' love. In her lifetime, she had experienced a 'true love' and never thought it was impossible (despite her physical deformity). I too believe in the greatness of love but more than the 'romantic' notion of love, I treat every moment of my life as loving life; thus, there is no demarcation between 'romantic' or any other kind of love. Everything is love. As Rumi would say, "out from the circle of time, into the circle of love". Farewell, elms and congratulations because you are now traveling again into the circle of love...

RunningMeditation

I was a little bit hesitant to use this blogname but eventually I understood there was really no accidents in life. While I was doing a round in UP oval, I was always asking myself about existential questions. It all started when I asked myself, "why do I personally believ in God". While running, I was amazed to find three significant answers regarding that question. First, it dawned on me that that the great expanse of the blue skies is really welcoming me to appreciate its vastness; then, I smelled the bitterness and sweetness of grass among other smells; I looked up the trees and I saw its wide stems and branches as if embracing the skies. I also heard the birds chirping and of course, the ants were all over the grasses. "Ahh", I said, "really God is so great that s/he enabled me to enjoy all these things for free!". Then, i looked into my self. Again, I realized the gifts that I have up to these days also come from the Great Creator. Up to now, I was so ungrateful not to thank him/her for those. And last, I thought about death. It was a mystery to me. But on second thought, I believe we await its coming because it is also one proof that there is something beyond us, the living Earth. Then, when I had a counselee in the afternoon, it was a serendipitous question that she asked: "why do I have to believe in God?"