Cheers!

photo from http://1ms.net/change-colors-artistic-posted-120379.html | text by tine magpayo

Cheers

by Christine Magpayo

Cheers for yesterday!
Be happy for all things gone
that somehow stayed
through photographs, or notes,
or occasional trips
down the memory lane.
Good or bad, they had been
and will always be yours.

Cheers for now--
The most overlooked and forgotten
element of time
you use to recall and plan.
Wasted or worthwhile, it is
and will always be part of your destiny.

Cheers for tomorrow--
The place where where good old dreams
have the chance to turn into realities
And where broken promises
would probably come to fulfilment
in another form or so.
Be it grand or not,
It has always been up to you.

Past, Present and Future
Are gifts men often do not know how to handle.
People usually forget
That Past must not only be accepted,
but also respected;
That Present is not only
a bridge between Past and Future,
but also a moment that deserves
to be payed attention to and to be cherished.
May we never forget
That future must not be feared,
Instead, looked forward to.

To what was,what is, and what will be,
Cheers!

Let "child I" live

photo from  http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/may/04/le-petit-prince-pages-auction

I have arrived at a frightening conclusion that I just might be a murderer, and that each person around me or even someone far away from me is one, too. Even you.

Don’t get me wrong. One does not need knives, guns, or nuclear bombs to be a murderer. Sometimes, without one knowing it, one has already killed. Sure, we don’t stab people or shoot them, or make their bodies explode. Maybe we are not physically hurting anyone. But we kill hopes and dreams, even our own. Is that so much of a difference?

This realization came to me when, in our creative writing class, we were told to recall our favorite story as a child and try to change its ending. I picked Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s “The Little Prince.” I chose to disregard the 27th chapter, the last one, and to replace it with an epilogue.

This is what I wrote:

“I have a confession to make. There was no desert; there was no other planet that was the home of a talking rose; there was no little prince. Better put, I was the little prince.

“Everything existed in my mind. The ‘child I’ was the little prince talking to the lost navigator that is the ‘I now.’ If the theory of the multiverse is indeed true, and if the ‘child I’ would be able to meet the ‘I now,’ he would be disappointed. He would remind me of things I was sure of—things I believed in and things I loved. Faith and feelings are nothing but empty words now. Certainly, I am not what he envisioned himself to be.

“There were times when I let the little prince lead me. It is funny how he seems to know where to go and how to go about things more than I could. Only the children know what they are looking for, right? Somehow, it reassures me to say that I was once a kid. We all were. But growing up is inevitable and in the process, most of us have lost our identities. We let ourselves be defined by people who don’t really matter. We allow ourselves to be consumed by the world that is only concerned with wealth, fame and power. The world is a big poisonous snake—when it bites you, you’re dead. I let the little prince die in the same way you killed the happy child in you. We murder dreams and later on complain about dissatisfaction. Then we blame everything and everyone but ourselves without realizing that this is a choice we’ve made. This is our sad reality and this will be the reality of all people if we let it be this way.

“Do me a favor. Tell and retell this story to every child you know. Tell them to look at themselves carefully so that they will be sure to recognize it even after many years. It might be too late for us but not for them. I am writing this note under the laughing stars and I know somewhere, my star is shining bright. The little prince, the ‘child I,’ is proud of me.”

What made me want to change the ending this way is the symbolism I found in the story. Take, for example, the character of the little prince. He embodies every child—he loves adventures, tries to make sense of everything, and believes that one can find a true friend in a flower or a wild animal, then allows himself to get attached to them. These are obviously non-adult things. A grownup is too busy worrying, is hopelessly agreeing to what others tell him to do, and is pitifully detaching himself from matters of real importance. Such is the attitude of the lost and stranded navigator.

Life’s like a plane; adults are like careless pilots. The pilot takes control and becomes more and more confident as the plane gets higher and higher. He tries to maintain a specific height from the ground. Then he realizes he forgot the map and now he doesn’t know his destination and then he starts to panic. It turns out that the good takeoff was just part of the whole projectile motion. If he’s lucky enough, he’d be alive somewhere he never wanted to be at, with his plane that’s too damaged to be fixed.

Life’s like that. It turns out to be a piece of junk when it crashes. As far as reaching one’s dream is concerned, skill and direction should go together. It is not enough that one knows what one should be doing; it is also important that one knows where one is going. Although here’s the thing: Skill and direction don’t usually come in a complete package. The first is a grownup’s possession, the latter is a kid’s. For this reason, it is highly significant that you let the child in you live.

But why do you choose to leave that dreaming child behind? Why do you prefer to let him die? Maybe it’s this: We don’t want to be reminded of the things we’ve come to believe that we can’t have. Some say dreams are for carefree children who don’t have to pay the monthly bills; they are for people who don’t have many responsibilities. Maybe the truth is, it really hurts us inside to realize that what seemed to be so real and close when we were young are too distant now. Our dreamt realities from yesterday have become the impossibilities of today and tomorrow. We silently mourn the loss, and consciously or unconsciously encourage others to do likewise. We kill dreams; we murder what could have become real.

If you happen to meet the younger you, what can possibly happen? Two things I can think of: He/she will tell you how proud he/she is for you, or he/she will give you a warm, comforting hug and whisper, “Go on. Fix your plane. It’s never too late.”

Are you still preparing for takeoff? Make sure to bring everything that you truly need. Did your plane already crash right before your eyes? Get up and don’t lose hope. If you don’t want to stay where you landed, start figuring out where you’d rather be. If you’re finally sure of where that place is, make a move. Do it now.

article originally published in 

http://opinion.inquirer.net/40680/let-child-i-live

Awake, My Love, Awake

photo from www.fanpop.com/spots/my-dream-is/images/23899892/title/live-dreams-photo

Awake, My Love, Awake

by Christine Magpayo

Awake, my love, awake

Before time devours you.

Before it is too late,

Awake, my love, awake.

My love is beautiful,

But nonetheless asleep.

Bereft of any movement,

She seems to be half-dead.

My love is my dream—

That old forgotten one.

But now that I remember,

I hope she’s not yet gone.

My love, she must not die.

But if she does,

I know I am at fault;

The blame is all on me.

I’ve been a friend of fear,

A slave of stupidity.

If giving up is all I know,

What will I come to be?

Awake, my love, awake

Before time devours you.

Before it is too late,

Awake, my love, awake.

Without my dream, I’d be

Like most people are—

Existing but not living,

Smiling but secretly mourning.

My dream, please forgive me,

For being so unkind,

For knowing that I need you,

Yet leaving you behind.

Now my fear is that you’d be

Like slowly vanishing froth.

My dream, disappearing,

Is such a morbid thought.

Please just stay and don’t elude,

For I’ll be on my way.

This time I’ll be embracing you,

But for now listen to what I’ll say.

Awake, my love, awake

Before time devours you.

Before it is too late,

Awake, my love, awake.

Where Heaven Meets Earth

photo from http://www.visualphotos.com/image/2x3402686/chairs_on_a_sunset_beach

Where Heaven Meets Earth

by Christine Magpayo

I watch the sun kiss the sea;

The waters embrace its fading light.

They seem to come together

Even if they're really far apart.

Illusions...  Oh, how beautiful!

I remember you sharing

Your dreams of being able to fly,

Of wanting to see the world.

And now you can with a bird's eye view.

Realities... Oh, how painful!

What are you doing up there?

Maybe you're jumping from cloud to cloud.

Maybe you're dancing, gliding,

Laughing and playing with the angels.

I guess you're in a better place.

Will you come and visit me?

Will you please let the wind bring you back

To the  place where you said "Yes--"

The place where I had you and lost you?

The grains of sand witnessed it all.

Were you that conservative?

The priest said: "You may now kiss the bride."

I kissed you and you fainted,

Never opening your eyes again.

T'was wonderful, our first and last.

Are you still in your white dress?

And...  were you allowed to keep the ring?

Oh God you looked alluring

Even with a few strands of hair left.

Do they call you Mrs. up there?

Do you know that you're my wife?

Can you remember all that we had--
Courting you, rejecting me,
Not giving up in pursuing you,
And finally accepting me?

Images of me, of us,

Of  worthwhile memories that have passed,
Do you still have them with you?
Do you still hold them close like I do?

Does death require one to forget?

Even if you've forgotten,

I swear that I'll always remember,

Cause though you cry like a kid,

Nag like my mom, demand like my boss,

You are and will always be loved.

Forever can start with loss
But I know ours is perpetuity,
Love that's immeasurable.
For me, our eternity goes on.
The story of us continues.

In my mind you are alive.

That's where I'll love you and you'll love me back.

Love makes Heaven and Earth meet.

That's why even though you're gone,

You're still my lady and I'm your man.

Maybe Today

photo from deviantart.com

Maybe Today

by Christine Magpayo

Maybe today you'll find the one...
Maybe today is the day you'd meet your man.
If so then, what do you do?
Would you rush and tell him:
"Hey! Would you believe me if I say I think we look perfect together?"
"Do you believe in love at first sight? I just did."
"Is it okay if I get your number and we go out? I'm harmless."
Maybe today you'll bump  into a stranger you feel is right for you...
And you'll choose to  keep silent
And end  up not having your long-waited once upon a time.

Maybe today you'll realize that "the one"
has been there all  along--
a  classmate offering you his pen each time you forget yours,
an orgmate bossing you around but ends up  helping you out,
or a friend constantly teasing you how fat and ugly and GC you are.
If so then what do you do?
Would you wait for the right time and say
"Hey! maybe we can go to the next level?"
Or maybe"I would just like to  confirm...
Do you like me? I just might like you too."
Maybe today you'll feel a different feeling for someone..
And you'll choose to ignore it and let things be the way they've always been.
Maybe you're a "once upon a time" person but not a "happily ever after"  type.

Maybe today... maybe until today
You still believe that destiny will work things out for you.
Maybe up until now you're thinking that your man
is finding his way to you.
What if you're wrong?
What if he has arrived and you just haven't recognize him?
What if he's still trapped in the wrong relationship?
What if your man doesn't believe in love?
And you're there waiting for him to perform all  the  "signs."
Say what? Fate is like tooth fairy or Santa Claus...
Doesn't exist!
Sometimes, you really have to work things out for yourself.

Maybe today, you have someone
And you know he's the one...
And you can have him love you until tomorrow...
And the next day... and the next day...
And the day after that... and so on.
Maybe you can't do the same thing for him.
Maybe you'll choose to let him go.
Maybe it's fine; maybe it's not;
maybe it's better that way.

Maybe today you'll realize that love is beautiful
but you don't need it.
Maybe today you'll make it clear that you want love for other people
but not for yourself.
Maybe today you'll watch someone watch over you.
Maybe today you'll feel loved
and part of you will desperately want to love back,
But you can't...
You feel like you shouldn't.
Maybe it's painful; maybe it'll be less painful this way.

Maybe today you'll encounter love
and you'll leave it behind.
And maybe tomorrow you'll feel the loss
and you'll break your heart.

Making Miracles

The 'message in a bottle' was given by my org buddy/friend. This is  one of my
most-valued presents since the letter contains so much. Thank you, buddy.

Who writes what and who finds that? 

Who creates the link between separate beings? 

What can bind people together until the end? 

Do your thing. Do what you think you should do even if you're not sure of what you should be doing. Do nothing if it seems to be the right thing to do. Hide emotions; confess feelings. Do whatever you feel the situation calls for. Hurt and allow yourself to get hurt. Believe that things will get better.  We're all human and we're all subject to feel pain. Love and be loved. Stay when you have to stay and leave when you have to leave. It's cliche but it's still worth saying: Everything a happens for a reason. Let the reason unfold one day. Right now, do your thing.

You have to do your thing because you can't stay still while the whole world moves on. Do anything. Be it something worthwhile, be it something stupid, just do it. By doing something, you're making a miracle for yourself and maybe for other  people as well. All the things you've done in the past and all the things you're doing now will lead you to better places, to better people, and to better perspectives.

Who writes what and who finds that? 

Who creates the link between separate beings? GOD does.

What can bind people together until the end? FAITH.

“There are winds of destiny that blow when we least expect them. Sometimes they gust with the fury of a hurricane, sometimes they barely fan one’s cheek. But the winds cannot be denied, bringing as they often do a future that is impossible to ignore.”

-Nicholas Sparks, Messagein a Bottle

Random Thoughts on a Rainy Day

photo from http://www.unesourisetmoi.info/minimal/index.php?c=home&s=y&id=home__a_marilyn_monroe_gallery

When we were asked to read the biography of Marilyn Monroe which included some of her written works  like poems and diary entries (for Creative Writing class), I came across this line and I must admit that somehow, it hit me.

Love comes in so many contexts. In here she was definitely referring to romantic love. "One cannot love another, ever,  really." This statement deals with love as  something absolute. Either it's perfect or it's not love at all, either it  lasts forever or it is  not love at all. False dichotomies. Life and love involve not only the extremes.

As of the moment I'm not sure if I have or if I ever will love at all.  What if random people come? Shall I keep my eyes and ears closed even when "the moment screams for IT." Maybe. The whole connection thing portrayed in the movies...  I hope it works for me. Or else I'm dead. Well, not really.  I  just want to get it right the first time around...as much as possible. I'm too fragile to take chances. I just want to believe that when he comes, he comes, and I shall know. IF he does come. I'm the waiting type rather than the searching type.

And the whole marriage thing? I can clearly remember what I heard from a TV show (though I forgot the title of the TV show). In marriage, you don't  necessarily have to love each other all the time. I  mean,  you're cooking food and you're loving your passion; You're doing office works and you're loving your job; You're bringing your kids to school and you're loving the family you have. All  these time, you do  not possess the feeling of being in love with your partner YET at the end of the day, you know you love your partner.

I guess the bottom line is, love does not require two people to make their lives revolve around each other. Marriage does not force couples to stay sweet and  in love til they grow white hair. Maybe commitment just asks of one  thing: companionship. Feelings change.  And for this reason, you cannot be forever in love with one person BUT you can truly, unconditionally love a person until you die...  because love is not just an emotion, but a decision as well.

Make the right choice! :)

The Man on the Cross

background photo from www.christianmyspace.com | words by tine magpayo

The Man on the Cross
by Christine Magpayo

What causes me to move is the stillness

of the Man on the cross.

He is the conqueror of death—

the perfect picture of fulfilment.

The stillness of my God on the cross

Causes me to go on and on.

He is peace; He is motivation;

He is hope; He is love; He is strength.

Each part of Him is beautiful:
His restless feet that walked countless miles
and His tired hands that touched and healed

the sick and the suffering

had been nailed to permanence.
His limbs are like tree branches
whipped and broken by the storm winds,
but now appears to be embracing the clear skies.

As a cloud can give out
so much rain, His weary body
had shed so much blood.
Bereft of life,

His body hung low and gray.
Leaning on the wooden cross,

My Savior looks tranquil.
The cold flesh feels no more pain.

Looking at His bowed head,

I see the features of His face:

Eyes (now closed) that looked with compassion
and lips that spoke only of goodness and truth.
Like an infant asleep
After a day of cries and smiles,
Calmness can be traced
from the curves of my Savior’s  face.

Nothing and no one ever compares
to the God of all who died for me.
He served His purpose so I can serve mine.
What is my mission compared to His?
Love will keep me alive
because His love is enough.
Not only it is freely given,
But also more than what I deserve.

Unfailing Hope

background photo from www.lackgrounds.com

           There are times when we feel that we can’t go on anymore. We feel that the trials are too difficult to overcome; we feel that the problems are too painful to bear; we feel like life is merely a series of pitfalls that will continuously pull us down until we decide to give it all up. Nonetheless, the Bible assures us that these trials are God’s gifts to us. It is not that He wants us hurt, rather, He wants us wiser and stronger. If a parent would not allow his one year old child to try to walk across the crib for the first time, will his child be able to walk on its own?  No. Though it will hurt the parent see its child stumble, he lets his child go on with the assurance that every time his child falls, he’d be there to pick him up. The same thing goes with the Father in Heaven. He exposes us to hardships because He is preparing us for the best. If along the process we feel so tired, we just need to call upon Him so that when He hears our call, He may be able to hold our hand and assist us until we finally see the light. And so I boast  when trials come because trials make  me patient; when I am patient I gain  merits, and through this  merits I  learn to hope—to  hope in the Lord who never fails.

The Forgetter and The Forgotten

photo from photography.nationalgeographic.com | words by tine magpayo

People remember and people forget. It hurts to remember when you want to forget; In the same way, it hurts to forget when you want to remember. 

Friendships come and friendships go. It is something that either grows or dies in the passing of time. The challenge of friendship is to be able to look at and take different directions but to once again be able to meet at the final destination. However, there are times  when friendship only goes as far as having the courage to let go. That courage does not usually come with the hope and enthusiasm to find each other again.


When we become separated with the people who matter most to us, we yearn for the feeling of having them around. And since circumstances would not always permit a close bond among friends, people will have a tendency to search for that feeling in the company of strangers-- strangers who are simply "friends waiting to happen." But the sad truth in life is that once we get attached to someone, we unconsciously get detached with someone else. The human heart, figuratively speaking, has some sort of carrying capacity. It cannot cater to everyone and most of the time, the person whom you find assurance to be with in the future is the one  you stick to. How can someone who has  stopped  being in your present give you security of togetherness in the future?

In every situation that required letting go, there would always  be the one who has come to forget and the one who has been forgotten. But why is it that the one has come to forget always appears as the "bad person?" Did he/she wanted the friendship to end? NO. As much as a person recalls and relives past moments in his/her life, memory has its limits. It can only go as far as remembering events but it cannot return the same old feeling and attachment  one used  to feel no matter how much one wants it back. Certainly,  it hurts to be forgotten.  Although sometimes, in forgetting, the one who  has come to forget hurts as much as the one who has been forgotten.

Learning and Unlearning Love

background photo from syntetyc.deviantart.com |  text by tine magpayo

          Some people believe that love is a decision, not an emotion. I beg to disagree. For me, love is both a decision and an emotion. To fully grasp what it means to learn and to unlearn love, it is important to focus on love as a feeling.

        We all  learn to love but we cannot learn to unlove. Learning is a process of absorbing; unlearning is a process of forgetting. To learn requires one to take something in; to unlearn requires one to take something out of one's system. To make the premise more simple, let's compare it with the idea of solving complex Math problems. Once you have learned how to solve, you cannot learn to not to be able to solve. Nonetheless you can unlearn to be a good Math problem solver if you don't use your skills for some time. I think same goes with love. If you stop practicing what you often did, you'll end up not having what you often had. If you want someone out of your life, you don't learn to unlove that person; you try to unlearn to love that person.

         Honestly, I'm not really sure of what I am saying or if I was able to express my ideas clearly. In the first place, love is too complex to be understood. But then again, if we shall look at love as an emotion,  then it is meant to felt, not to be understood. Ohhhhh how I love contrasts!!! :)

On Dreams and Faith

background photo from brickworkz.com | text by tine magpayo

KNOW WHAT YOU WANT
You're human. You think; you feel; you dream. Whether you admit it or not, you have big dreams buried in the deepest corners of your heart. Don't keep them there... Acknowledge them. It is through knowing the true desires of your heart that you are able to discover yourself.



BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU WANT
As we grow older, we come to realize that we live in a cruel world. As Mother Gothel in the animated film Enchanted put it: "The world is dark and cruel. If it finds even the smallest ray of light, it destroys it." There will be little voices whispering "You can make it," but there will also be big voices screaming "You cannot do it." Nonetheless, it is still your choice to whom you will listen to.Have some faith, kid. There must be a reason why God placed that dream in your heart. And there's probably a better reason that dream stayed in your heart amidst all the attempts to make it vanish.



WORK FOR WHAT YOU WANT
BAD NEWS: It is truly very hard to actualize visions. GOOD NEWS: You've got your whole life ahead of you. Think that everything you do is a step that leads you to your Big Dream. Work on the little things and one day you'll find yourself just a fingertip away from the big thing.



PRAY FOR WHAT YOU WANT
You may be a smart, sufficiently emotional, and hardworking human but that doesn't change the fact that you are only human. In the words of Fr. Gerry Orbos, we have to remember two things in this life: First, there is a GOD and second, none of us is HIM. We have a God who listens and who is very much willing to help us if we only ask for it. One of my favorite Bible verses is Mark 11:24 "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." 

Have faith in yourself, faith in your dreams, and faith in our GOD.