New Year in March

If I am to create my own calendar, my year will commence months after it has officially began for everyone else (even later than the Chinese celebrate their New Year). Just like my typical week starts on Tuesdays, my days start at noon, while my energy and creativity surge profusely at night.

I am a nocturnal being by nature, with my body clock wound counter clockwise and I still do not understand why experts insist that waking up late does not compensate for sleeping late, regardless if it still amounts to 8 hours of recommended sleep (most of the time, even more). They say “the body knows its proper rest schedule or when it is day or night” and once you upset it, the balance is tipped and your health is put at risk. But how did they know what the body knows?

Yes, it is no doubt a complicated mystery under the perennial shroud of that thing we call ‘Science’, where everything must have a rationale. Besides, who am I to argue with the so-called “experts”? It does not necessarily mean though that I fully believe in them or that I will follow what they say is supposedly true and right. As a nonconformist, I rebel at the thought of being told when to sleep and wake up. I feel it is best to listen to my body and heed its signal— to sleep when I feel sleepy and to wake up when it needs to, regardless of time.

But that is just me in my own utopic universe.

The truth is, we live in a world where everything has been placed under a certain schedule or order, from where we base the plan of our own timetables. This is the prevailing state we were born to follow in order to move in congruence with the rest of society.  

Regardless of what the world dictates, my year still starts beyond January; my week begins any day except on a Monday, my sun rises at noon--when it is at its scorching brightest, and my nights end when it is time for the rest of humanity to start a brand new day.

Which Way do You Want to Go?

It is the first month of the year. A new beginning towards our journey through 2016, and the last thing I would want to write about is death.

This post was originally composed last November 2015, meant for All Souls’ Day. Apart from commemorating and praying for our dearly departed, it is also a time to reflect on life. But I believe that the topic of death remains relevant regardless of time, since it is one reality that we all have to face at any point in our lives. Whether it happens to a friend, family member, or eventually, to ourselves.

As a positive, blessed-with-sunny-disposition-always-optimistic person, I have the natural aversion to negative, sad, depressing topics and pessimistic point of views. It is precisely why I don’t like watching the news, for obvious reasons, or watching movies that do more emotional turmoil than provide a blissful escape from the real world.

Life is naturally seasoned with events that bring us sorrow and pain. No matter how we shield ourselves from all the negativity and sadness in the world, the fact remains that we coexist with it to provide a sense of balance in the emotional ecosystem. After all, how can we appreciate the sweetness of happiness if we do not know the bitterness of sorrow and pain?

I do not want to entertain the idea of death at this point in my life, because I know I am not yet ready for it. In fact, I don’t think I will ever be. I still have a lot to do and accomplish--so many dreams to fulfill and plans eagerly waiting to be realized, especially for my Little Lady. But I know that no matter how much we want to live longer more than we are supposed to, only God knows when we will truly go. Regardless if we are ready or not, I believe we can only bargain for an extension or the preferred circumstance of our grand exit, from the Giver of Life.

People die every minute, every day, in many different ways. But if you will be given a chance to choose how you will go, which way would it be?

As for me, I prefer a painless demise while in deep slumber, dreaming the most beautiful dream. Take note that this can only happen any time after I turn 101 years old. Yes, I declare that I plan to live a very long life.

How about you?

Have a blessed and meaningful Sunday, everyone!

Stress, Stress, Go Away!

The main reason why I seldom watch the news is, although it’s packed with updated and live information, it’s also a great source of stress. I already have enough pressure in my life that came abundantly with parenting and being an adult, so I try to find ways on how to unload some of my anxieties and not to invite more in my life.

Sometimes I just want to lock myself in my favorite room, lounge in my cozy bed, grab a good book I’ve been meaning to read but couldn’t finish, sip steaming herbal infusion, and have a relaxing worry-free day. But since I could barely manage to have that whole package because of my hectic schedule, the most feasible thing that I could think of is to plug those in ear noise cancelling headphones I wished for my birthday, and shut out the world and its noise for even just a few moments each day. Maybe during break time at work or while doing chores at home, I think a pure dose of relaxing music will help a lot in keeping my sanity intact amid the hustle and bustle of everyday living.

How about you? When you feel overwhelmed and jaded with real world issues and responsibilities, what do you do?