Verses Upon the Burning of Our House: A Response Essay

The phone that had kept your soul in touch, the bed that had forever got your back, the guitar which had always given you peace of mind, the drum set that never left, when your emotions had to cry out loud, and the notebook that had listened no matter what, in highs and lows, to all your victories, dramas, and rants.

All of us have treasures embedded in our hearts, and at times so deeply that simply imagining the loss of a single one would make us feel so empty- so incomplete.

So what more seeing all these possessions closest to your heart burn down one by one? Definitely, a stab in the heart; but is losing your treasures at some point also a blessing, or is it nothing more than just a dreadful curse?

For years, I have believed it is, and will eternally be, the latter. However, Verses Upon the Burning of Our House- July 10^th, 1666 by Anne Bradstreet turned my perspective about losing my most cherished possessions, around.

First of all, it made me realize that we are all merely tenants of this residence called Earth; one day, we would all grow weak, turn to ashes, and eventually be part of the soil. Therefore, we have no right to complain or to question Him for whatever it is that we lose; instead we should be thankful as He has given us a chance to get a taste to love and to be loved by these treasures. “I blest His Name that gave and took;” Job 1:21, (Line 14)

Next, along the journey, God may throw spikes, banana peels, and obstacles on our way, sometimes He would compel us to face our inmost fears, sometimes He would get the things or people dearest to us, but the story conveys the message that He will never give us challenges we could not face; His love is perpetual and it will never abscond; that He might have left us with nothing, but He left us with enough. “He might of All justly bereft, But yet sufficient for us left.” (Lines 19- 20)

Lastly but most importantly, we should learn to lift up all our sorrows and joys, doubts and certainties, and hates and loves to Him. After all, what is there to worry about, when we know that the Man upstairs is surely watching over us? That amidst all that we endure here on this dimension, our Almighty Father will, at the right time, welcome us with open arms in Heaven- our ultimate abode where we will finally receive the serenity and completeness we have unceasingly yearned on Earth. “Ther’s wealth enough, I need no more; Farewell my pelf, farewell my Store. The world no longer let me Love, My hope and Treasure lyes Above.” (Lines 51- 54)

As painful and ironic as it may seem, losing your treasures is actually more than just a dreadful curse, it is a blessing- a gift from God. Because once you think about it, there is indeed no loss in saying adieu, for these treasures are merely physical, worldly representatives of God. After all, who was it really who had kept your soul in touch; forever got your back; had always given you peace of mind; never left, when your emotions had to cry out loud; and listened no matter what, in highs and lows, to all your victories, dramas, and rants? Ask yourself; was it truly your cherished possessions or the Big Man up above?

A Letter to Future Old Self

 

*EHH believe me, ME, you look awesome and fab as you are!*

Hey max! First of all, hallelujah to the Lord! Wooh see, amidst all the cake and sugar you put inside your body every single day, here you are still alive and kicking! I don’t know if you are sitting on your rocking chair right now or lying down listening to music or writing (ranting) so intensely on your journal to drain all the emotion out of you or OooOoOO in the field running (?) lol idek but whatever it is you are into now, I’m sure you’re very very happy- overflowing with love and jooooy! I also don’t know if all our dreams came true, if all those uber- duper sweet and cheesy daydreams that kept us smiling till we finally closed our eyes every night finally turned to reality, but you know even if they didn’t, God surely had something much much better ‘reserved’ only  for us bahaha so exciting! Hmm pfshh am I still me, or did I lower my standards? OH NO MAX NO but well, even if I change that “thing” that only a few know defines us the most, I know you had deeper than the Marianas Trench reasons for that, so I understand (really now? Jkjk yes I do). Well, I also want to tell you how I’m so proud of you, you surely slept a hundred times later than 3 am just to finish something of the same sort of that freaking WORKED video that really killed my (our) soul. I’m sure no step up this staircase of life was a piece of cake, but you SURVIVED, huh TOLD YA THERES ALWAYS A RAINBOW AFTER THE RAIN. Please forgive me if ever by this time, this body is super worn out because I (we) obv eat lots and hate exercise, but just to say it out loud again YOU HAD FUN AND ITS WORTH IT.  I am also saying sorry in advance for the stupid mistakes I had made or (will make?) anyways, I’m sure you can do it, Max, I know you and I know how strong your heart is, please keep that courage and love inside you forever ablaze and alive! Gaah I’m so excited to meet you, not too soon please but ahaha there will always be a right time for all things. (Patience is key lol)

PS: This letter is super random, so all over the place and if ever we pursued our ‘sidedream’ of being a writer, then oops this is probably more disappointing than ever, and I would call it splattered paint, but splattered paint is still beautiful anyhow so WOW.

PPS: I HOPE U ARE HAVING YR HAPPILY EVER AFTER MEIN WELL BUT IF YOU ARENT DON’T WORRY JUST WAIT FOR ME AND ILL BE THERE TO SAVE YOU FROM THE DRAGON’S KEEP, ofcourse, hopefully, our knight in shining armor would do the saving for us, but then again, worse comes to worst? I’ll be there J

PPPS: We both know we’re not the sweetest, but here’s a *super tight and warm hug* from my present to my…whoever I may become! HAHA I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH, whatever happens, you’ll always be special, Max, and no soul on any universe is and would be right and deserving to make you forget that. 

Lady or the Tiger: A Response Essay

You have been warned. This is no fairy- tale; no princess in a dragon’s keep saved by her prince in shining armor. None of that sugar- coated humdrum, “…And they lived happily ever after.” And definitely, “The end,” is just the END; the sooner you accept it, the easier it gets. Tell you what, it is bloodshed out there, you fight, or you shall perish and die.

            

We all grew up cradled to sleep with the enchanting worlds of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Little Mermaid, and all those countless bedazzled jewels in one’s very own Bookshelf of ‘fantasy.’ But reality is, sometimes, you just have to wake up and accept that not all stories end up with sugar, spice and everything nice.

For that is just life my friend, and the Lady or the Tiger by Frank Richard Stockton has proven that fact powerfully and vividly enough. With the story’s spirited and indomitable characters: the King, the Young man, and the Princess, Stockton only reiterates to us that life won’t always be fair, sometimes you just have to keep the faith and trust others, and that some moments truly require individualism, sacrifice and letting go.

King: Life won’t always be fair, and you simply got to accept it. Matters in life won’t at all times be topped with glitter and gold no matter how much you try to be a good girl or boy, or wish upon the shooting star. People won’t always magic it up, and sometimes they’ll be too hard on you and your world will just seem to be crushing down, brick by brick. Sometimes, the people closest to your heart are even the ones who will hurt you the most. But people are people, and the King, semi- barbaric as he is, disregarded the fact that he was hurting his one and only daughter, by putting that young man she loved so dearly, in a situation wherein fate was the only one left to choose  what he was going to lose- either his life or his love.

Young man: You probably are a very private person, but once you get into trouble, you would accept any stranger’s help. So what more welcoming the help of one you knew with all your heart, with all your soul? To ‘trust’ is not the easiest thing to do in the world, because like glass, once it breaks, it would forever be shattered. But at times when there is really nothing more you can do for yourself, learn how to keep the faith and trust others. After all, maybe God is just using these people to turn your life around, maybe He has it all planned out and again, you just have to close your eyes, open your heart and trust.

Princess: At some point, you have to realize that some people can stay in your heart but not in your life. Inevitably, the Princess would have to choose whether to give up the life of the love of her life so that he could die loving only her, or, give up the love in their lives, in order to let the young man live. Either way, it would not be easy, after all, what is easy in letting go? However, this is where individualism, sacrifice and letting go comes in, when instead of worrying too much and losing yourself in the midst of the moment, you decide to free your soul and break away from the pain dragging you down.

Like Frank Richard Stockton’s Lady or the Tiger, sometimes life would be unfair, there would be instances where you just have to keep the faith and trust others, and at times be strong enough to let go. Life is not always smooth sailing; you would have to go through waves of storms and tsunamis before seeing how majestic and meaningful it truly is. In the same way, life is a fairy- tale, and I get back not considering it as such, because I came to realize, it could still be, and it is, if your heart sees it as so. Furthermore, like life, the Lady or the Tiger is open ended, giving its readers the chance to give it a beautiful ending. Who knows, the Young man might not have been the right guy for the princess, or maybe, the King was just testing the princess and he truly had greater plans for her. After all, you are the writer of your own story; you may not be in favor of how it was and how it is, but, in the end, you are the only one rightful to tell yourself, “This is not how my story ends; I may not be a princess in a fairy tale, but I dream of a happily ever after, and I shall have it.”

Appointment with Love: A Response Essay

Was it the way the way he makes you smile, the way his eyes sparkle as he talks about something he is truly passionate about; was it the simple things he does- like bringing  you ice cream when you are about to explode and telling you everything’s going to be alright; was it when he believes in you and tells you, you can do it, because he loves you as you are; was it how you feel so secure when you are with him because it feels as if his presence acts like angel’s wings hugging you so tightly; was it the happiness you get just by being with him, without words, without touch, just being there and yet still feeling the luckiest, or was it merely the way that you guys are just too cool and awesome together, you feel like- this must be 'love'?

Love truly comes in many forms. It is easy to be in love, but staying? Hmm, probably not; but Sulamith Ish Kishor’s "Appointment with Love" - the story of penpal lovers Lieutenant Blandford and Hollis Meynell, mutually blank of one another’s appearance, as they meet for the first time- proves to us that committing to your other half is not a piece of cake, but it still is possible.

As unique individuals with distinct minds and hearts, we define our “dream guy” or “dream girl” differently; and though we may include stuff like ‘caring, thoughtful, loyal’ and all that, we cannot deny the fact that how he or she looks like, moves like, and dresses like is also in that “my perfect other list.” However, how if you guys never met? How if the only way you maintained that connection was through text messages, emails, or like in the ‘Appointment with Love,’ handwritten letters with no pictures added at all? By the time you finally see each other; will you still accept him or her disregarding the appearance?

           Well, that is the great thing about “Appointment with Love,” it is enlightening and commendable to readers from different walks of life and love as it conveys to us with the real meaning of true love, the essence of occasionally testing a relationship, and the significance of valuing the choices we make.

      As cliché as it may sound, true love is blind and it surpasses any physical boundaries. This was shown in the story when Blandford was asking for her picture and Meynell said, "If your feeling for me has any reality, any honest basis, what I look like won't matter. Suppose I'm beautiful. I'd always be haunted by the feeling that you had been taking a chance on just that, and that kind of love would disgust me. Suppose I'm plain, then I'd always fear that you were going on writing to me only because you were lonely and had no one else.” Another was when Blandford still asked the old, plump lady for dinner, valuing the 13 months that she had been there for him rather than her age and what she looks like.

          A little red rose on her suit lapel and a book entitled ‘Of Human Bondage’ tucked in his arms. Those were their clues in identifying each other, so when Hollis Meynell decided to test Lieutenant Blandford by wearing a crimson rose on her lapel instead of what they agreed upon and begged the old lady to wear the red rose instead, Meynell actually delivered that testing relationships is important for it will prove the strength of his love and will make the relationship stronger, and it did when Blandford still asked the old lady for dinner, despite the young and beautiful lady who just passed by and called his attention.

      It could have all gone wrong; Blandford might have not approached the old lady anymore and just went home. Meynell in the restaurant might have been waiting for nothing for hours. That event might have been the end to the ‘love’ they once believed was true. The point is, that ‘sad story ending’ might have been caused by a small and simple decision. Therefore, that possibility only shows us why we must value what we choose to do every single day and second of our lives; because it counts, it really does. Let me tell you a secret, “In life, it is the little things that matter.”

To wrap it up, I say that ‘Appointment with Love’ by Sulamith Kishor, with all its lessons about life and love- what true love is, the importance of testing relationships, and the worth of treasuring the choices we go for, makes the story very inspirational, heart- touching, and worthy of reading. Not just that, it is also because, like the little things in life, it too counts.

Lather and nothing else: A Response Essay

*Spongebob and Patrick, buddies for life! That is how your relationship revolves now. But you know what? She could have been your queen, you could have been her king; together, you could have been your own kind of Mickey and Minnie; the living Romeo and Juliet of today…if only you tried, if only you believed...If only. *

Every step we take is a matter of life and death, well probably not as much if it was on picking what kind of cake you were going to get, but then again, all the choices we make, make us.  And believe me, for some reason,  life could not get any harder, it keeps on bombarding us with yes or no’s, a great deal of should I do it now, or will I let it go, and many other things that make us oh- so crazy!

But what should we do to get through this rocky road of decision- making?

Let us get it from ‘Lather and Nothing Else’ by Hernando Tellez- a thrilling and creditable story of a barber determining on whether to execute or not to execute an executioner who came to him for a shave; reminding us that it is very important to actually think before you act, to do the right thing even though it is hard, and at times, to accept that some things are just not meant for you.

Whenever we get too happy or too sad or too angry or overwhelmed, we tend to do things, which in our right consciousness, would never think of doing; that is when the problem comes in: when we let our emotions outweigh our intelligence. Fortunately, in Lather and Nothing Else, that was not the scenario. Because although the confusion and slight idea of persecution came shooting into the barber’s mind the moment Captain Torres went in his shop, sat down for the shaving, chatted, and most especially closed his eyes, the barber, amidst the temptation recalled the significance of not acting impulsively and weighing his possible actions first, before finally choosing what to do, thus, leading him to do the right thing which is to let the captain go out of his shop, shaved nicely and alive.

It is true that “Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same,” may it be in attaining your goals, making sacrifices, or simply in matters of life and love. It could have been hard to just give it up or to leave somebody behind, and most of the time, we do not even understand fully ‘why?’ but we do know deep inside that we should, because it is right and someday, the reason will be clear to us and we would be happy that we had made the right decision. Just like the barber who, despite the fact that he wanted so badly to kill the man as he fully deserves it for all the lives he destroyed, did not, because the barber knows that although he may be angry, he is a professional barber doing his job well and will definitely not want to be likened to the man he is shaving- a murderer.

That killing in the patio of the schoolyard should have been the last if only he did it already. He was almost there, just a speck of force and inches away. Just- one- stab- then it is done. But, the point we should remember is that there are times when we just have to let go and that ”we do not even have to understand everything, because sometimes it is not even meant to be understood, but to be accepted.” Also, maybe Captain Torres would wake up one day and change for the better and how would that happen if he is dead? The barber, by doing that also went away from staining his name permanently for an encounter that is temporary.

Every so often we regret why we were just until “almost there”. "So near, yet so far," it is said. But likening it to Hernando Tellez’s Lather and Nothing Else; the barber, just by pondering deeply before making his choices, giving worth to self- control, simply letting go of things unintended for him and by purposely missing that chance of killing the captain meant saving his life and leaving that mark of him as a good and honorable man.

*And probably, God has it all planned out; we simply have to believe that tomorrow, the sun will shine brighter and that once’ dying’ chapter will end as a 'happily ever after, after all.' Maybe one day, when you are so over with your life and you are an inch away  from bursting in tears, you'll suddenly hear a knock from your door and as you expect someone to just "end it now," instead of a knife popping out from behind, held gently in his hands is that cake you have always loved or that ice cream that makes you feel like a kid again, or fine your favorite flower or whatever;  instead of giving you a swoon with a poisoned handkerchief,  he electrocutes you with the gleam in his eyes- you just stay still, nothing coming out of your mouth; instead of killing you, he gives you an asthma attack. Lol no he hugs you so tight you cannot even breathe and instead of saying, “hands up, give me everything, or else this is the end,” he says…” just listen and forgive me in everything, please, let us start again?” and finally, your face betrays you and that smile just escapes. “Yes.”*

Jonathan Livingston Seagull: A Response Essay

15 and still off wandering; that’s me. I know that my quest in completing this puzzling puzzle called LIFE has just begun and I am yet to pick up and fill in the disarranged pieces of my l-i-f-e. But I’ll tell you one thing I’m pretty sure of, “Wanting to be someone else is a waste of who you are.”

The greatest thing I learned to become popular, sociable and all that is to plaster that word called “perfectness” in you aka precisely being like the “perfect ones” or “goals” set by the crowd or at least try to, till you slowly poison yourself of that idea. It is not like I am taking it against you if you are popular or whatever cause I do know a lot and I still do love them. It is just that I am probably not the most sociable creature alive and you will know that if you are really, really close to me. I mean obviously, I just said it out loud so wow we don’t even have to be an inch close after all. So emo huh, but oh well cause it is true, at least now anyways.

There were times like Jonathan that I surely tried to be like everyone else or in the novel: the Flock. However, I would have to admit it is hard to fit in because I am not consistently loud or active or full blast or I do not ultra- mega care much about your muscles or your vainness or your superficial wants and things. It also takes a lot of evaluation and time for me to like or be comfortable and open to a person and peace and “alone times” are deeply sacred to me. So eventually, I stopped trying to become a wallflower and instead focused on pleasing my #1 audience, none other than the Big Man Himself.

Well, I know this should be a response essay and it is scary to write it this way- “this way” meaning “honestly to the max,” but whatever, because if there is a thing or two or three that made me consider this a praiseworthy and recommendable book is that from Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull, I have learned that in every single thing we want to pursue and be excellent in, we will need extra courage, dedication, and a big heart.

COURAGE: My mom has a passion for writing; my dad, for music. One thing’s common between them though: the drive for excellence. As I was growing up, it was very difficult for me to actually try something out and follow it, especially in the field of both arts, “Leih, galing yata ng anak mo, “or “Ren, kapilan ya magbanda ing anak mu?” were all around me and I guess the pressure was intense! However, I soon realized that I should take the pressure wisely, have heart and start doing something: Not because people are telling me to do so, but because finding your passion and pursuing it helps you step out from whoever you used to be. Anyways, I don’t even have to be like my parents that quickly, or even love what they love as much. Don’t get me wrong, I love writing and music, but I also know that I’m  still in the process of searching for what I really want to do, something I would die for! It may be one of those two, but then again, we’ll cross the bridge when we get there. And when I’m 101% of what brings me genuine happiness, like Jonathan I’ll keep in mind and heart that chasing your passion also means surpassing the expecting and discriminating eyes and ears of the Flock, before you can become who you are truly meant to be.

DEDICATION:  No seed will be sprout into a tree of greatness without the right amount of CO_2, sunlight, nurturance, and time. Likewise, no car would run in its highest performance without enough fuel. Therefore, if we truly want to target excellence, we should emulate Jonathan’s perseverance and fulfilment towards perfecting what he loved which is the art of flight. No matter how painful it was whenever he crashed straight down or was called an Outcast, he still went towards his goal just like all of us should.

A BIG HEART: `Revenge is sweet,’ and as mean as that statement could go, nobody could disagree that a part of them knows it is true.  “You called me an Outcast, but see where I am now, and where are you? Still stuck?” Jonathan could’ve said that, but what makes me admire his character more is that, he went back to the Flock, forgave them and even had the heart to love and teach them to be great too. It may be hard, but the book teaches us that the essence in being excellent is to be able to forgive and love again.

It is inevitable for people to expect, judge, and set their limits for you, but learning from Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a novel by Richard Bach, makes me realize that we are all boundless and that with buckets of courage, dedication, and a big heart, we could all reach exceptional excellence. After all, Amelia Earheart says it herself, “Everyone has oceans to fly, if they have the heart to do it. Is it reckless? Maybe. But what do dreams know of boundaries?”

Daily Blogs 3Q

Does a person who has done something against you deserve a second chance?

      Nobody is perfect and that is a fact! There is no shield, potion, talisman or whatever there is out there that can give you the immunity from doing the wrong and undesirable; we all know that. So I believe that as long as that person who has done something against you admits his mistakes, asks for forgiveness, makes up for it- whatever it takes and waits for the "tamang panahon," I guess he or she deserves a second chance. Besides, in the end, what matters is not whether who was right or wrong, how intense the fault is or hating each other for life, rather, how each party deals with the issue- hopefully, with love, forgiveness, an open mind and most importantly, with the desire to keep the relationship alive.

Should we test relationships?

      Stop! Mhmm stop! Think about this, *every step you take, every move you make, every vow you break, every single day, is testing you!!* Creepy huh, but that fact itself proves that  tests are essential in a person's life- for growth, learning, and improvement, and therefore, most especially in relationships. Probably of course as long as the testing doesn't go overboard right?!! No killing or hurting or too much jealousy in disguise... just remember something too much is never good, so I agree in testing relationships but always with its limitations.

How should we respond to the kindness given to us? 
  
      Chickenpox. Kindness and how we should respond to it is so chickenpox. I knoww WHAT WHY? But come on, use your imagination people! It is so Chickenpox because when somebody transfers their Chickenpox virus to you, you do not really give it back, instead you pass it on, and this time, more intensely. Next, the moment Chickenpox is bequeathed to you, you will feel it so deeply, it will affect you for a very long time, and it will leave a mark, (lol literal spots too, so do NOT scratch them haha!) however, as much as you want them to stay forever, there is no forever *bahaha jk* so you would have to pay it forward and give it to somebody else. Also, like in having Chickenpox, you would not be comfortable till you give away the virus in you and throw it up in the air, just like how kindness should be- we should also not be satisfied till we fully lift it up from ourselves and share it to others. So let us go and fill the world with Chickenpox! Ehem I mean kindness!