IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE

Most girls dream of being Supergirl in their childhood. I was one of them. I always wanted to ward off evil and save the world from villains. I always believed in defending the downtrodden. I always saw myself as someone with a “mission” of bringing goodness everywhere I went.

And as I grew up, my fantasy was somehow realized. In its own simple, limited fashion. I sowed seeds of kindness and joy among my family, relatives, friends, schoolmates, and people I practically met. And lo and behold, I did reap a lot of amazing goodness and happiness along the way.  

When I entered the corporate arena, that’s when I was blown away with the gift and honor of sowing more positive seeds on a larger scale. Contributing to the continuous training and development of various employees from various organizations fueled my passion to spread inspiration even further.

This was my happy story for decades until I was struck down with Kyrptonite in 2018. When I was diagnosed with IgANephropathy, my world was shaken. I was challenged physically more than anything. And although I normally choose my automatic pilot response of joy at any given moment, I am no Supergirl. I am human. Completely human.

2018 was a most challenge-filled year for me. I had days of sadness, wondering if I could ever go back to the Training Room and inspire my VIP training participants. You see, since I was undergoing treatment and calibrations were done on the overall medical strategy, I was advised to “take a break” from work. Funny, that can seem like paradise to some, but that was not the case for me. I yearned deeply to do what I do with such passion and fervor. I wanted to continue conducting corporate training workshops. I wanted so much to help increase knowledge, build skills, and empower lives. I wanted to INSPIRE. After all, that is what I have always wanted to do my whole life. INSPIRE.

During that most unsettling standstill in my life, my entire family embraced me and loved me unlike any other. No words would even ever do justice to articulate their unending love and support.

And so, I was indescribably strong in spirit while I was weakening physically then.

As I was initially groping towards some explanation of what was happening and as I was feeling my way through that unexpected dark moment, I had eons to actually stop and reflect.

Life knew that it was time for me to take a “breather” and receive inspiration from others this time around. So, I adjusted my heart and head since I’ve been so used to giving. This time, I had to make myself more comfortable at receiving.

The moment that my heart and head had aligned to the new “situation”, I began experiencing daily miracles of love. They are too many to recount.

I would like to focus the spotlight on one miracle that stood out.

In 2018, no Kryptonite could stand this powerful miracle of LOVE.

I had been supremely blessed with a Superwoman. She herself went though her own enormous medical challenges. She had her own share of “unwanted surprises”. She fought her way through medical procedures with a lot of kick-ass strength and Never-Give-Up attitude. She exuded such bravery that would make Generals cower in shame. She went through the battlefield and came out victorious.

So, every word she said was gold to me. She dedicated hours to sharing her views, based on her powerful experience and even more powerful love. She balanced her support with pragmatic insights. She made me feel that what I was going through was definitely nothing I couldn’t handle. She emboldened me to fight the good fight of FAITH. She woke up the Warrior in me. She made me realize how truly strong I am inside.

And to this very day, I have such love, ONLY LOVE, for this amazingly inspiring Superwoman. My beloved Auntie Donna Ilaya.