blessing – IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE

I recall how Liz and I adored you the very first moment we saw you at the nursery. We tiptoed as your cute little “ates” and lovingly peered into the crib and said in our hearts, “That’s our precious dearest brother!” You were hands down the cutest, most handsome baby and we could hardly wait to bring you home and enjoy you haha!

At home, whenever your nanny/ yaya would take you out (coz she wanted to show you off to the others too), Liz and I would be most protective. We had your cute little back even way then.

At Colegio San Agustin, Liz and I were the proudest ates and we loved to check on you in the round building, remember? And I was so happy-thrilled-proud to be invited to teach your class during CSA Student Teacher Week. I can still picture your handsome beaming face coz you told me after class that you were also proud of me aww!

You were always my favorite summer student at home. It’s not that you needed any classes coz you’ve always been inherently dynamic, smart,
intelligent, and witty. It’s just that I had the great desire even then to be in the teaching field so I created a special summer curriculum for you. (That was already the “little trainer” in me emerging haha!)

When you were celebrated as CSA’s Mr. Rick Astley and so many girls swooned over you, we were always so proud of you! How sweet that Liz faithfully supported you in all of your awesome singing and dancing performances. Dad and Liz were so blessed to witness your slam dunk kick-ass performance during graduation while Mom and I were preparing for your graduation party at home.

Off to college, you competed and won medals in the culinary field. Oh the Chefs on Parade was such a momentous family event as Daddy, Mommy, Liz, and I cheered you on and of course as always, Liz and I screamed as your number 1 fans, “Carlo!!!! We love you!!!!” Over and beyond your medals, you won big time as the MOST LOVED BROTHER! And the MOST LOVED SON!

When you set foot in the professional arena, you never ceased to amaze us, your Eagle Family, with your precious powerful journey. Thanks for sharing with us every triumph, every challenge, every growth, every opportunity all the way…. from The Peninsula Manila to the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong to Raffles Dubai to Crown Melbourne to even more of Oz and beyond … we were with you consistently as you always held us in your heart of gold. Thank you for taking us with you everywhere you go.

Champ, your life is priceless. For you, yes. And even more so to the highest exponential degree, for us, your Eagle Family. For as Liz loves to say, “You completed our Eagle Family the moment you were born.” I couldn’t articulate it any better than that.

Today, as you celebrate your 47th Birthday, I wish you 47 Billion Blessings and Beyond! Daddy gives you his eternal Father’s Blessing as you are and always will be, his most treasured, his one and only beloved son. Mommy, Liz, and I embrace you with all our hearts and honor you in our Eagle Family, our hearts, forever.

And on a personal level, our friendship and bond that spans a lifetime of family love and blessings will be forever celebrated here on earth and unto eternity in Our True Home Heaven.

Definitely so much more to thank you for Champ… So much more to celebrate with you…. And so much more to praise and worship God for with you! Here’s to a lifetime of love and goodness and blessings and celebrations overflowing!

I salute YOU: God’s General and God’s Signet Ring! 😎

I love you super and forever!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Champ Yeks 😀

FAMILY IS LOVE

75 BILLION KISSES FOR MOMMY ❤️

March 13, 2021March 13, 2021 YBP

IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE. IT’S ALL ABOUT MOMMY.

March 7, 2021 was Mommy’s 75th Birthday and there was a beautiful zoom celebration hosted and organized by Ang Ligaya Ng Panginoon Community to honor this very special milestone. Our Titos and Titas in Ligaya asked us kids (me, Lizzie and Carl) to shoot a video with us singing—as a surprise for Mom. Okay, I kinda froze for a second there. Oh dear. I have totally mixed feelings about singing in public. On the one hand, what a thrilling adventure, and on the other hand…..hmmm.

A little backgrounder: In the early 90’s I had the guts to sing in front of THE Bibot Amador (the Founding Artistic Director of Repertory Philippines) in an open call audition at the William J. Shaw Theater in Shangrila. I was absolutely confident I would nail it. I smiled, closed my eyes, clasped my hands, breathed deeply, and sang the first strains of my audition song: “….. You who I cradled in my arms, you…..”“THANK YOU, NEXT!” boomed the voice in the darkened theater. It was the voice of Tita Bibot Amador crushing my theater dreams to bits. I held my chin up and summoned the chutzpah to gracefully walk off the stage. I blew my sister Liesl a kiss as it was her turn up next.My sister Liesl nailed her audition (but of course) and ended up being cast, and thus began her theater career with Repertory Philippines. (She went on to become a multi-awarded actress and is now REP’s Artistic Director, and I am hands down her biggest most ardent most loving fan.)

But back to my story: In the early years when Liesl was doing back-to-back straight plays and musicals with REP, she would beg me again and again to audition whenever there were open calls at REP because she intimated that her secret dream was for me to alternate with her in a show. “Just think how much fun it would be, Yekkie…..!” she would sweetly coo. Hay naku, she would ask me incessantly until one night I finally ended up having a nightmare of Tita Bibot’s looming face screaming at me because I did not know my lines. (I knew what a formidable terror THE Bibot Amador was from Lizzie’s stories of rehearsals.) I finally put my foot down and said “NO, LIZ, I will not audition for REP, so please stop asking me. I don’t want any more nightmares. How stressful!” Hahaha I laugh now thinking of this memory because guess what, fast forward to 2021, and I got secretly excited at the prospect of singing for Mommy’s birthday! And singing with Liz at that! What a sweet honor! And hurrah our awesome brother Carlo (based all the way in Australia) would be in the video too, I mean how fun and precious is that! Something we three could work on together as a labor of love to honor our beloved Mommy, our Sweetest Blessing, who we absolutely love and adore to the moon and back.

This video was just supposed to be internal for our zoom honoring for Mom. But I’m overflowing with so much love for Mom and want to share our video gift for her—which Carlo, Liz, and I performed in virtual togetherness despite being physically apart. IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE. IT’S ALL ABOUT MOMMY. Happy 75th Birthday Mommy!!! We love you beyond measure.