In life's amazing journey, we begin and end with love.
Huge honor to have been interviewed by Mathew from Blog of the Wolf Boy! He’s got this amazing, unique Behind the Author Series. His brilliant work coupled with his out-of-the-box abundance captivates his readers. Do visit his power blog and be ready to be enthralled! 😊🌟✨💫🌟✨💫🌟✨💫😊
The strangest thing happened on my way home today. I saw a hearse. Yup, a hearse. Literally, in front of me. I just realized what it was when I needed to slow down due to the building traffic on the road.
And just like that, I went to my rich inner world and played a movie in my mind. Mind you though, I’m a very safe driver with an amazing clean record to boot! Not that I’m turning defensive here (although that’s exactly my driving style, haha!), but I want to assure you of my multi-tasking ability (that is, driving safely on “auto-pilot” and running free with my imagination) when I know the destination so well. And obviously, I’m an expert at locating my home. (Confession: Ooops! with the help of Waze at times.) Otherwise, I’d be in deep trouble, haha!
Anyway, back to our regular programming (Excuse the side trip or mini digression.), where was I? …. Oh yes, the hearse. It got me thinking ….. Well, a lot of things get me thinking.
I actually saw myself lying there inside the coffin. Safely tucked inside the hearse. Then, after a split second, that scene segued to the funeral rites. People were standing still in deep reflection. Some shed a few tears. Others were sobbing. Melancholy filled the air ….. and it was further punctuated with the droplets of rain that started to fall. It’s as if the sky was crying too.
I snapped out of that odd dream sequence when the car behind me honked. (My thought bubble went, “Okay, okay! I heard you!”) Then I zoomed to show the car behind me that I was very much alive, haha!
By the time I got home, I chilled and turned on the radio. KISS 102.7 played in full blast “One More Night” …. The lyrics? “So I cross my heart and I hope to die….” Oh c’mon now! Gimme a break! I mean, I adore you, Maroon 5 ….. but really?!?! Of all your awesome songs, you serenade me with this?!?! I would’ve danced immediately if you chose “Sugar” instead!
So that set off my mind to “Wanderland” again….and as you can easily predict, I landed in the same movie that was screening earlier on the road. Talk about perfect timing, I was in sync for the climactic portion ….. the Eulogy.
Ohhhh my heart! At that point, I needed tissue. Boxes and boxes of tissue. Why? I was touched beyond words …. with the outpouring of appreciation, the abundance of gratitude, the showcase of happy memories, the overflowing love. Deep, sweet love. And then the movie camera zoomed out gloriously to take a majestic top shot.
Next scene: Back at home, I smiled. A victorious smile.
So Death, what would they say? Well, I’m writing the script of the century ….. and I’m starting today! ❤️
Just for laughs, I prefer white! 🙂
Mmmmmmmm. Rich chocolate biscuits. Ahhhhhhhhhh. I just love!
When my brother, Chef Carlo Batucan, flew home from Australia for a brief R&R break, he brought me some yummy goodies. Well, he always does. That’s automatic. Major thoughtfulness? That’s his department. He consistently spoils our family and lavishes us with all the love, love, love. He is simply the most amazing brother who ever walked the face of the earth!
Anyway, back to my story …..
He asked me to taste two brands of rich chocolate biscuits: Arnott’s and Milka. Actually, I’ve already tasted a lot of their products in the past. In fact, I’ve tasted so many other delectable brands all over the world as well. It’s just that this time, we wanted to play a “Which Tastes Better Game” (The Battle of the Biscuits) with our family. Part of our fun bonding and chilling when we enjoyed our sumptuous dinner and dessert date.
Both Arnott’s and Milka made me smile that night. And yet, the winner for me was Arnott’s. That was the major player that evening. And NOT to my surprise, my mom and sister took a liking to that brand too. Result? Three happy, gorgeous smiles ….. from my mom, my sister, and me. The Arnott’s brand promise of “There is no substitute” was delivered excellently …. and swiftly …. to our happy, satisfied tummies. You got the picture. The yummy pack was literally wiped out. It made a perfect pairing with our cappuccino, macchiato, and café au lait. We needed no coffee sommelier to arrive at that decision.
By the time I got home, I worked on a project and wanted a quick bite of yumminess before I went to bed. Mind you, that isn’t my nightly drill, though. (Am I sounding guilty already? Haha!) I do attempt to avoid extra sugars on a normal day.
I checked my huge loot bag of goodies …. and the only brand left was the less popular player that evening, Milka. Duh. That’s okay. Totally cool, I thought to myself. Rich chocolate biscuit …. still it is.
To my amazement, the more I bit into the Milka goodness, the more I rolled and swirled the chocolate flavor in my mouth, the yummier it actually tasted. Really! The flavors, which had earlier hidden that evening in the presence of “competition”, now grabbed my attention. Being the “sole performer” for me at home, Milka definitely took centerstage. With a thunderous applause from my happy tummy and grateful heart. Yes, I savor rich chocolate biscuits with a lot of heart too. Especially when my brother spoils me with them.
It dawned upon me then that in life, options are powerful gifts indeed. They allow us flexibility, freedom of choice, and multiple roads for greater possibilities.
However, a deeper realization that evening was that in life, when you are focused on what you presently have, it becomes an even more potent gift. Being in the moment crystallizes your current situation and blessings. It deepens your respect for and understanding of what lies before your very eyes. It increases your love and appreciation for what you hold in your hands.
This reminds me of my personal mantra for happiness: Stay grateful for WHAT you have and WHO you have in life. All of them. Celebrate them!
The next day, I called my brother before he flew back to Australia. I thanked him for our awesome bonding, all the yummy treats, and most importantly, the delicious insights I gained from our “Which Tastes Better Game” (The Battle of the Biscuits).
He asked me if I wanted a truckload of Milka when he visited me again. Trust me, he’s capable of that. I sheepishly said. “Aww thanks, but you don’t have to …..” He smiled and said, “I know, but I really want to…..” So, I candidly blurted out, “Well, let’s give the other rich chocolate biscuits a chance….there are millions out there. Let’s test the other brands too.”
And so, the battle goes on! And I ain’t complaining! Haha! ❤️
3 Cheers for coffee, rich chocolate biscuits, and happy tummies! ☕️☕️☕️
“Eeew spider veins?!? You’ve got spider veins?!? Yuck!!!” Woah! It took my ears a few minutes to recover after hearing that “observation” or insult hurled at me. I have to admit, it took my heart a week. Okay, staying real, two weeks. Haha!
Sounds quite juvenile on my part to need a long recovery period, huh? Well, it took much longer for my heart to get over it when I remembered who actually blurted out that “spider vein feedback”. Or, should I say unsolicited advice?
It all happened one light, breezy, sunshiny day. The weather was as gorgeous as it could get. So, I wore a lovely summer dress to celebrate the sunshine. I was definitely “dressed for the occasion”, so to speak. Light. Breezy. Sunshiny. That’s how I felt deep within. No cares in the world. Just bliss. Ahhh. Pure bliss.
Then, out to nowhere, “you know who”….. (Oh sorry, you DON’T know who …. Well, I’d rather keep it a mystery, if that’s okay with you. It’s a delicate matter of sensitivities. I’d prefer to zero in on some life insights born that day.)….. anyway, to continue, “you know who” jumped at me, both literally and figuratively, and took me by storm. At that point, the weather drastically changed. From a sunshiny happy day to an overcast gloomy day. Or at least, that was the intention of “you know who”. Well, sorry to disappoint her, but her plan was thwarted. No one was going to rain on my sunshiny day, haha!
Initially, I was dumbfounded. However, when I mulled over it, I burst into indignant laughter in my head. I mean, seriously?!? It’s unbelievably hilarious how some people make it a life mission to obliterate the happy hearts around them. The crazily awesome thing about happiness, though, is that when it comes from deep within, no amount of heavy rains, thunderstorms, insults, naysayers, doomsayers, or whatever negatively charged forces there are, can ever cause it to dissipate.
We all pretty much have our own “Cheer Team”. And we celebrate them with love. As for the detractors and green-eyed monsters, sure they may attempt to block our path to the yellow brick sunshiny road, but they ain’t stoppin’ us, no way!
On a personal note, I thought to myself. Hmmmmm. A few spider veins on my thighs (what with all the heels I’ve worn in my earlier teaching/ training days)? Well, I really don’t mind. In fact, I’ve “made friends” with them, haha! They never bothered me anyway. BUUUUT having to deal with spider-veined souls? (Just saying! ….) Now, THAT is totally unacceptable to me. My happiness is non-negotiable!
In my life, amidst the erratic climate ….. the sudden weather shifts from droughts to torrential rainfall, I choose to embrace the sunshine within me.
So, what did I do that day? I simply smiled and walked away. Yup, that’s me, I don’t stoop to the lowest levels unnecessarily. I wore my phone headset and checked my playlist. Then I happily sang along …. “I can see clearly now, the rain is gone, I can see all obstacles in my way, gone are the dark clouds that had me blind, it’s gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day …. it’s gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day!” ❤️
It’s gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day! ☀️☀️☀️
It’s a brand new day! (Audience response: APPLAUSE). With brand new smiles and handshakes. Brand new dreams and aspirations. Brand new hopes and ambitions. Brand new creations and designs. Brand new meetings and workshops. Brand news deals and contracts. Brand new options and solutions.
Weather forecast? Generally sunny skies aaaaall oooover! (Audience response: MAJORLY THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE).
Now, in contrast, jump to the next scene.
It’s a brand new day! (Audience response: SIGH). With brand new irritations and apprehensions. Brand new nitpicking and criticizing. Brand new anxieties and fears. Brand new foreboding and negativity. Brand new threats and attacks. Brand new problems and complaints.
Weather forecast? Generally heavy rains and thunderstorms aaaaall oooover! (Audience response: LOUDEST SIGH …… MOAN, GROAN, or however you’d articulate insufferable displeasure).
Funny really. Actually, odd. The day presents itself as a neutral point in time. It’s just exactly that. A DAY.
However, our attitudes and mindsets spell all the difference. Do we choose to focus on the positive things in life? That choice propels us to go on. Or do we choose to focus on the negative things in life? That choice weakens us and halts us altogether.
Of course, I’m fully aware that life isn’t a bed or roses. There are expectedly a number of thorns along the way. And yet …. A big YET ….. there are also a plethora of blessings that await us …. a rainbow of renewed hopes that we can hold on to …. a multitude of miracles that are raring to unfold before our very eyes.
So at the end of the day ….. or should I say, at the beginning of the day (haha!) …. It’s really a matter of focus, of perspective, of angle, of vision.
I may not know what my day holds, but I definitely choose happiness. Yup, aaaaall oooover!
So popping my happy pill, I say, “Hey world, I’m ready for my brand new “BRAND YOU” day! Yeah, bring it on!” ❤️
IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE 