Sunday afternoon with Yoli

Sunday was so refreshing, love-filled, and relaxing. I spent time with Yoli. Yoli is a lady who has come to Bohol on a mission: to help a person engaged in business. Yoli and I went to the same church in General Santos City for many years.

One of the perks of her job is being billeted in a resort facing Tagbilaran Bay. This resort has a history of its own. We frequented this place in my young life whenever we wanted to listen to good music. Back then, my brother played in the band that regularly performed in the bar. Moreover, when I took up Law last year, my classmates and I came to this place to sing.

Tagbilaran City port

But that’s not the subject of this blog. This blog is about how relaxing, refreshing, and comforting Sunday was. We started with Sunday church service. I picked her from her cottage by the sea. After the service, we bought some stuff for her house transfer then proceeded to the cottage for our lunch. Lunch was served against the backdrop of the blue sea with our hair blown by the relaxing wind. Such a gem!

After a good meal and exceedingly good chat, we deposited ourselves in her cottage and napped.

By afternoon, we went to the mall. She had her relaxing pedicure. I did groceries. After all the chores, we went back to her small cottage and had dinner under a moonlit sky characterized by a strong breeze blowing on our faces while cooling our soup fast. Haha talk about irony. We conversed until we were full until it’s time to retire for the night.

It’s truly amazing how the calm sea, its powerful breeze, a moonlit sky, good food, and wonderful conversation can comfort, relax, and refresh us on a weekend. No stress. No pressure.

Sunday afternoon with Yoli was the best yet so far.

There's something about Daisy

How delightful! My friends are getting younger haha. That’s what one gets when one enrolls in law school. One particular young friend of mine is Daisy. Daisy is the quiet type who scores high. She reads and punishes herself to read more to prepare for an exam. I wished I had that dogged determination. I call her topnotcher because she oftentimes scores highest during exams.

Of course, she is the product of great genes. Her parents are both actively engaged in the legal profession.

I will be missing Daisy. In the landscape of our lives, the stars will always align to enable us to meet new people to stretch us and expand us. Friendship is one sure way of expanding our lives. Never ever doubt for a moment that the friendships you build will go unrewarded. For friendship itself is the best reward.

Daisy Girl, fret not, the stars will always align for both of us. 

Sunday at the mall

Sunday at the mall, I met an old acquaintance.

She approached me and asked about the condition of an old friend. We got to talking. Then she shared about her intent to leave her job after twenty long years. She wanted to rest. I said, go. Execute that plan. You've worked hard and long, you deserve to lie low for a while. She naturally had apprehensions most especially that her well-meaning friends encouraged her to wait out for another five years or so. She explained that she's not keen on anchoring her decision on money. I said, right. I support your decision to rest.

Why am I supportive? Because she has thought well and hard about it. She has prepared for it.

Leaving a well-paying job entails a radical life change. These adjustments are part and parcel of the package. Bring the entire family into the plan so they will understand the upcoming changes and be ready to adjust, as well.

Everybody deserves a break. She has worked for twenty years. Surely, her well-deserved break is not so hard to grant.

She can do consultancy on the side so she won't get bored. She can do mentoring. There are a lot of things she can do given her experience, caliber, and professional track record.

Like I always say, everyone will approach a life phase. It is disconcerting, unnerving and scary. However, if the ultimate reason is health, we should totally support. After all, health is the greatest wealth. 

Lady, I support you. Go enter that new life phase. Make God your banner.

Food for thought:

They're different kinds of challenges depending upon what phase of life I'm in. - Alanis Morissette

Do it now! can affect every phase of your life. It can help you do the things you should do but don't feel like doing. It can keep you from procrastinating when an unpleasant duty faces you. But it can also help you do those things that you want to do. It helps you seize those precious moments that, if lost, may never be retrieved. - Napoleon Hill

So you've got teenagers

Teenagers have a language all their own. It’s like their world. It’s their lingo. So as parents, how do we connect to them?

First, we speak their language. Well, we can’t learn all that fast. We will stammer around a few words but our teenagers will appreciate the effort. Allow them to educate you. And then, there’s the matter of teenage style and music. At home, I had to learn K-Pop from my two teenagers and sing along with them as they listen to their favorite tunes. How else did I know and appreciate the latest music if I didn’t hear them play the guitar or roll the drums while listening to their favorite tunes? Then there’s their fashion sense. They have their fashion icons as well. And they will laugh at ours back when we were teenagers. It is very important that parents are sensitive to their teenagers’ needs as the latter try to establish or assert their identity and individuality. Who discovered individuality anyways? Just asking.
Face it, eventually your kids will leave you. But before they do, they need to build self-confidence, self-esteem, and most importantly, their identity.

Talk to your teenagers. My teenagers and I are always talking. They love to talk and I love to listen. Most times, they want me to talk and they listen. My daughter would often say, “Mi, tell me about your young life”. They share their aspirations; fears; insecurities; angst; frustrations; anger; pain and joy with me. It’s no big deal that we talk because we really do. And boy they love to talk with a parent listening! We always make sure that meal time is chat time. That’s right: meal time is chat time.

Let’s face it, we can’t be perfect. Who’s perfect anyway? But we can work around an arrangement that suits us all. Me, I always desire for my kids to grow in experience and exposure like every parent does. So I allow them to travel as often as possible. Last summer, Shiloh Ruthie flew to Iloilo City by her lonesome. Her summers were regularly spent in Bohol when father was still alive but with father gone, it seemed that her interest to spend summers in Bohol has waned. But who knows? She may just study in Tagbilaran City when she enters college next year. That will be the day. In fact, my late father wrote a column about Shiloh’s summer visits in Bohol in The Sunday Post when father was still alive. Shiloh and I read that. It was very touching and poignant. We will never know how much our parents or grandparents appreciate our visits and acts of kindness until we read them written in words.

Last July, Hezekiah Kit took land, air, and sea transports just to reach Bohol. What a trip! He was physically drained and stressed by the time he reached our residence in Tagbilaran City, but I think the experience was worth it. Imagine his route: Gen. Santos City to Davao City by bus; Davao City-Cebu City by plane; Cebu City to Tubigon, Bohol by boat and then Tubigon wharf to our Tagbilaran City residence by private vehicle. And he did all of these in just one day whew! Super kid huh! I can imagine the stress.

As parents, there are plenty of occasions that we need to set our foot down. During these trying moments, we must, without hesitation. No exceptions. Like using the internet and watching TV. Teenagers nowadays don’t read anymore. They don’t know what they’re missing. Reading aids comprehension and increases vocabulary. Look at the way they text? It’s upsetting. They deliberately misspell and then they get confused about the right spelling.

Teenagers have different needs and parents must rise up to the challenge. What’s important is teenagers have an avenue where they can totally express themselves and feel totally accepted and understood. That’s the main function of the home – a safety net for teenagers to express themselves.

It’s not easy being a teenager. But it’s not easy being a parent either. Like they say, there’s no college course or higher study for Parenting 101. Parenting is practical wisdom, possessing a big heart, sustaining unconditional love, practicing total acceptance, extending full support, engaging in lengthy conversations and constant disciplining rolled into one. Sometimes we miss; sometimes we score. It’s a continuing learning process. Just don’t give up being a parent. Talk to other parents and be strengthened in the process. Do not abnegate your role and participation in raising your teenagers. They are looking at you for guidance, direction and discipline. They may not say it but it’s wired in their system that guidance, direction and discipline come from parents. So discipline and correct with gentleness. Be firm but not harsh. Parents have a tendency to be harsh when correcting. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Most parents do. I have a tendency to be harsh myself. Well, when we do, let us just speak to our teenagers when heads are cooler and discuss the issue at hand. Ventilate, ventilate, ventilate. Talk, talk, talk. Parenting is a great responsibility and challenge. When I say challenge, I mean all including feeding, clothing, educating, sustaining their needs, teaching and molding, and allowing them to grow at the same time. Raising them well is a parent’s greatest reward.

It’s not honeymoon all the time. There will be bad times but at the end of the day when they express how much they love you in many subtle ways including verbalizing their thoughts and feelings; and show you how much respect they have for you and what you speak of, then you can pat yourself on the shoulder and say, “My cup runneth over”.

 Food for thought: "No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure." - Emma Goldman

A million little things

I went to visit a friend yesterday afternoon after dropping off my son in the university. Well, I lingered a bit in the faculty room of my son’s college department and engaged two professors in animated conversation. The talk centered on the power industry. Haha I’m really a power industry girl. It’s an easy topic to discuss.

When I left, I drove to a friend’s house. I haven’t seen this friend since I left for Iloilo City several months back.

It was a wonderful opportunity to engage in good conversation. Well, I had coffee and eventually dinner. Haha at the rate I’m eating these days, I’m really going to add weight. Anyways, she prepared Panga. Wow it was tasty and I finally felt that I’m back in Gen. Santos City with its flavorful Panga!

It happens that my friend grows plants so I took the chance to ask for some branches and other rooted plants since Ate Teody has the green thumb. Since I returned from Iloilo City, my garden has been truly greened and plants are robust. Not only that, Ate Teody grew vegetables. Really cool.

Betty’s son Ian was just discharged from the hospital for dengue. Last Friday when I communicated with her first, she was in the hospital because Ian was confined for dengue. I wasn’t able to visit him that weekend on account of my son’s university activities. So yesterday, I made sure to visit them. Ian is doing better. Platelet has improved. Thank God. But funny thing what Betty said: “Day, sayang tapos na transfusion when I learned last Friday that you are Type A (blood type). You could have donated blood.” I said, yes I could have. But is that possible? I may donate blood today; then need it the following day. That will be ironic. She said, “Well there are qualifying factors. Women menstruate, so that will be considered including age, status of health, tattoo marks, others.” Anyways, she finally said: “Ian could have had your blood and you two become connected (for life) and then, he will grow more intelligent.” Haha so that’s the bottom line. We both laughed and said, “Yes”. Mothers.

But seriously, is there a study or research that can prove that donated or transfused blood can stimulate brain activity? Calling scientists. Is there research to back up our theory?

Anyways, I left Betty’s house quite full: physically, emotionally and mentally. It’s really good to visit close friends and talk. As it happens, I knew Betty for fifteen years. She was still single then. Her kids are still young while mine are already teenagers but our friendship has grown through the years. We have seen the changing fortunes of time, so to speak. I like that. Changing fortunes of time. So Desiderata.

Betty and I have a long way to go… until old age haha.

You’re the best Betty. You always have been.

Food for thought: Friendship isn’t a big thing – it’s a million little things.

One fine day

This is my first article for “The Greater”, the official bulletin of the Rotary Club of Greater General Santos.
I have thought of many column titles last week before settling on “One fine day”. Let me share some of my choices: “Get naked” to evoke naughtiness haha. Well, just to attract attention. “Where you belong” but it sounds so “GMA”. “Love language” but it’s too mushy for comfort. “Saffron Skies” which is my blog site – I could use that and “Saffron Skies” could become a by-word effectively generating memory recall. Hmmm not bad. I even thought of using “Bridges”, my column title in The Mindanao Bulletin. Ah choices, choices.
The pressure to produce a good column title is on me. Eventually, I think “One fine day” is perfect because it resonates with positivism, hope, and even a glimmer of romance. Oh, oh there goes my romantic side again. Blame it on my genes haha most especially my father’s genes. But what’s wrong with being romantic? Romance is beautiful. It ushers in wonderful feelings. I love romance. I may be jaded at times, but not too jaded to hate it huh!

Well, perhaps we can write an article about romance come Valentine’s Day, but right now, let’s touch on friendship. After all, I see that beautiful friendships germinate inside the club. So, here’s to friendship and more!

P.S. This is only the introduction of my new column in The Rotary. (",)

A beautiful house

I was in this beautiful house this Saturday afternoon.
It reminded me of Bohol. There’s a certain mystic atmosphere that makes me feel like home.
It’s really true that houses evoke different feelings in a guest. We respond to a house.

The antique furniture and fixture and colorful cutlery brought me back to my childhood days in my home province.

Ahh the house architecture was resort-inspired, the owner volunteered. Totally! It was characterized by lots and lots of open spaces, huge doors, wide and vast windows. Perfect! I love huge windows. They have a certain appeal to my senses. They add to the character of the house.

I think windows will tell the world whether you are an open person or not. With windows, one can easily see who is outside from inside the house; and one can be readily seen from the outside.

And then it rained.
What a perfect setting.
I was in this beautiful house and it had to rain.
I used to say, I love it when it rains… as long as I don’t get wet.
This afternoon I said, it had to rain... when I’m inside this beautiful house.
Perfect setting for a perfect story.

P.S. The photos I used are inspired by what I saw. This is not the real thing. (",)

All about inspiration

My Public Speaking lecture on October 4 and 5 was truly an inspiring experience. The response of my forty two (42) police officer-participants was most heartening and when it was time for them to deliver their individual speeches, I was inspired.
It was inspiring because I saw them worked on delivering their speeches using the essentials of public speaking that I taught them. Isn’t that the greatest fulfillment of a mentor? It simply is.
This week, I will return to the institution to handle Leadership for the same participants. I’m looking forward to another fruitful experience with the group.
o O o
On October 13th, I will try to inspire senior Information Technology (IT) students of the Notre Dame of Dadiangas University (NDDU), this city who are about to finish their On-the-Job-Training (OJT) exposure. The theme of the gathering is “Convergence: A challenge to Information Technology enthusiasts in the academe and industry”.
We are constantly faced with the challenge of inspiring. We have to rise up to the challenge.
o O o
In most cases, I would say inspiration usually comes from people: people of all shapes and sizes; beliefs and convictions.
They come at unexpected moments when we least expect them. Of course God uses people to inspire other people. It’s always by divine appointment and divine providence.
It also depends on us. Like me, I always desire to inspire others most especially when I do lectures and speak before an audience. It gives me pleasure to be able to inspire my participants.
o O o

I returned to Gen. Santos City in April, this year, after a short professional journey in the Visayas. In June this year, I decided to return to school. The motivation was to help me cope with my father’s loss. I am the type who copes badly when I lose a parent. I only enrolled in one subject. Being in school is a coping mechanism and enrolling in several subjects would unnecessarily stress me.
True enough, school gave me something to think about. It also afforded me the opportunity to build new friendships and more importantly to revisit the lessons I learned in the past, and learn new ones.
One of the requirements to fully pass the subject is to organize a Seminar. So on October 9th, our Thursday class in tandem with the Saturday class organized the “Public Service is a Public Trust” Seminar with Atty. Marilou B. Unabia of the Office of the Ombudsman-Davao as speaker.

It is true: education should not be confined within the four corners or four walls of the classroom. It is incumbent upon teachers to inspire and motivate students by employing teaching approaches and methodologies that are unique, creative and fun.
It may be tough at times but that’s the only way to do it. Hey, we don’t want to bore our students to death, right? Or employ outdated teaching approaches that have seen better days. Our students deserve only the best from us. It’s the only way to go.
o O o
The semester break is here. Thank God. Parents can now relax with expenses most especially on their college students.
I don’t know about you but having a college student is really heavy on the pockets of parents.
The break will enable the parents to relax a bit on the required weekly allowances and channel the same to other home needs.
I look forward to my son Hezekiah Kit’s vacation at home for the duration of the semester break.
Thank God for breaks.
o O o

Friends are a true source of inspiration. Last week, these ladies have been an excellent source of inspiration and I would like to thank them individually: Jennifer Felisilda who is now based in Cebu City by virtue of work; Jet Reyes of PNB-Santiago; Ruth Fernandez of BDO-Pendatun (but I like to call it BDO-Sydney), and Maricris (Cris) Cabalhin of Metro Manila. Thank you ladies. Your presence in my life is refreshing and soothing.
Incidentally during my Visayas journey, Jennifer Felisilda provided me company during her breaks from her Call Center job. We had plenty of bonding moments, most especially when I had bouts of loneliness being away from my kids and hubby. She was a great source of comfort when I was alone and lonely in Cebu City. She is so much younger than me but she is mature in many ways.
Maricris is a wonderful woman in many ways. We used to work together in the last power company I served. We worked together for only a short time but we became closer when we both left the company. Thanks Cris. Like I always say, you are the greatest!
Ms. Ruth, Ahh, a beautiful woman inside-out whom I got to know through Marsha. Very attuned to her humanity; grounded on the basics, and carinosa. Who wouldn’t love a woman like Ruth?
Jet, she is the older sister I don’t have. Okay, okay she is going to wring my neck for saying that. She is only one year older than me, for all intents and purposes, but you know I am the oldest sister in the family, so it is really comforting to be treated like a younger sister. Get it? She is a lovely petite beauty.

And of course, my prayer “power” partner Catherine Pedregosa Velasco. Cathy is my constant source of prayer back-up for three years now. Thanks Cathy. I am so grateful that our paths crossed.
Like I always said, life’s surprises come in either tall or thin packages called people.

Food for thought: If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself alone. A man should keep his friendships in constant repair. > Samuel Johnson

All about Desiderata

Last night, I revisited “Desiderata”. I remember having memorized this poem when I was in high school. We were required to recite it from memory. Since then, the poem has really stayed with me. In the course of my professional life, I have come across it posted on the wall of offices, or standing by a corner framed. It only goes to show that like me, it has inspired so many other individuals.
May I invite you then to revisit the poem stanza by stanza with me? Maybe we can get inspired again by this classic.
1st Stanza: “Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.”
What does the line invoke? It invokes a chaotic, stressful world that we have to contend with every single day while we are alive. Then we are reminded that to obtain peace in the midst of the chaos and stress, we can try solitude.
2nd stanza: “As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit.”
Simply understood, it talks about tact and diplomacy; compassion and empathy. It also warns us to choose our company wisely.
3rd stanza: “If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.”
I love this stanza. It is very straightforward, direct and totally endearing. Comparison will really bring us nowhere. It can lead to jealousy and bitterness especially in people who keep their insecurities and inadequacies hidden very well. Some people will always be greater than us. It’s a fact of life. We had better accept that right here and now.
It says enjoy your achievements but keep your feet planted on the ground. It is true: humility is a real possession both in good times and bad. You become rich, you stay humble; you go through some tough time; you stay humble. It’s a winner.
4th stanza: “Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.”
The heart of this stanza is simply: Be yourself. Do not pretend. Do not play a role. Be real. But at the same time, be discerning and intuitive in your professional and personal dealings.
It also reminds us that the world is full of big and little heroes. We can derive inspiration from them.
5th stanza: “Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.”
Now this stanza is totally a lesson for all of us to learn. For after all, don’t we all turn cynical when in a love relationship we get hurt? We get jaded; callous; and cynical. We say romance is overrated and stuff like that.
Desiderata tells us that love is as perennial as the grass. What a beautiful analogy.
6th stanza: “Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.”
Wisdom. This stanza talks about wisdom that we obtain as we sail on in our life journeys. When we have transitioned from youth to adulthood, we would also have developed mental and emotional toughness and strength of character.
It counsels us not to focus on the negative things in life.

7th stanza: “Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.”
This is the stanza that I love the most. “Be gentle with yourself.” A very gentle reminder that we should always take care of ourselves; that we do not neglect ourselves and take “us” for granted; not to be too harsh on ourselves. We ought to be the very first people to love ourselves so we are able to love others.
And since God created you, you have the right to be here. And because you are here, you are witness to the many wondrous things that God has caused the universe to unfold for everyone.
8th stanza: “Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.”
The stanza best explains it. It is crystal clear. Whatever we go through in life, we know whom to anchor. Do you know whom to anchor?
9th stanza: “With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”
Yes, with life’s unfairness and broken dreams – don’t we all experience that? it is still a beautiful world. We may not see the beauty at times, but it truly is. So we must keep the cheerful disposition and strive to be happy.

Thank you Max Ehrmann for composing Desiderata. The author is a poet and lawyer from Terre Haute, Indiana, who lived from 1872 to 1945. It has been reported that Desiderata was inspired by an urge that Ehrmann wrote about in his diary.

Kindred souls

With high school friends

Is your life filled with kindred spirits? Do you appreciate kindred souls? If your answer to both questions is “yes”, then you are one fortunate human being because with kindred souls, you can never go wrong. Haha I bet you were imagining a fairy tale complete with fairies.
I asked my college best friend Catherine Carmela Consing Taylor who is now based in Canada and who happens to be a very generous Ninang to my son Hezekiah Kit for a possible topic to explore in my column. I requested that the suggestion be light because my head can’t crack heavy stuff at this moment in time. Her reply: “Hmmm...How about importance of good girlfriends? How there are girlfriends who might be far away but still a kindred spirit? Something to do with girlfriends, what do you think?”

And I like it! So let’s attempt to explore the concept of women friends; women bonding; women sharing; women moments and related stuff about women.
Why indeed is girl friendship so essential to women? We can cite several reasons: to feel strengthened; understood and validated; and supported; to be oneself sans inhibitions; to be totally crazy with and not judged or mocked; to have fun; to feel wholly a woman, ad infinitum.
Like for instance my best friend Carmela. We became friends way back in college. I was maid of honor at her wedding in Dumaguete City. Ah Dumaguete. It brings back wonderful memories and Carmela certainly knew about it. Remember those places in your life when you had fun and light moments that stick for a lifetime? I had those moments in Dumaguete and I always smile whenever I remember them. In fact, Kenny G’s Silhouette and Billy Ocean’s The Colour of Love were the songs that captured those moments.

But back to kindred souls, before the onset of modern technology and the internet phenomenon, we kept our relationships with our girlfriends from afar through letters and long distance telephone calls. If they are based elsewhere in the country and our work provides us opportunity to travel, we make sure to visit them and spend time with them. But the most inspired thing is when we share the same city. Then we can set the outings, gigs, bonding and girl talks.
There is always solidarity between or amongst women. But the thing is we must invest time to nurture it. Some women take it for granted that their closest friends are there for them, come hell or high waters. But hey, they are “feeling” beings, too. They also need a call, a text or a girl date to refresh the relationship from time to time. Even computer screens require refreshing huh! And computers can’t even feel. It is not even high-maintenance friendship. Connection could be a peek on how she is doing, a chat over decaf coffee, or simply spending time together, not a tall order, if you ask me.

Since women are emotional beings, they find deep satisfaction from a good talk. For most women, talking is simply therapy. It is inexpensive and yet, very rewarding. As learned people would often say, “Never, underestimate the power of a good talk”. It is cathartic.
I love this line from a book I read a couple of years ago: As a woman, you play different roles. You are a wife; mother; sister; daughter; friend. But lest you forget it, you are a woman, first and foremost. You have needs to be met. You should not neglect that part of your persona. And may I add, if you focus on the rest of your roles but forget the most essential which is the soul of your being, you will falter, because by meeting the essential requirements of your woman nature, you will come out filled and all set to tackle the other roles attached to being a woman.

At home with work friends

Going back to kindred spirits which provide women a sense of balance and solidarity especially during challenging times, when a woman’s girlfriend is going through a tough time in her life – in all areas like not passing the board exam for instance, losing a boyfriend or finding out the husband has a fling or worse paramour, it is so much easier to confide in a friend than a sibling or family. Wonder why.

Disclosure is a breeze when done with a non-relative. Of course, we do not diminish the value of family. Families have their moral ascendancy over the order of things but kindred souls are like an extension of family and yet, there is no felt tension; no implicit or expressed expectations; no ‘hey, watch what you’re saying young lady’ apprehension with them. No guilt trip, plain and simple. They are family and yet they are not.
So what are they? They are simply, heavenly, amazingly called girlfriends – kindred souls, and life is so much better with them around.

Food for thought: This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to complete your life.
-- Author Unknown