If there is one thing very positive about Facebook, it keeps us connected to people we have met in the past.

As a teacher, Facebook made it easier for me to “keep track” of my former students. One way or another I know what they are up to, what keeps them busy or what they feel and what their opinions are in some relevant social issues.

I can stand back and observe, put a word or two when asked, applaud (albeit virtually) when they accomplish something big or small and feel proud that I have been a part of their lives.

I may not be able to physically tap their backs for a job well done nor be there to see the boss compressor at guitar center that they recently bought nor even laugh (or cry!) with them, I know that they all have a space in my heart, whether I  still remember their names (those I do not have contact with anymore) or not.

I just hope I have a big enough heart for all of them. I am also glad that we are still “under each others’ radar” even if it is only through virtual connection.

I posted this question in FB the other day:

How do we tell our kids that everything is ok if they are disappointed, their expectations not met and their hearts and spirits broken?

How?

This school-year has started out smoothly with the kids but we experienced a few bumps along the way. One has set us back big time and the other was tolerable. Looking back to my daily “Grateful today…” posts in Facebook (I think I should do this in this blog), I realize that we have more blessings than non-blessings or challenges. And for that alone, I am truly grateful.

We all make mistakes. Our children make mistakes and we, as parents should be there to guide them and not castigate and wait for the explanation why these mistakes happened. We may know the reasons or we may not know at all but the important thing would be to help them learn from these mistakes.

Our children will encounter hurts, pains, broken hearts and wounded spirits but what counts most is that we are there to help them grow stronger, learn from these things and guide them look for their own place under the sun and become better persons. Disappointments and mistakes will set us back and in doing so, we see the bigger picture from another angle and know that we still could do better.

We may know what should be and what is right for them but in the end, they themselves have to deal with these things and learn from these experiences. We step back and be the “wind beneath their wings” and not the puppeteer who will flap their wings for them or just have them stay in the nest, safe and sound.

Khalil Gibran wrote:

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

Here are more Life Lessons posts I wrote in the past.

Should I feel old?

A few of my former students are now in college. One is taking up culinary arts, the others are in various fields: two of them in Fine Arts, one in Multimedia Arts (I think we is gearing for a career as a ux professional), another in Film while another one just had his professional license to be a librarian.

And now our eldest daughter is bound for college.

I feel proud of them. I am.

I know how difficult it is to help shape them to be able to face what challenges that the future has in store for them. I can not say I played a big role in all of them as they were growing up, though some at least three of these wonderful kids spent almost a decade of weekly visits with me.

No, I definitely not feel old. I feel accomplished

Sometime ago, a friend discussed about “reserved slots” by house helpers for lining up at the cashier at the supermarket and also “reserved seats” during parent-teacher conferences. What she actually meant was in her sons’ school, an exclusive school built among private homes, seeing house helpers sitting on seats reserved for parents lining up to talk to their child’s advisers mean that these occupied seats are “reserved seats” for the parents. You know just in case someone else comes along and gets their slot which will make them finish up the conference late. Or, it may be that they are still at their nearby home, prepping up and the helper is there as an “advance party”.

On the other hand, another friend wrote about some families at their place who also send an “advance party” courtesy of their house helpers to sit on church pews during Christmas Eve masses to reserve the entire pew for a more comfortable church seating of the family who are still prepping to go to the said scheduled mass.

We don’t like to wait for a long time to get the chance to talk to our children’s advisers, right? we also don’t want to stand up while the mass is ongoing dressed in our finery, right?

But to send out the helpers to reserve seats for you? I don’t think that is right or even fair to them because they will be subjected to the ire of others.

Common courtesy please. And if you don’t want to be late, start early.

Dr. Albert Schweitzer said:

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”

Have you met someone or experienced a life altering change that has rekindled that inner spirit which made you look back at the dreams, the plans, the hopes and the passion for an interest or two that you once had?

Photo from my PhotoBlog: Photo Stories

For the reason that you became too busy and wrapped up “catching up with life” and unwinding life’s intricacies, that that inner fire took a back seat until it was rekindled.

Or maybe not.

For me, having too much to do with so little time, I somehow forget along the way what is that inner spirit, that inner fire that kept my hopes alive back when I wasn’t preoccupied with parenting duties, homework and projects taking care of the children, teenage issues and those occasional hormonal imbalances coupled with my students’ issues.

Deep breath…Sigh…

During my “me” time, I try to focus on what I still desire to do to live life more fully, to be healthier and to get in touch with the me that I forget amidst all the tasks I need to accomplish. Much like feeling that the days are long but the years are short, I don’t feel guilty when I see the need to be with myself.

With a bar of chocolate all for me.

Cobra Energy Drink recently concluded its 3-month campaign to search for everyday Filipino heroes. These men, through their perseverance, dedication, determination and strength go against the odds in fulfilling their commitments and the realization of their dreams.

Last August 29, 201, 3 winners were given awards for the first Cobra Pinoy Hero Awards 2012  in a culminating event held at the Crowne Plaza. From around two thousand inspiring stories gathered through interviews and submissions via social media, nine (9) finalists made it to the grand finals:

Mark “Rubberman” Cerezo of Marikina who learned to make sculptures out of trash and discarded rubber from shoemakers; 

Leonilo Beltran from Baler, Aurora, a former OFW electrician who founded Skills Caravan where fellow volunteers teach skills to out-of-school youth and jobless adults;

Ramil Junasa Jactin of Butuan City, a polio victim who conquered his disability in order to be able to teach and was lauded by Malacanang as an Outstanding Youth of the Philippines;

Mark Eden Ellaga of Antique, a driven scholar and the very first Outstanding Student of Antique Awardee.

Police Superintendent Dionisio Abude from Davao who took in troubled youth with past crimes due to poverty and made it his mission to turn them into productive citizens;

Sherwin Abanilla who hails from Zamboanga is a volunteer of the Philippine National Red Cross Emergency Response Team and dreams of becoming a great leader someday.

Benjamin Vidallon of Taguig used to be a lumpia vendor and janitor but turned his life around and now works as a Call Center Agent and Spanish Translator.

Ariel John Villares of Zamboanga, a jeepney conductor and security guard by day and a working student by night.

Ramley Chio Dangla Cruz who hails from Balut, Tondo and works as a med rep but is also a volunteer firefighter/medic.

The three grand winners were Mark Cerezo, Leonilo Beltran and Police Superintendent Dionisio Abude. Each of the winners received Php100,000.

During the awarding ceremony,2009  CNN Hero of the Year Efren Penaflorida was presentor and keynote speaker.

His co-presentor was Mr. Tony Meloto, founder of Gawad-Kalinga.

Major General Renato Garcia, the Executive Director of the Help Educate and Rear Orphans (HERO) Foundation was also present. The HERO Foundation, which was founded by the late President Corazon Aquino and former Chief of Staff Renato de Villa aims to provide educational stipend to the orphans of the military personnel.

Three young scholars were present to thank the HERO Foundation.

Capping the event was a “Panata” or pledge where the guests made a commitment to become Everyday Heroes. 

Rivermaya performed their hit songs that aims to inspire the youth to be better Filipinos like Bandila, Posible, Liwanag sa Dilim and their new single, Pilipinas, Kailang Ka Magigising.

“Ginawa namin ang kampanyang Cobra Mga Kwentong Tunay na Lakas dahil naniniwala kami sa Tunay na Lakas ng Pilipino. The close to 2,000 stories that we gathered from this campaign is our way at taking a step towards nation building; in order to inspire Filipinos to be everyday heroes and forward moving,” said Abe Cipriano, ABI’s Marketing Manager for Non-Alcoholic Beverages.

Added Jef Mendoza, Cobra Brand Manager, “With this tremendous response from Filipinos from Luzon to Mindanao, it was only fitting that Cobra pays tribute to these men and women who continue to inspire us to become better as a nation.  What better time to recognize the Cobra Pinoy Heroes than this, the month when we recognize our heroes of the past.”

Visit: Cobra Energy Drink Facebook page.

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Being an Everyday Hero does not mean risking one’s life or going out of your comfort zone. Being an Everyday Hero means helping others in your own little ways (or you may choose to be a big help too!). This may be in a form of helping a neighbour learn to read, or starting a greening program within your village or maybe by being a volunteer to services that will be for the greater good of people in need.

Be an Everyday Hero.