I'm 31 and... more!

Hello, Blog! Hello, World! :)

After everything that's happened in the world-- political and religious unrest in some parts of the Middle East, the earthquake in New Zealand, the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, etc.-- I feel that all my concerns and issues in life are trivial and some even meaningless. It has become very difficult for me to write about anything especially as my thoughts keep going back to the victims of these natural and man-made disasters. Praying for them and hoping for the best seem to not be enough, but what can I really do, right? Donating seems to be the next best thing to do on my level. And, I'm glad that there are many organizations that have made that easier to do. Even our telecom companies make it easier for everyone to at least be of help. It's "simply amazing" how they all contribute in "making great things possible!"

So, anyway, what have I been up to? Well, it's almost the end of the semester, so, as always, I have been up to my neck in work! I need to finish everything by the 25th so I can relax by the 26th and welcome a great change that's about to happen in my life come March 27th. I don't want to write about that yet as I'm still having mixed emotions about it and I think that deserves one whole entry. Hehehe:) (Of course, those who know me personally already know what I'm talking about!)

Aside from the papers I need to check and grades I need to compute, I also need to arrange my room as it's in total disarray after some renovations! I am in desperate need of helpers at the moment, really! But then again, I work better alone. I don't really like other people touching my things. So, I'll have to settle for myself and myself alone! I can do this, I can do this, I can do this! That has been a very helpful mantra for me the past days. Grabe lang!

Today, I am welcoming my 31st year in this world and I'd like to thank every single person who has been a part of my life and a part of who and what I am! I thank God, too, that I have reached this far. I mean, we never really know until when we'll live. And, on this very day, I give homage to my Creator by promising to really give my best in everything that I do and be a good Muslim so I could glorify His Name. I want to dedicate everything I do to Him. This resolution makes me feel happy and peaceful. So, I do hope that I can stick to it.

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My Tribute to Inakulay

Many sad things have also taken place that affected me and the whole family. Our great matriarch, our grandmother, passed away in February. She was more than a hundred years old so it's good to know that she had lived a full life. She was always full of love to give so that in her last years, so many people showered her with love and care the way she did everyone when she was younger and much stronger. She was such an inspiration to everyone. She brought education as we know it to the Meranao women, being the first Meranao woman to ever complete and earn a degree. It was through her that the Meranaos of the olden days realized that Western education is not bad for women. For most part of her active life, she was a teacher! She taught and inspired so many people. If only for that, I think she really deserves a special place in the history of the Meranao people.

I have always taken pride in being her granddaughter and namesake, but what we learned about her and what we saw during her wake-- the many, many lives that she had touched, both Muslim and non-Muslim, the love that people of different races and from different walks of life had for her-- made me more proud if that were even possible. According to stories about her, she was the first Meranao woman to drive a car, to play the piano, to wear Western clothes and make-up, to really use silverware at home, etc. She was "girl power" personified if you ask me!

I'm glad that I was given a chance to pay tribute to her when I did my undergraduate thesis and I dedicated it to her and I remember how she smiled proudly when I showed her a copy of my thesis with a whole page dedicated only to her. That, of course, is not enough. The real tribute that I think she deserves is for me to do my best to follow her great example and be the best in whatever I do. To continue what she has started and keep working on and for that. To live up to the name she gave me. That is the greatest tribute I can give her.