Tranquility amidst the storm

Tranquillity*
Originally uploaded by imapix.

Ni hao! Life has been so crazy the past two weeks. Too many things seemed to happen at the same time. Good and bad. There was Milenyo's grand albeit unwelcome visit which turned out to be real eye-opener for most of us. Then there was the AIDS convention in Davao City which I got so busy with the past month.


By God's amazing grace, the convention (especially the UN part) went well and I will share some insights another time. I got high with the successful launching of UNICEF's Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS campaign Friday. Hats off to the Davao City AIDS Council for their active involvement in raising public awareness on the HIV and AIDS pandemic. Dr. Nick Alipui, UNICEF's country representative (our boss), who flew in for the convention was pleased and it made everyone in the HIV/AIDS programme team breathe with relief.

I started Saturday on a high note though so tired physically from all the preparations. Middle of the day, my husband texted that one of my friends from GMA7, Dan Campilan, died of car accident. Dan and I covered Edsa II together (he was still with RPN 9 and I was with Inquirer). Later on, as GMA 7 reporter, he would cover Bro. Eddie and so we would have long chats. May this year, I invited him to visit Santa Ana, Cagayan, where the husband of my friend P is mayor. Dan enjoyed the trip so much that he and his crew extended their stay. He said he just loved the place and thanked me no end. But my friend and her husband were more grateful -- Santa Ana got featured in GMA 7 at least four times -- no mean feat for a small town.

I felt sad upon hearing Dan's passing on. He was one of the few reporters who remained grounded despite their perceived "fame." Because we were both Cebuanos, we naturally clicked right away. Moreso when we found out we had common friends and we used to attend the same church.

Dan was the third friend in media who passed on to the next world. September 2004, my daughter's ninong -- Boyet Aravilla (of Philippine Star), succumbed to cardiac arrest. Boyet was such a dear. Two months ago, it was Hazel Recheta. And now Dan. Sad, really sad.

Then another gush came Saturday evening, this time in our home. My husband told me Ben (our son) has Primary Koch's Infection. He has been complaining of backpains so we had him x-rayed. And we are not yet done with our daughter Star's bleeding problem.

Far away from my kids, some of my colleagues tried to comfort me. One said it's alright to tell my kids that I worried about their health. Another told me to go through healing session for the whole family. Thank God for friends and colleagues. How doubly difficult life would be without them!

We've gone through so many storms in life. Ben is one living proof of how we survived a tough one. (Read the Birthing of Ben). I still get worried at times, but only for a moment. So many times I have said how I've seen God's faithfulness up close and personal. If God made Ben survive cardiac arrest and woke him up from coma, then there's no reason why He can't heal Ben from his infection or Star from her nosebleeding.

I believe the literal storm in Milenyo, and the proverbial storms of different forms, carry messages from Above. They hit us where we are most vulnerable. And so, it opens our eyes to our weaknesses. When we realize that (what our weaknesses are), then we are able to decide -- to do or not to do?

Storms are difficult. We get shaken. But only when we get shaken do we really get to appreciate God's role in our lives. As God said, "My power is made perfect in weakness."1 It may sound weird to some, but truly now, I learned to thank God when I go through difficulties. Because as always, after the storm is the rainbow -- the promise of a new beginnning.