Mrs. Brightside

My husband (maybe even my father) would label me as a hypochondriac, taking after my mother. I can’t blame them. I can be a worry wart when it comes to health issues.  Then I got married and motherhood happened. Now I have to worry not just about my health but the health of 2 other people (3 pa if you include ate).  This year has been tough for our family, health-wise. The husband was hospitalized for the first time since he was a kid and needed blood transfusion. My son’s cough and colds have been on and off for a number of months now. Pedia suspects asthma and allergic rhinitis. These health issues have been really stressful for me.  Then I started having my own health concerns last week. I had my breast and transv ultrasounds earlier. Many lumps were found in my breasts and one cyst was seen in my left ovary. Results say they’re most probably benign but should be monitored. Of course they shook me. All these morbid thoughts are bothering me. My son’s too young. He need...

Last month, I had merienda with a friend whom I have not seen since her family migrated to the US 22 years ago. The little boy and his dad stayed in a restaurant, consuming lots of pizza.  After my merienda, we walked around the mall. The little boy requested for some fries. While waiting for our order, my husband, who was carrying our backpack, checked out some shops. It was during this time that R vomitted - a lot - probably due to overeating. I must have looked really helpless with a toddler who was spewing food all over the floor. I had nothing on me, not even a hankie. My husband was nowhere in sight. I was trying to catch vomit with my hand but of course that didn’t really help. And despite all the stress I was feeling, I was most worried about R’s well being. I wanted to soothe him and make sure he was okay. I felt so bad because he kept on apologizing for making a mess and I had to reassure him that it was okay.  Admittedly, I felt lost and alone. But I had to be on to...

I love writing. And I used to write a lot. But life happens and writing becomes a luxury or sometimes, it turns into a task. I wrote poems in high school. Mostly, the romantic kind. I blogged in college, hopping from one blog to another. I had diaries. I wrote love letters and kept those that I received. But I guess time wanted me to move on from the past when Typhoon Ondoy destroyed these precious possessions. I can't recall the blogs I kept and it would be very embarrassing if they're still somewhere on the Internet and accessible to the public. I don't consider myself a good writer. I'm pretty confident with my grammar skills. But substance and content-wise, I think I'm below average. I'm not creative. I almost flunked a TV scriptwriting class because the story I created was too superficial. I've been told that I'm too wordy. Law school made writing more technical for me. My husband always says laymen won't understand the things I write. He...

I've never considered myself the sociable type. I sometimes think I am an introvert. I don't do big groups. I'm happy with having a constant friend. Don't get me wrong. I'm no snob. Although I loathe small talks, I can handle decent conversations especially if it's with a small group. A few months back, I found myself part of a group of people I don't normally associate with. Rich and famous people. I'm working with them for a business and while I sometimes dread meeting them, it's still a job and they're giving my son free tuition fees for pre-school so I don't really have much of a choice. My husband's been teasing me because when he reads our group chats, he says it's all sosyalan. Rubbing elbows with these people made me appreciate my friends from my past life. People who are jologs like me. Perhaps this is the reason why I've been more open to meeting up with old friends. That's something I don't usually do either...

2017 was a challenging year. We lost 2 loved ones. We had health issues. I vowed to write an entry if I survive 2017. And by God's grace, I did. But things have been busy and crazy so I've put off doing it, as usual. But sometimes some things happen and you just need to document them - as proof that God listens and He's always a step ahead of us. My little boy needs to go to school by June if he wants to be admitted to a big school when he turns 5, the starting age mandated by DepEd for K-12. He's been attending a weekly hour-long class since 2017. And he's a bit familiar and comfortable with the teachers now. That school should be number 1 on our list of pre-schools for him. But I just find the fees too expensive. Should we really be spending Php100k+ for a program that's not even required by law? There are other equally expensive alternatives. Or other options that may not be as expensive but have some downsides to them. I've been wracking my brain resea...