Gabriel's Diary

The scientist and the explorer wants to document his journey.

And he calls it FED: Fun, exciting, diary.

I wonder why it's not good. I am allowed to access his diary anytime but he won't elaborate with what he's written in it. "It's there in my safe, you can read it but don't ask me anything more about what I write in it." I hope he won't mind if I post it in his blog. 

Indeed he is!

Listen up adults. This is coming from my nine-year-old. 

Looks like the scientist has an exciting schedule coming up. 

We beat Dengue!

We just beat dengue once again. My son was only four when he was inflicted with this deadly viral decease and he beat it heroically. It wasn't easy to get a very picky four-year-old to eat all the time, since dengue doesn't have any cure and the only best way to combat it is to make sure the patient eats a lot and takes a lot of fluids. We tried tawa-tawa that time and I was pretty sure that was the one that helped the platelet rise. But this time, I lost most of my faith in tawa-tawa. Since day one of his very high fever, I already gave him tawa-tawa. But still, after the 3-day fever and we went for a blood test, his result showed that his platelet count dropped to 88. I was so scared and I rushed him to the hospital even though that time he said he was already feeling well. He was actually eating already and gaining his strength back. He said he was feeling all normal. But I wanted to make sure.

First day at the hospital his platelet count showed 115 so I had high hopes. We went on with tawa-tawa, cmd mineral drops, gatorade, yakult, pineapple juice, all those stuff that everyone suggested. Second day, we had a plateau. It was still 115. I was beginning to worry. And on our third day, it dropped to 102. I was crying and crying I was so scared. Then someone sent me a message telling me to try papaya leaves extract, which I did immediately.

We pounded the papaya leaf and extracted its juice, mixed some honey with it to pacify the bitterness and had my son drink the bitter but miraculous herbal medicine. Yes, indeed it was miraculous. Because the following morning, the blood test result his platelet count rose to 168, thanks be to God, the maker of everything including papaya! I am still in awe and I am writing this article to share to others who, God forbid, will undergo the same ordeal such as we have undergone. 

Gabriel vs Dengue

You made it when you were only four. You will make it again now. There is nothing that you cannot overcome. There is nothing that we cannot overcome. Together. Thank you my dear son for being such a strong warrior. Thank you for bearing the days when I, too, was sick with high fever, chilling and vomiting like you, and yet you put all of it on hold for you, just so you can take care of me and worry about me no end. I can't imagine those couple of nights when I was supposed to be taking care of you but you had to endure all of it by yourself. I praise and thank the Lord for the gift of you. In spite of the darkness of my life right now, you are the light, you keep my hope alive. I am in too much pain, I am so scared, the times are too precarious, but just looking at you reminds me so much of how much I need to fight and remain strong. I feel so blessed to have you. Thank you for being my strength. I will never be able to go through this all without you. God knew too well why he gave me you.

He is turning 9!

Called to be a Mother

I am not the wisest of all parents in the world. As much as I would like others to realize that right parenting is the most important thing this world needs, to end the war, poverty and chaos, I do not claim to know everything. I am still learning. Every day, I am learning and growing with my son. It makes my journey as a mother not just delightful but very meaningful. I guess what we parents only need first of all, is the humility to accept the fact that we do not know everything, especially when it comes to raising our children. The problem with most of us is that we think that as parents, we have the right to be correct all the time. We think that since we are the parents, we have all the privilege of being obeyed at all times, of being right at all times, of being the only one to be talking at all times. I know that because I too am tempted once in a while to think that way.

I am a parent, yes. But I am also a child of God. If you are reading this and you don't believe in the existence of someone greater than us, then you can stop reading this right away. God is a father. He, too, like me is a parent. Who else will I turn to for parenting tips but him? Who else best knows how to properly raise my son but him? And so I turn to his words for comfort when raising my son sometimes becomes challenging. I turn to him for advice in times when I am confused with what to do. I turn to him because I know he will never fail me. He called me to become a parent in the first place, didn't he?

I do not own my son. He is not my property, my possession. I am only a steward. My son was entrusted to me by the Lord so that I can teach him his ways and he too can be holy like he is called to be. It's only been 8 years since I became a mother. I still have a lifetime ahead of me to learn the ropes. But yes each day matters like it's the last. That's why I sieze it, every minute of it. And at the end of the day, I may not have done everything right, but it makes me feel right to be able to kneel down and pray with my son, read to him the bible and be assured that we are being taken care of by the best parent in the world, our God the Father.

Getting to know his friends and growing up with them

Motherhood is about getting to know my son and getting to know his friends. It warms my heart to know his friends like to hang out with him at home, sometimes they make a surprise visit and I invite them to join us for a meal. Last night we reviewed their homework together and I could see how happy my son was. I learn and I grow up with them.

Gabriel is raising funds for Child Worker No More program

One Painting Sold for KWADERNO!

Just sold one painting for P100  he can now buy his 10 pieces of notebooks to be donated to KWADERNO. He wants to sell another one of his works so he can donate more. http://notebooksforlife.blogspot.com/

His first ever short story

Now he wants to be a writer

You can be anything you want to be

You can be anything I want you to be

You can be an astronaut, 

a teacher, or maybe a captain or a pilot

You can be an artist that 

you seem you are right now

Or you can be a writer

like I am, or a priest

even if with that you raise a brow. 

You can be a hero, 

not the Power ranger kind, 

but someone with a huge heart

for a kid that nobody minds. 

You can be a teacher 

that every learner would surely love, 

Or you can be a painter 

that paints the sky above. 

You can be someone not in this crazy list 

Anywhere you go someday I know 

you will make life a bliss

God wants you "to bring joy wherever you go" 

I'm sure that's what you surely know. 

Getting the feel of the art exhibit

It was a privilege meeting Nunelucio, one of the Philippines national artists.