For Papa With Love

Dear Papa,

The anniversary of your death was about nearly three weeks ago. I can’t believe it has been nine years already since the last time I saw you. So many things, good and bad, have happened since you left. While I miss you terribly, I know that you are still with me. I love you Papa. I know that we had a good relationship, and I know that you knew how I loved you. But I just wish that I told you more often.

I miss you so much. I wish you were here to comfort me especially after Nanay died. I am still grieving. Both of you have been taken by our good Lord to be with Him in Paradise. The last day I was with Nanay, I told her that I loved her, and I know that the last time I talked to you on the phone, I told you that I loved you, but for some reason it didn’t seem like enough, nothing seems enough. Sometimes, I cry so hard I can’t breathe, but breathing gets easier over time, I guess. But please know that everything is all right, and I’m okay. I’m sorry it took your death and Nanay’s death for me to miss you both so much. I’m sorry you’re not here. I wish both of you could be there on my big day (soon). I’m sure if you were still alive, you would give me your blessings, just like Nanay had given me hers.

I will always love you Papa, and that love will keep you alive in my heart.  You truly left your fingerprints on my life and on everyone’s lives that you touched and I will always miss you and look forward to the day when we will be together again in God’s wonderful home.

Happy Fathers’ Day! I love you Papa!

With love,

Elizabeth

 

My Multifaceted Life

I just finished watching a couple of movies – IN HER SHOES and THE NOTEBOOK. I love these films so much that I actually have watched them for like more than five times already, and I have read the books as well. Mind you, books are always better than the movies, and I think, everyone can attest to it.

In Her Shoes (Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette and Shirley MacLaine)

Based on Jennifer Weiner’s novel (of the same title), this is about two motherless grown-up sisters who had nothing in common but size-8 feet and had a history of conflict break off relations. The older sibling, Rose was smart, an accomplished and successful lawyer, but she was not as pretty as her little sister Maggie. However, Maggie was dyslexic, maybe the reason why she could not finish her studies, and so she could not get a high-paying job that would make her pay rents. As a result, she was always homeless and Rose would always be there to help her out with her needs. Until one day, the irresponsible Maggie slept with Rose’s boyfriend. Rose threw her out of the house, but they eventually reconciled with the help of a grandmother they never knew they had.

The Notebook (James Garner, Gena Rowlands, Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling)

Based on Nicholas Sparks’ novel (of the same title), this is the story about the old man who regularly visits a woman at nursing home, and constantly reads to her from a faded notebook that brings to life the story about two young couple separated by a number of reasons – social standing, intervention of other people involved, issue of acceptance, exigency of war, and “miscommunication.” But fourteen years later, they are reunited after their lives have taken different paths.

Well, talking about movies, I would like to say that my life is just like movies: unrestrained, dramatic, full of intrigue, conflicts, sensational. Such a happening life! I used to hate my life before, but I would always beam when I realize how my life is like a long narrative. I even contemplated on writing my life story someday, maybe it will be a smash hit. That is, if I’m that over despondent, I’ll sure try.

I have also realized that my life has been both simple and complicated, though I’d like to keep it simple all the time. But sometimes I envy those people who have much more interesting lives like my friends, and at times they tell me that they also envy mine (I also realized that people could always get too discontented with their lives). Sometimes, I offer them to switch our lives, theirs become mine and mine becomes theirs, but I know I never really mean it. I love my simple yet difficult life, and I always do.

I wonder how I have been keeping the simplicity in my life (yes, with all its unfussiness). Problems are never a big deal to me. Maybe at first they were, like at some points in my life, I regard them as major concerns that should be dealt with and settled before it could aggravate everything, but I learned that something happens for a good reason no matter how bad it seems. So, since it will lead to good things someday (and I know that), problems will no longer matter to me at all. I will just have to take it easy and if I cannot solve it, someone will – it is GOD! I should constantly think that it has always been like that. Even if people ditch me for no reasons, I won’t mind that, because I know God has never deserted me. He never did. God has never forsaken me in any way. That is the splendid part in my life’s astounding drama!

Miles Away From Home

Hello my love,

How are you keeping honey? I hope you are doing just fine despite my absence. I’m struggling every day to cope with this long distance thing but I manage. All I have to do is think of our good and sweet times together, look at all our pictures and think of your sweet LOVE because it makes me strong. I know that we’ll be together soon and we will never be apart again. I’m always praying to God that your love for me will remain steadfast as my love for you keep getting stronger and fonder every day. I’m so thankful to God Almighty because He has allowed our paths to cross. You are the best gift He has ever given me. I still couldn’t believe myself that I’d fall in love so easily, and that I’m already willing to give you all my life and love. I will offer you everything that I can still offer. I will love you forever, this I promise you from the bottom of my heart. I will love you till we grow older… beyond what I can promise when it’s time to give you my vows at the altar.

You’re everything to me. You mean the world to me. So even if we are miles away from each other, just remember that I’m here faithfully loving you with all my heart and soul. I will never hurt you. I will never leave you nor take you for granted. You will always be my priority. But of course, I won’t neglect my duties and responsibilities. Sometimes you were very naughty! But I appreciate every effort you made just to be with me when I was still there in Whyalla even if it means you had to miss work. I do appreciate it, but when I come back HOME, don’t ever do it again. You will also get yourself into trouble.

I love you so much and I miss you. I miss your kisses, your hugs, your cuddles, your warm embrace especially when I’m very cold. I miss your tender care. I miss our passionate moments together. I miss your coffee. I miss you cracking jokes and the way you say “Oh, no!” and “Well, hello!” I miss looking at you, just staring at you while you’re driving, or even when you’re having coffee. I miss staring at your face while you’re just talking nonstop. I miss rubbing your neck and your nape. I miss rubbing your shaved head as well. I miss touching your face when you’re all so cute! I miss everything about you. You make my life complete. There’s nothing more I could ask for. Your tender love and care is all I want and need – nothing more! So please, don’t change as I promise you I’ll stay this way for the rest of my life.

I love you. You are the love of my life. God bless you and everyone there! Take care always.

Love always,

Elizabeth xoxoxo

The Love of my Life

Honey,

I love you more than I can ever begin to tell you or I can ever begin to put into words. Words are not even enough to explain how I feel about you. From the first moment you held me in your arms, when you asked if you could hug me, I knew that with you I would be safe and be loved.

You are my world. You are the love of my life.

You mean so much more to me than I can ever begin to tell you. I don’t know what I’d do if one day you’d just suddenly fall out of love. You truly are my everything. You are the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing about before I go to sleep, and I would not want it any other way.

I promise you I will love you to the very end of time and I want to spend the rest of my life with you and to make you so very happy. I love you honey more than anything, more than life itself… This I say from the very bottom of my heart. I love you, and I always will.

Love always,

Elizabeth xoxoxo

Reverie

Yes, you are indeed beautiful… I’m absolutely mesmerized by such beautiful eyes, perfect lips… you’re the type of angel that we see in the sky without wings, and I thought, could you ever like me?  It’s wrong to get my hopes up, that one day, you could be mine, because I’m scared that there might still come a time, someone would take you away from me.

What if I just lay here, would you lie with me and just stop thinking about your world?  You probably won’t… all that I am is nothing compared to others who can give you so much love and happiness.  I want to be something, or somebody that you could love.  Or at least let me know how it feels like to be stared at by such beautiful eyes like the stars in the sky twinkling right back at me.

Will you give me that pleasure?  Because if you will, I don’t quite know what to say or how I feel… I’d surely find myself wordless of the amazing feeling that only in my dreams could ever come true.

And if ever that happens, I will look at you, at your beautiful eyes, and I hope in that time, your eyes will make me realize that you are just a reverie… an angel that I can never reach… you are, then, but just a DREAM.

Health Risks of Men

Women are simply healthier than men. Of the leading causes of death in most countries, men lead the way in the number of deaths – and on average they will die five years before their wives.

The problem lies with men’s laissez-faire attitude to their health. They do not perceive health as a priority to take preventive measures. But clearly, they need to make it one because the leading causes of death are mostly preventable.

The top health threats to men include coronary heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, other heart diseases, prostate cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bowel cancer, unknown primary site cancers, diabetes and suicide.

Small lifestyle changes can impact greatly on reducing health risk. By eating healthily, exercising regularly, not smoking, drinking in moderation and maintaining a healthy weight, these health threats can be reduced. Having regular check-ups with a physician is the first step toward better health for men. Know the state of your health and what threats you are predisposed to. The following regular tests are recommended and can identify these health risks. These tests include:

* Cholesterol – should be checked every five years from the age of 45

* Blood pressure – should be checked every two years

* Blood glucose tests – should be checked every three years from the age of 55 (or earlier at 45 years if risk factors are prevalent)

* Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) – for bowel cancer screening should be done every two years from the age of 50.

So make health a priority. Know if you are at risk and manage that health threat by making some changes in your lifestyle. Start by making an appointment with your GP today.

On Plant Sterols

Plant sterols have been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels, depending on how much you eat. They block the ability of the body to absorb cholesterol back into the body and as such it passes harmlessly out of your system. Plant sterols can lower total cholesterol by an average of 10 percent. You can get plant sterols from the foods such as nuts, seeds and legumes, bread and cereals, fruit and vegetables (but in small amounts). If you have high cholesterol and need to lower it you will find it very difficult to get enough in by these foods alone. In order to have a cholesterol lowering effect you will need 2 to 3 grams of plant sterols per day. This means 2 to 3 serves of plant sterol enriched foods per day, and these are now available in many supermarkets.

One serve of plant sterol enriched food is equivalent to:

* 2 teaspoons of plant sterol enriched margarine spread

* 1 cup of plant sterol enriched breakfast cereal or 2 breakfast biscuits

* 1 cup of plant sterol enriched milk

* 1 200-grams tub of plant sterol enriched yoghurt

Nuts Can Prevent Cardiovascular Diseases

With cardiovascular disease the leading cause of death particularly for older men and women after menopause, eating nuts may provide some protection against CVD. Nuts contain healthy unsaturated fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and these can help lower blood LDL cholesterol, and nuts provide essential Omega-3 fatty acids and according to a growing body of evidence, are key to weight management. A range of studies has found that those who enjoy a handful of nuts daily significantly lower their risk of heart disease and lower their cholesterol.

Tips to Reduce Your Bad Cholesterol

1. Decrease your saturated fat intake. Saturated fat is the fat found in animal products and also palm oil and coconut oil. This means decrease foods such as cheeses, cream, salami and other high fat processed meats, some higher fat take away foods, snack foods such as chips and commercially prepared biscuits, cakes and pastries. Home baking means that you can control the amount and type of oil/fat that you put into foods. Reduce cooking with butter, lard or cooking margarine and other solid frying oils.

2. Buy only lean meats and remove the skin from chicken.

3. Include moderate amounts of mono- and poly-unsaturated fats such as those found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, avocado and olives. Replace saturated fats with these vegetable based fats to decrease cholesterol.

4. Choose reduced or low-fat dairy products.

5. Eat whole grain breads and cereals, vegetables, fruit and legumes (dried peas, beans and lentils).

6. Eat 2 to 3 fish meals per week. This provides Omega-3 oils which can be useful for lowering triglycerides.

7. Drink less alcohol and eat less sugary foods and drinks. This can assist lower triglyceride levels.

8. Keep active. This is an important part of keeping cholesterol levels healthy as it can increase HDL, the good cholesterol.

9. Watch your intake of cholesterol-containing foods such as liver, kidney, brain, egg yolk, seafood and regular fat dairy products.

10. Eat foods containing plant sterols such as nuts, seeds, legumes; bread and cereals, fruit and vegetables. Plant sterols can lower total cholesterol by 10 per cent but you will need two to three serves of plant sterol enriched foods per day.

Confronting Mental Illness

Mental illness is often mentioned, but it is rarely confronted. When an arm is paralyzed, we feel sorry for the victim and we help him get well. But when it is the nerve in the brain that is paralyzed, we feel indifferent and we avoid them as much as possible, like they are hideous, full of disgust and plagues.

There is more truth to this in the issue of depression. Most people believe that depression is a character defect or a moral problem despite scientific evidence saying it is a legitimate disease that needs to be treated. But people who are suffering from depression refuse to confront the problem, and this refusal reaches an extreme when the issue becomes suicide. Having a family member who has attempted or completed a suicide is viewed as a disgrace or as a form of immorality. The one who died is seen as a coward, while the ones left behind are perceived as uncaring. This predominant attitude misses the point that there is a clinical component to the problem, and experiencing depression and entertaining thoughts of suicide may not necessarily be the patient’s or his or her family’s fault.

This negative and generally ill-informed view of depression extends to the practice of psychiatry – people think that the only time to see a psychiatrist is when one is insane. Psychiatrists are always being related to mental illness, when they are there not just to treat mental illness but to ensure mental health. One needs not be mentally ill to see them. Mental health is an important component of the general health of the people so therefore it has to be protected the way the heart, the brain, the bones, and other parts of the body are protected.