Serendipity
While I was sleeping
I'm here in the US right now, in the East Coast, and coming from the Philippines where the weather is a hundred degrees, I'm freezing my butt here. Every two years or so, I visit my four siblings in America, and I usually arrive around this time, April or May. Ever since I got here, I've been complaining about the nippy weather, but I guess, I should be thankful, better this than the scorching heat back home.
I had such a stressful time preparing for this trip, what with the barquillos and piaya hoarding that I needed to do, as well as 'psyching up' the babies (and yes, the hubby) so that they won't have any major "We-miss-Mom tantrums" while I'm gone. I do miss the kids. Terribly. Although I've considerably recovered from jetlag, I don't think I can ever recover from feeling this way, like I left a part of my body back home. Ah, motherhood -- mothers always get melodramatic especially when away from their kids (and suspicious when away from their husbands).
I woke up today after a relatively good night's sleep in spite of the wind howling outside which I could hear above the racket made by the ancient heater beside my bed. Yesterday was a fun day for me (mass in St. Lawrence in Weehawken, lunch at Shanghai Joe in Queens -- the siopao / dumpling with soup inside its gooey dough was fantastico, book shopping, etc.) -- it was after all, my day, Mother's Day.
And so, with yesterday's activities that sapped my 30-something body with all of its strength, I think I'll just stay at home today. And I don't think I really want to step outside in this nasty weather, what with the wind, the cold, and the rain and the fact that I'm just a hundred pounds, give and take. With my weight plus my small, feeble umbrella, I might end up somewhere in the middle of the Hudson River if I'm lucky or on top of the Empire State Building if I'm luckier (because, I could just take the elevator down and go shopping in 34th St. -- no sweat).
After my morning coffee (a prerequisite to my day, or else my friend Ms. Migraine would come a-visiting if I don't chug the brew early on), I checked my e-mails and my messenger. Apparently, while I was sleeping like a baby, my real baby, Zaki, was patiently waiting for me to log in so he could chat with me. We chatted for a few minutes and said our goodbyes. My son was ecstatic after I told him that I was able to get his Ben 10 game (little did he know that I almost killed a toenail while sweeping all of NY until I finally found one last copy in a game shop in Herald Square). I guess someone will go to bed with a huge smile on his face tonight.
And then I read the news. I was shocked and felt so depressed. What is happening to the earth? First Myanmar, with thousands dead, then China's earthquake, and the tornado that just hit Georgia, Missouri, and Oklahoma. I'm thinking, the catastrophes might all be related in some way. In fact, I'm pretty sure that these disasters are connected with each other and I don't need to be a geoscientist, seismologist, or a weatherwoman to back my statement; I just know. Mother Nature unleashing her fury because of man's apathy, neglect, and abuse.
I feel for all the families that might have been separated, for all those who've lost something and more importantly someone, for those in physical and emotional pain, for the tragedy brought about by nature's wrath -- I deeply empathize.
While I was sleeping, somebody in China, in Myanmar, or in Oklahoma was grieving. What can I do here? What can we do? Today, I'm saying a special prayer for the victims of these unfortunate disasters. And a special prayer also goes for the safety of my own family back home. Today, we should all count our blessings and be grateful. God is good. And He is always in our midst.