Sunday, September 19, 2021
The Greatest Lesson I learned from my Father
Sunday, September 12, 2021
A Moment of Healing and Memories
Where do you go when you need to unwind, relax and set free?
In Baguio City, people would go for a reason. It's a place like no other in the country. It relaxes the body, mind, and soul. It liberates from worries and fears. And it helps get revitalized and healed.
That's the highlands in the Northern Philippines. A City of Pines and Strawberries. A historically rich and vibrant city where people would go for a beautiful journey.
When we feel exhausted and need to rejuvenate, traveling to a particular destination helps us recover. It changes our mood and uplifts our spirit. Then, we feel good again and do great things again.
In Baguio City, you feel welcome. The friendliness of the people makes you stay, although you'll have to leave anyway. With momentary healing and rejuvenation, you'll be ready to face another race in a much more challenging place.
Not just for friends and lovers, but Baguio City is also for the family. A getaway for fun, learning, and appreciation of arts and culture. Baguio City's charm invites everyone to learn about their stories, heritage, and identity.
If I choose, I'd rather live in a place that balances nature and city life. Living in Baguio is like living in a mountain resort, surrounded by natural wonders for healing and relaxation.
Amidst uncertainty, when time permits to travel a long distance and return to Baguio, I would love to recreate those memories and visit the finest places it offers. The memories create a lasting impact as the place where learning and training started.
We couldn't go places as much as we wanted for now. All we can do is reminisce about the good times. And when we're set free, we can travel again endlessly.
©️ 2021 Del Cusay
Sunday, September 5, 2021
Birthday Special: Life's New Chapter
A birthday is a moment in life when we celebrate a new beginning. A fresh start that fuels our dreams and desires. A further goal to achieve and a new mission to fulfill.
September 1st has been the most anticipated date for most of us. It's when we look forward to a happier and merrier Christmas celebration. The earliest Christmas for Filipinos.
And for me, September 2nd is a celebration of life. It's when I feel grateful for reaching another year. A year that may be full of ups and downs. But, a year that's full of love and happiness.
What makes this day extra special is the presence of my family. They're always there to celebrate with me on my birthday. They've witnessed how I live my life. And they're always a source of happiness and contentment.
I'm forever grateful for the years when I felt loved. I never felt alone, but I always felt guided and directed.
This pandemic won't stop us from celebrating a new life. Because life must never stop despite threats and obstacles. We face it, and we live it. We choose to be brave, thrive, and break through barriers with toughness and fierceness.
As I continue to battle uncertainty, life has been good to me. The road may still be unclear sometimes, but I always have hope. Just carry on and move on. Wishing all the best in life and Living my most extraordinary life.
©️ 2021 Del Cusay
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Sunday, August 29, 2021
The Silent Heroes of the Pandemic
Do you believe in Superman? Does he exist? Does he have supernatural power? Today's Superman is the one who doesn't wear a cape. They don't fight a big enemy. And they don't possess physical and mental strength at all times.
Today's Superman can be defeated by an invisible enemy. They could suffer from low stamina and endurance. They could not quickly heal themselves. And worst is, they could die.
When I worked at The Medical City Iloilo, I saw the different faces of Superman. The health care workers whose mission is to save lives. Nurses, Doctors, and other healthcare personnel have shown dedication to serving those who need healing, survival, and recovery.
Today's pandemic has revealed our healthcare workers' real value and worth. They are the silent Heroes who have saved thousands and even millions of lives from Covid-19. They have made a big sacrifice to extend the lives of the sick and the dying.
But the stories we watch and hear about our silent Heroes may not be good. In some countries, we see them almost giving up, not because they are overfatigued or suffering from burnout and depression, but due to lack of support from the Government.
In the Philippines, we see the effect of the Government's negligence regarding our healthcare workers' welfare, especially the nurses who are already losing hope and morale. They are the modern-day Superman, yet they cannot even protect themselves the way they protect and care for their patients. They extend people's lives, yet they die inside from frustrations and disappointments. They are Superman, yet sometimes they couldn't rise up but fall.
I'm a nurse and will always support the call for the proper treatment and support for my fellow nurses and others in the healthcare profession. We don't need recognition, but all we need from the Government is to be just and uplift the welfare to stand still and better fight these challenging times of health crisis.
We are Superman, but we are also human. We get tired and burnout. We can be hopeless and depressed. And we are not limitless, but we can also suffer from powerlessness.
When this pandemic ends, our best salute goes to the silent Heroes who continue to serve the health and well-being of the people. Give your best gratitude and appreciation to them. That's the greatest gift that can open their hearts. Because it's when we have an open and big heart that we give and love more.
©️ 2021 Del Cusay
Sunday, August 22, 2021
Life's Toughest Fight
Is it about your fiercest opponent? Is it your unexpected defeat? Or your victorious winning?
When we're punched hard by struggles, it's easy to be defeated. It gets harder to rise up and give our best counter punch. Life's even harder to get up when we're knocked out. We lose and do not even shout out. That's the reality of life; we learn not just from our most remarkable winning but also from our worst defeats.
However, at times our toughest fight comes inherent; from within. It could be the most challenging to be defeated. It's the internal conflict. It's about our lower emotions that fight us inwardly.
Our tendencies for resentment, grudge, and rage are our worst enemies and often the hardest to fight. It could be our most challenging battle. We win some, or we lose some.
But what if our worst enemy is just ourselves. We couldn't escape our worst tendencies, conflicting personalities, and lower emotions. After all, it may be just us. How could we escape? How could we cope? How could we win the battle, our internal fight and greatest struggle.
We may lose some fights, but the toughest fight gives us the courage to keep fighting and moving, even when we're struggling and not even close to winning.
In the end, all our emotions are valid. It may not be all good, but recognizing the bad and the worst contributes to realizing our true essence of living. And we continue to live and hope for a triumphant winning.
©️ 2021 Del Cusay
Sunday, August 15, 2021
Journey from Alpha to Lambda
Would you rather be an Alpha, Beta, Delta, or Gamma?
We've come this far. From the unexpected painful beginning in early 2020 until the second half of 2021. This is not the joyous journey we've imagined. This is different from the future we've envisioned.
Back at the year-end of 2019 and the welcome of 2020, that was all fun. Who would have thought we'll all suffer a sad fate of uncertain life and future.
Yes, we've come this far, but we wanted a different journey. It's been almost two years of struggles and miseries. Like a roller coaster ride, we experience ups and downs. Like a dead-end road, we have no choice but a detour or U-turn. And like a crossroad, we're only sometimes heading straight ahead. We may occasionally be turning right, and we could be riding in the wrong direction.
Yes, we may have aspired to be an Alpha or Delta personality type. But given the title associated with a deadly unseen enemy, we may just want to be a Nada. To have nothing to worry about. To have nothing to suffer. To have no fear and no painful ending, but only meaningful suffering turned into a blessing.
©️ 2021 Del Cusay
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Sunday, August 8, 2021
Making Golden Dreams come True
Dreams do come true. When we least expect it, life surprises us with a reward for our sacrifices, perseverance, hope, and Faith.
When Hidilyn Diaz won a gold medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she greatly surprised the Filipino people. When we usually hear about the nation's not-so-good state, Hidilyn Diaz raised the bar to give us the honor of bringing the first-ever Olympic gold medal for the Philippines.
Her dedication, fighting spirit, and willpower made us all proud that Filipinos can achieve great things. We can make things happen if we believe in ourselves and have Faith.
Hidilyn Diaz did not quit. She waited over a decade to achieve her dreams for herself and the country. She may have experienced her worst setbacks and down moments but took it as a challenge to keep fighting until the end.
Hidilyn Diaz ended the longest waiting time for the Philippines to get that gold medal. It's not just ordinary gold but a symbol of our greatness. It symbolizes the most profound love for the country and reverence for the Filipino people.
Hidilyn Diaz is an inspiration to the Filipino people. We may not be fully supported from the start and may have been ridiculed for our deepest desires, but nothing could stop us from achieving our golden dreams.
So in this time of the pandemic, we may stop momentarily, but we keep the fire burnin' and make that dreams happen. It may not be our moment for now, but with perseverance and willpower, we can win until it's our time and until we can make that golden dream happen.
©️ 2021 Del Cusay
Sunday, July 25, 2021
Surviving the Pandemic: Resilience and Hope
How resilient can we be when facing tough challenges like the pandemic?
Several stories of resilience and hope inspire us daily for those facing their greatest battle. It's when people have the fighting spirit and the will to live that makes them a survivor. They survive and thrive.
To be a survivor of this pandemic isn't about social and economic status. It's not about the healthiest body and the highest intelligence. To be a survivor is about our resilience to different struggles and miseries. It's about faith and hope amidst difficulty and sorrow.
When life presents a bitter taste of suffering, then no one is spared. We all share the same fears, doubts, and uncertainties. We share daily life struggles and negative emotions.
But when shall we suffer? Until when shall we continue to fight? Until when shall we survive?
This pandemic makes us find time to ponder our life. If we have limited time to live and survive, how can we live our best life? If we die tomorrow, what are the good things we can do today?
©️ 2021 Del Cusay
Sunday, July 11, 2021
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Pandemic
Sunday, July 4, 2021
Patan Durbar Square and the Royal City
I've never seen such a magnificent old city as Patan Durbar Square, located about eight kilometers south of Kathmandu.
Patan, the old name of the present-day Lalitpur, is considered the third-largest city of Nepal after Kathmandu and Pokhara.
While the old city of Patan offers a nostalgic tour of its royal past, there's one place to visit, learn and appreciate -- the Patan Durbar Square.
I'm lucky to have visited one of the three Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu Valley, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The other two Durbar Squares are in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur, but I needed help to visit them.
But then, as I entered Patan Durbar Square, I could feel it had a rich cultural past and the most magnificent royal palace worth visiting.
It has 155 courtyards and 55 major temples significant to Hindus and Buddhists. I was able to get inside one of the main temples and had a great appreciation of architecture and the arts.
Patan is a city of fine arts. And the marvelous architectures are reminiscent of how skills are ingrained in their culture, preserved, and passed on to the next generations. Their craftsmanship is superb and brilliant as they create wood, stone, and metal carvings.
Patan has preserved its rich tradition of artistic craftsmanship from the local woodcarvers and handicraft makers. From the time of Royal King Newar, creative skills still live on.
I was fortunate to have visited Patan Durbar Square in 2013 before it was hit by a strong earthquake in April 2015. Some of the temples and structures were heavily damaged. The good thing is that it was reconstructed just like the original structure.
Patan Durbar Square is a truly unforgettable experience. Walking on the red-tiled bricks while staring at the red wall bricks was like a teleport to the old days of fine arts and excellent craftsmanship.
©️ 2021 Del Cusay
Sunday, June 27, 2021
Tranquility at the Lotus Temple
Where can we find peace in a world of noise, hatred, and wars? People would fight for their beliefs and feel superior to their religion. Country versus country, religion versus religion, people have endless fights about their ideas.
In a country of over one billion people, I've found a place where people unite to worship one God regardless of social status and religion.
The Bahaí House of Worship is popularly known as the Bahá'í Temple or Lotus Temple. It's magnificent modern architecture that the world's people have to visit and appreciate its beauty.
This architectural wonder was designed to form like a lotus flower. One can see it from the top, all sides, and even a kilometer distance. It was built to house thousands of visitors from different places in India and nationalities worldwide.
It was a great moment when I challenged myself to visit Lotus Temple in Delhi, India, sometime in December 2011. I remember the thousands of people inside the temple complex who endured the long lines to get inside the main temple. I had to follow the strict rules of patiently waiting in line and leaving the shoes barefooted inside the temple.
I had to find a good place to sit as I entered the temple. I chose to sit peacefully in the center and meditated for an hour. There was no noise but purely serenity. There were no religious objects, just the walls and interior designs. It was a calming and meditative experience as I was surrounded by people from all walks of life and different religion.
I felt good and inspired that people of opposing beliefs could come and sit together in the same place of worship. It could not be possible for other religions as they impose exclusivity to protect their faith.
At the Bahá'í Temple, everyone is a son of one God. And that all people believe in one God. That's the significance of the Bahá'į faith. It's about the oneness of humanity. No hatred, no prejudice, and no exclusive God. But only one God for all.
If every country had its Bahá'í Temple, the people, and even atheists, could have a place to visit to ponder their existence and purpose. To find meaning and contemplate the joy of living.
Bahá'í faith taught me about the realization of one God for humanity. The same God I adore and pray for wherever I am and maybe.
©️ 2021 Del Cusay
Sunday, June 20, 2021
Fathers Day Special: A Hero in our Hearts
Who's your favorite hero? You may idolize Marvel superheroes or national heroes for their bravery and supernatural powers. Since we're kids, we look up to someone with the energy to make things happen.
A hero could be seen on TV or read in a book. But, the hero we couldn't miss is there with us from the moment we were born until our grown-up years and even when we live independently to follow our path and destiny.
Our Father is a hero and deserves honor and recognition from us, his children. His endearing sacrifice made us survive and become better. We become whole and complete because he fills in with what's missing in us. He continuously provides guidance when we're down and on our way up. He believes in us and that we can always make it in life. That we can fight even if we have doubts and fears.
When we go beyond personal goals and dreams, we become selfless. And Fathers would go their way to serve beyond family to the community.
My Father has achieved his higher purpose as an elected official in public service. He served as a Town Councilor from the year 1998-2007 and from 2016 until the present. I've witnessed his performance and dedication; he has proven his toughness and resilience in dealing with battles.
There are things I may have yet to understand in the past. But today, I carry within the lessons imparted. The wisdom will always be cherished and to be shared with loved ones. It's always in my heart because a hero is immortal. He stays forever in our hearts.
Fathers are real-life heroes. They are our superheroes. They are everywhere, and they serve with selfless love and compassion. Today, we celebrate Father's Day, giving special moments of reminiscing and remembering their contributions and impact on our lives.
©️ 2021 Del Cusay
Sunday, June 13, 2021
The Desire for Freedom
We all have fears. Sometimes we fear the big things like traumas from the past. There are times we fear the unknown. We feel anxious and overwhelmed by circumstances. And that our fears will haunt us forever.
Some reasons for fears of the vaccine could be a lack of factual information and the spread of disinformation on social media. The latter is common and harms the confidence of the people.
Some would also fear the side effects or adverse reactions they heard about or watched on the news. They perceive it as realistic, so they refuse to be a victim.
I'm now fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The day before the 123rd celebration of the Philippine Independence, I got vaccinated for the 2nd dose. That was an act of courage and altruism. We protect ourselves, our families, loved ones, and our communities.
The time will come for the Covid-19 vaccine will be rolled out to everyone. We can't afford to get sick and don't deserve to die. We have to achieve herd immunity so we can regain our lives.
Life has to move on despite the challenges we all face. Life is good, no matter how worse the circumstances are. And on our desire for freedom, we have to give our greatest sacrifice. We need to show our love.
©️ 2021 Del Cusay
Sunday, May 30, 2021
Magical Night in Jaipur
To complete my journey to India's golden triangle, I was lucky to visit the lost Kingdom of Jaipur in Rajasthan.
It's known as the Pink City since many palaces and structures were painted pink, even in the old days of its monarchy.
It took us five hours from Delhi to reach Jaipur for a grand MDP talk about Harmonizing Power, love, and light among Women at the Marriott Hotel.
That was a well-organized event and an inspirational talk of Master Del Pe, as he empowered women about their societal role and awakened their inherent power.
Among the cities in India, Jaipur is one of the most welcoming. The hospitality of the Rajasthani people is heartwarming. That's one thing I admire even on a short visit.
Some magical moments happen at a Rajasthani specialty restaurant. That was a cultural night showcasing their dance and music. It was fun watching cultural performances that are wonderful and graceful.
After the cultural presentation and the welcome drinks, it was time for dinner, and we entered their indoor dining area and waited for the food to be served fresh and hot.
It was a unique ambiance with a Rajasthani backdrop and painting on dim lighting. We were seated on the floor in a typical Indian seating position. The servers carefully pour over the food on the plate for every meal course that includes dessert.
That was good Rajasthani cuisine and a light mood until we finished our meal. Then we took pictures on a backdrop resembling the palace's arches.
That was a fiery hot night, from the cultural presentation to the sumptuous meal. I had fun and was delighted.
Magic happens when we see something unimaginable, and Jaipur showed us it's the best offering.
From Delhi to Agra and Jaipur. Finally, I'd completed the golden triangle. Those were the best moments worth reminiscing. There's always a spark, and there's always magic. And it leaves a lasting impact on our hearts.
© 2021 Del Cusay
Sunday, May 23, 2021
Getting a Vaccine Against Covid-19
When thousands of people are dying every day, and millions of people are infected, I couldn't care less about non-participation in mass vaccination.
We've all been waiting for this. Finally, the world will have its solution to protect humanity against deadly diseases. The world has produced highly effective vaccines to help us achieve herd immunity. The next move is on us.
If I don't get vaccinated, I'll have a chance of getting infected. Also, I can infect many people, including my loved ones. I may have strong immunity, but there's also a chance I'll die if it's severe. When the people I've infected would also infect others, the cycle continues, and more people are at risk for their health.
So getting vaccinated isn't just a choice. But it's an obligation. I don't care only about myself. I also care about my family, friends, and humanity because we all suffer from this pandemic.
We've suffered a lot already, and our way of living has changed tremendously. Several countries' economies were affected, and many companies closed. More people lost their jobs. Individual and family income has decreased, and more people are getting mental health issues.
We've learned a lesson from this pandemic. It tests our resilience, tolerance, and character in times of crisis.
This pandemic should teach us to be stronger. It shouldn't lead to misunderstandings, fights, and blame games. It shouldn't destroy relationships, and it shouldn't destroy humanity.
This pandemic is about our commitment to a new start. It's time to be more health-conscious because good health is valuable. We may have neglected our health, but we can't afford to get sick this time. Hence, we have to be in excellent health.
We may never know when we'll finally remove our masks and face shields. We may also never know when we can keep closer to hug and kiss our loved ones. But, with proper health protocols and vaccination, we're on the way to reaching our goal. Finally, the day will come when everything returns to normal, and we'll no longer suffer daily.
Be brave. Be bold. Keep on fighting, and keep on living. Once this pandemic is gone, it'll be a battle we've fought so hard. We've survived and will thrive.
©️ Del Cusay
Sunday, May 16, 2021
Pashupatinath Temple: Of Life and Death
Sunday, May 9, 2021
Mother's Day Special: Endless Love
What happens when we're no longer on our Mother's side? What happens when we have separate lives away from her Motherly touch and care?
Now that we're grown up to live a challenging life, our Mothers will always be there to check on us and make us feel loved and cared for from a distance.
Mother's Loving instinct is always right. She will check on our well-being, our whereabouts our achievements. That makes us proud and feel uplifted whenever we fight our challenging battles.
Mothers are known to be superwomen. They can sense struggles and can heal our emotions to keep us whole. They can communicate with us when we're at a crossroads and don't know what to do. A telepathic Mother who'll guide us wherever we are and whatever we do. Just call her name, and she'll surely be there to rescue you.
Mothers know best, and that is true. Sometimes we think we are on the right track, but she'll be there to redirect us, so we'll find our direction. The path she knows is safer and for our good.
Mothers are great fighters. They will sacrifice everything to raise us well. And so we can stand on our own. They fought hidden struggles unknown to us, and they were victorious.
Today, as we celebrate Mother's Day, we also think about all the Mothers in our lives. To our sisters who are great Mothers to their kids and families. To our relatives and friends who are Mothers who never give up and continue doing their Motherly roles.
Mother's Day special is about showing our gratitude and endless love to our Mother. She's the greatest love of our life, and her Endless presence will always be our guiding light.
©️ 2021 Del Cusay