P.E.A.C.E Be With You

Q: Why do physical therapists not treat themselves?

A: They don't want to indulge in self-PT

This joke came to my mind one day in 2009 while waiting for news about my wife, Queenie’s visit to a physical therapy clinic. I realized later that I was just trying to amuse myself because in reality I was worried about her and anxious to find out how her consultation turned out. Ever since the preceding Sunday, she has not been able to raise her right arm or move it without causing her serious pain on her shoulder joints. Even when she was not moving her arm, painful spasms would shoot down from her shoulder down her arm and was causing her much discomfort.

In the olden days, there was a town called Lernuscus who one day found itself under the threat of being attacked by the faraway town of Hidarabad. But since it would take the Hidarabanians still 30 days to reach them, they decided to prepare themselves for the impending war.

They started to arm themselves and stock on supplies and discuss among themselves how to best ward off the enemy's attack. On the second day however, some people noticed that there was a group of people who they perceived were not contributing as much to the effort as they were expecting so the former met among themselves to address their perceived problem.

"This group will not be able to help us any in our fight against the Hidarabanians. I suggest we kill them all before they become our liability."

So they gathered the latter group and lined them up against the wall and started shooting them until they all fell down.

One time I found myself boiling mad. I was not just angry, I was irate, I was furious. Fortunately it was not a foaming in the mouth, hitting the roof, homicidal, suicidal, ballistic kind of anger. Otherwise I might have lost my sanity. So there I was poised to unleash a venomous outburst of words that had God not intervened would have ended up bumptiously offensive.

As I was just about to start typing on my computer, typhoon Egay struck and we had a brownout. My wife Queenie then said to me, "Let’s pray the rosary" and so we prayed. And in the intervening days, as my wife and I listened to the Lord in our daily prayer time, I could feel the anger in me subside. I could almost hear the hissing sound of a hot iron rod being dipped in a pool of cool water.

And so I say, "Peace be with you..." 

While rummaging through my files I came across this piece. I can’t remember anymore who sent it to me and the author is also unknown but it’s still a good one to share especially with Holy Week fast approaching.

“DID JESUS USE A MODEM IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT?”

Did Jesus use a modem, At the Sermon on The Mount?
Did He ever try to broadcast fax, To send his message out? 
Did the disciples carry beepers, As they went about their route? 
Did Jesus use a modem, At the Sermon on the Mount?

Merry Christmas to all!

At the height of the preparations for this Christmas season, a theme that somehow permeated the consciousness of a lot of Filipinos was the phrase "… tuloy pa din ang Pasko …" Apparently, the intention was to bolster the spirits of people and rally them to the idea that in spite of the hardships surrounding us and the recent tragedies that have befallen a lot of our countrymen; in spite of the hopelessness that pervades the air and the continuing exodus of talents for the proverbial greener pastures; in spite of our frustrations with institutions that have seemingly failed us instead of providing us the much-needed sense of security, hope, and direction; Christmas will push through and will weather all storms.