February 2, one of my favorite days.

A year ago today, Papa Lando thought it was just an ordinary birthday for him - eat together at home and talk with his sisters who are in Australia over Skype, to greet him.

But when he was told that we were going out for dinner, he was somehow reluctant but still prepared for it. And as soon as he with my Mama arrived in an hotel, in our hometown, he was really in awe.

Without any idea, what was going on, he opened  the door. It was dark then suddenly the lights turned on and he heard the party poppers and heard everyone singing the 'Happy Birthday' song.

His eyes dampened when he saw  EVERYONE especially his sisters, nieces, nephew, brother-in-laws, whom he rarely see.  The family went home to the Philippines to celebrate my Papa's 50th birthday.

He was hugged by everyone while everyone didn't stop singing the  "Happy Birthday' song.  My Papa Lando was teary-eyed and surprised. "Today is the best day of my life," he said.


Now, on his 51st birthday, we are not together and I'm not home but for sure he feels so blessed to know that he is loved and to have given another year after he was diagnosed with Stage 3 Colon Cancer, two years ago this year.

Happy birthday, Papa Lando. I will never turn my back on you and our family, whatever happens.

Thank you, Lord, for giving me and my siblings - Sha and John Paul- the best Papa. Thank You, Lord, for Your faithfulness to my Papa Lando and to my family.

We may not have the luxuries in life but being with our Papa (I hope it's going to be always in the next months and years) and seeing him and knowing his healthy everyday are blessings that we truly appreciate. It's the best gift my Papa and my family is receiving from You every day.

My only prayer and wish for him on his 51st birthday is for You to totally heal him. For him to be officially a cancer survivor. Amen!

Surprise! Aunty Joy, Papa Lando's younger sister welcomes him on his birthday celebration with a flower. 

Sibling's love

Overwhelmed.  Papa  Lando is overwhelm to see everyone close to him. 

Aunty Joy walks Papa Lando to his birthday cake. And another surprise awaits. 

Aunty Joy introduces the next surprise covered in a red curtain. 

Here comes the another surprise. Papa Lando didn't know that Aunty Chona, his younger sister, Uncle Ray and niece Christine and nephew Paul went home for his birthday. 

Papa's first sight of Auntie Chona, his younger sister. He never thought Auntie Chona was coming home for his birthday. The last time they saw each other was when I graduated college, 8 years ago.

The siblings. 

Papa Lando's precious gift.  The Zamora's is almost complete. 

Cousins with Lolo Pedring. 

My ever supportive friends.  

Papa Lando and my younger sibling Sha. It was a double celebration since it was also Sha's 18th birthday. 

My gems! 

Almost complete.  Papa Lando, Aunty Chona, Lolo Pedring, Aunty Joy and Uncle Ronald. (photo from left to right.) When can they be together again in one room, in one house? 

because it's their first time to celebrate a birthday together, after having their own families...

Papa Lando's gems. Notice the non-verbal gestures. 

I'm a child of a father with cancer

I dare to post this photo to signify my sympathy to those women who are in pain struggling of breast cancer and those family members who live in fear, afraid that one day the woman/ man they love dearly will be away from them forever (on a worldly context though. Worldly because I believe in eternity with my God who may also be your God.)

I am this emotional when talking about cancer because I'm a child of a father diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. I have my share of heartbreaking stories as I used not to accept the fact that the man closest to me has cancer. I had my share of grief when I found out that my Papa Lando has cancer.

I experienced denial, anger, depression, bargaining, and acceptance. I had been to all those stages, of course journeying with family, not just once but I experienced the entire stages for a couple of times since the time my Papa Lando was diagnosed with the disease March of 2012.

And as of this writing, I guess I already accepted that my Papa has cancer. He is under medication through alternative medicine and as of September this year,
the doctor said that he is already on safe zone and we are looking forward and still praying for him to be cancer-free.

Again, I'm one with all women,
and men, who are suffering from cancer,
all those family members who has/have loved ones suffering from cancer and even those family members that miss their loved ones who departed because of cancer.

And to those who have loved ones with cancer, like me, let's have faith that God heals those who seek to be healed. Let's keep fighting for them. Please know and remember that they draw strength from us. They continue to fight against cancer because they know they're loved.

In felt that from my Papa Lando and I believe he has that good fighting spirit because he knows he is loved by his wife, son, daughters, sisters, in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, even our neighbors, family friends and my workmates who continuously pray for him all the time, and of course he knows that God loves him dearly.

Note: If you are with me and if you know someone who has the same challenges, I don't mind if you share this. I hope this blog inspires others to hold on and continue fighting, for the sake of the people we love.

Adventure: T'was a pink ribbon and little card

Aside from Children's Month, #October is also a Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

And to join other breast cancer advocates,who help to make people aware of the disease, we wrote words of encouragement on a pink paper to people who are diagnosed with cancer.

My friend and workmate Eure and I went to a mall this evening and saw a bald woman singing on stage, of course we were intrigued why is she bald,
so we decided to get closer and it was then we found out that it was a breast cancer awareness event.

And as a sign of support for the cause, we joined the others in writing words of encouragement to cancer patients and hanged it on a big ribbon standee.

I did it without hesitation, even if we were not invited, because i know how it feels to have someone in the family who has cancer.

I'm an eldest daughter of a father who has colon cancer stage three. (And you know how it is to be an eldest daughter and a breadwinner of the family, in the Philippine context) My Papa Lando was diagnosed with cancer March 2012. And after more than a year the entire family is claiming that he is totally cancer-free, laboratory results and the doctor said that the cancer cells reduced significantly. Thank you, Lord, for the answered prayers and for my friends, workmates and family who were and still with us as the entire family, in one, battled for my papa's cancer.

With the journey/ season experienced, I learned to trust God, and with it I realised that a member of a family with such sickness, whom you loved dearly, needs all out support for them not to let go and for them to fight against the sickness.

That's why I'm personally one with all those people who are fighting against cancer - either the person who has cancer or the family member worrying about a loved one who has cancer.

Saying a little prayer and words of encouragement from you means a lot to those who are fighting against breast, colon or any other cancer diseases. p

Doomsday

 Child survivors of Typhoon Bopha fear on December 21

“I hope there will be no eclipse that  will happen this December 21,” child survivor of Typhoon Bopha, Jason says. This has been a Christmas hope and wish of 8-year-old Jason shared during the child-friendly space activity in Agusan del Sur.

“There will be darkness then animals and people will die. I don’t want to die yet,” Jason adds. Child survivors have been afraid and would not even want for December 21 to come.

In the last typhoon, happened almost three weeks ago, Jason almost lost their home due to the heavy rains and strong winds brought by Typhoon Bopha which later on brought floodwaters in their village. “(Typhoon) Pablo was so strong that we lost our roof. We were so wet and just prayed to Jesus that He will stop the rains and winds,” Jason adds.

Typhoon Bopha left a trail of destruction in Jason’s village.  Most of the houses were totally destroyed and even Jason’s school making them uncertain on when they can be back to school.  Piles of logs and muds also surround their village.

“Most families left their homes and are staying on the mountains because they are afraid of the rumors of a three-day total darkness, earthquake and flooding. Villagers don’t want to experience the same distress Typhoon Pablo has brought to them,” World Vision staff and a resident of Agusan del Sur,  Yani says.

In the culmination of child-friendly space this afternoon, children draw their fears in the paper plane as a sign of letting go. “The paper plane is a child’s expression of letting go of their fears and sending their prayers to God,” World Vision’s child-friendly space facilitator Gria says.

“In most of child survivor’s artwork, most of them drew umbrellas, houses and water. This is because they are still in distress and as of the moment these children have been experiencing heavy rains,” Gria adds.

World Vision sets up child-friendly spaces for children affected by Typhoon Bopha in Agusan del Sur and Compostela Valley. It is a psycho-social intervention for children that aim to bring back children’s lives to normalcy by expressing their  feelings, experiences and thoughts through dancing, drawing, singing, and playing.

Aside from child-friendly spaces, World Vision provides food, non-food, water and purifier of water from Procter and Gamble to those affected by Typhoon Bopha . World Vision targets to reach out to 10000 families in Compostela Valley and Agusan del Sur through food, non-food, water, shelter and livelihood assistance.