Family Matters

Is it almost the end of March already? My, how fast time flies – whether we are busy or doing nothing, time indeed waits for no one.
My husband and I spent about three weeks in the Philippines. We visited Cebu, our home for about 6 years in the ‘80’s. So many things have changed, but we enjoyed seeing our friends again, and visiting places that we frequented while living there. The highlight of our visit was spending some time with family, and staying at beautiful Plantation Bay, a world-class beach resort on the island of Mactan. Richard, my brother-in-law took us there for sightseeing one afternoon, and we are hooked. I had a good excuse: I was still hurting from shingles, and need a restful environment. J
We stayed a couple of days at Plantation Bay, enjoyed the swimming lagoons, the sunrise and sunsets, the fresh air, the lots and lots of sunshine. I enjoyed the quiet in the early morning hours – there is nothing more peaceful than sunrise by the water’s edge.
Let us just not talk about prices because it may sour my blog, okay? They told me there are several other beautiful beach resorts dotted along the Mactan coast, and of course, they all come with a price.
We met my sisters and their families, even for just a few hours. They are all busy in their jobs, and Cebu traffic is something you should avoid, especially that our visit fell on Sinulog celebrations. There are festivities even in small towns – what can I say? We as a people just love fiestas, and woe to you who are on the road when the parade is underway, on the only main thoroughfare!
While in Cebu, we bought a guitar and 4 ukeleles for my young niece and nephews in Negros. They were excited to learn how to play the ukelele, I enjoyed our 15-minute daily lessons. Seeing a child so eager to learn is invigorating. Before I left, we sang our song to our gathered family after dinner. Never mind that most of them could not hit the song right, but Raffy, Xenia Laine, Spencer, and John knew how to strum their ukuleles, and had fun showing off their new skill.
Nothing could warm hearts like family. The few days I spent with mine last January was so refreshing to me. I thank God for family – when I think about it deeply, this is one of the greatest gift that He has given me.