Best Experience

     “High school life is the best part of being a teenager,” my parents always say. But since I chose to study in CavSci, they told me that it would be difficult and stressful. Of course I did not believe. I thought they’re just exaggerating, so I still studied in CavSci. Realization came when I was in first year. It was really stressful because of projects, home works and quizzes. My parents were right. High school life in CavSci isn’t that easy and best. But still, I continued. I’ve chosen this life, so I’ll face it.

     Now that I’m already in third year, I realized that high school life in CavSci could be the best. Before I enter this school, the word “best” for me is happiness, fun, relaxing and free from anything.  I understood that for my parents, “best” means productive, excellence and achievement. It’s like you’re not only good in your social life in high school, but also in academics. This high school life was really the best, especially in English.

I know some of the students find the English subject boring and full of reading reports. I’m one of those students. I become lazy and sleepy during English time since elementary. But this third year, it definitely changed. Yes, there are still reading reports, but English time became more exciting. One best reason to love our English subject is our improved informal theme. My handwriting sucks, so I hate writing in informal theme notebooks, especially when it needs to be in cursive. Instead of writing our informal themes in notebooks, we had our blog. It doesn’t require handwriting. It’s easy to type than to write. Blogs given to us are not boring. It’s about our life, experiences, feelings and things we want to say. I’ve always wanted to make a blog where I can tell my emotions, but I don’t have enough time. Through our blogs, I am not only expressing my emotions. I am also doing my projects. I know I’m not good in blogs, but it makes me feel comfortable. Another reason is our speech activity. We are able to come up with ideas on how to make our performance more interesting and catchy. Our jazz chant, speech choir, conventional speech choir were really the best experience I had since first year. I need to concentrate and to participate well for our performance to be good. It challenged us. The Romeo and Juliet excerpts were also the best. It’s a great experience because we were able to show the scenes based on our understandings. These are the main experiences which made high school life the best.

     Most of all, there is a person who taught us more than what we should learn and know. She gave us the chance to experience the third year life we deserve. When it’s already 4:00 pm, ma’am Mae is already at the door. She’s seldom late in our class and I can see that she’s hardworking. English time is not only about the lessons in English. It’s also time for life lessons. She shares her stories and gives us advices. It’s like a time for realizations. This third year, the first time I cried was in our English time. It’s a topic about family thingy. The things she tells us are not only for the brain, but also for the heart. In our English time, I have to be real, mentally and emotionally prepared. That experience ma’am Mae shared to us defined the word BEST.

     Third year life in Cavsci may really be the most difficult part of high school. But still, this third year life taught me so many things, granted me memorable memories and gave me unforgettable experiences. I think high school is not just about having fun. It’s about having fun while learning and experiencing new things.

Inappreciable

Dear Nanay Mami,

     You know that I haven't become a better granddaughter. We both know how wrong I've become. You are the only person who has been there since I was a child. You know me better than anyone. I am definitely lucky to have you. But instead of repaying you, I did mischievous things.

     There were times when I do not listen to you and your advices. Sometimes, I also disobey you. Doing those things made you feel worse than ever and it made me feel worst. It makes me unworthy of your love. You are the only person who sees the real me, yet I did not give importance with what you feel with the things I do and words I say. I have failed you with my deeds and I am very sorry for that.

     Here I am, sincerely apologizing for everything. I apologize for every single deed I've done and word I've said. They caused you too much pain. I know I won't be able to take away the pain, but I hope my apology can lessen it. I really hope I can. I know I am not worthy of your forgiveness, but I'll still try. I am asking for forgiveness from you because I want you to be free from pain. I am doing this because it hurts me so much to see you sad and with pain. I am doing it because I love you and I do not want to see you hurt anymore. Especially by me.

     You are by my side in all the challenges and problems I face in life. You are my strength and courage. You are so important to me. It's hard to find someone who'll still be there despite of all the hurt and pain you have caused her. Fortunately, I have that someone. I have you. That's why I want to ask for your forgiveness. I want to live a happy life with you once again. I do understand if you do not accept my apology. At least I was able to let you know how sorry I am for everything I've done. I love you very much.

                                                                                                                                                    Love,
                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                      Not-so-nice Granddaughter

Special by Heart and Deeds

          This was the first time I asked myself about what makes me special, IF I am really special. It's not right to ask my brain because it would definitely say yes. I am a normal person, born from my normal parents and lives a normal life. So if I am going to answer that question, it would be a no. There's nothing special about me. But if God believes that all of us are special, I should also believe. He knows things better than I do. I know he has enough reasons to say that we're special. Maybe it's not just about who I am. Maybe it's also about what I do that makes me special.

          It isn't, for me. Let's say I show who I am and do what I want. But sometimes, I show not-so-good traits and attitudes. I do harsh things. That would not definitely  be the reason of God for believing I am special. Being special is being yourself and doing right things from your heart.

          I am not a very, very kind person who will do all the good things in life just to be special. I want to do what St. Therese did. She is a saint, many people admire her. Many people consider her special. But what makes me amazed the most are her ways on how to be special. She had her own little ways to do right things for herself and for others. I am not a saint, but I know I've done right things in my own little ways.

          It's not that I do good things to be special. It's just that I am special because I show who I am and do kind things in my own ways. I do not need to do what others say in order to be special. I won't change myself for others to appreciate me. I'll stay the same as long as I do things the right way because I know that God appreciate s me for who I am and what I do.

"If you want to be special, be true. If you want to be true, be yourself. If you want to be yourself, do the right things."

Letter from A Never-enough Daughter

Dear Lord Jesus,

     You are the creator of this world where I belong. You are also the one who gave us, humans, all our needs. Here I am, adoring you for giving me things and blessings beyond what I need. Of all the blessings I have received from you, there are some that I value the most. There are some that I would definitely ask for from you, some that I cannot live without. You know that I am not worthy enough to have them, but you gave them to me. I am grateful enough to have them as my parents and I want to thank you for that.
 
      I know it may be rude for me to ask things from you, but I won't think twice. We both know how much I love my parents. We both know how much I care for them, but I cannot express it. These are the reasons behind my courage in writing this letter for you. I love and care for them so much, though they cannot notice it. I ask, request, pray and wish all the best for my parents. I ask you to give them the healthiest life they can have. I request for them to stay loving and caring. I pray for them to continue guiding us despite of our rough attitudes. Lastly, I wish that they could have a long and happy life with me and my brother. These things may seem too much for others, but they aren't enough for me. My parents gave this life to me, opened my eyes, protects me and continues to guide me in this life. All the things I do to repay their deeds won't be enough and will never be.


      My parents and I haven't lived together for a long time, but I know that they do care. They may not be always by my side, but I know that they wish they were. Just like them, I feel the same. I want them to know that I care for them and how I wish I'm always with them. I don't want them to feel worst at times when they think that I don't appreciate the things they do for me and give me because I do, I always do. They may not see it, but I feel very thankful for everything my parents are giving me.

      Thank you for my father a.k.a. Best Bagets Daddy Ever. Please continue in giving him strength in his work. Guide him in all the challenges he is facing and help him be the same best daddy I've known. Protect him from all the dangers he may face along the way. Most of all, please give him the courage to stop smoking. All I want for him is to stay healthy and stay the best daddy for us.


       I also want to thank you for my mother. She may be easily mad sometimes, I know that she still cares. She may always give sermons, but she only does it for my own good. Just like my father, continue to guide her in everything she does. Give her enough strength in her work and help her stay the same mother I've loved all these years, Lastly, grant her a healthy and longer life.

      Without my parents, I would be nothing. I will never be who I am without my parents.They're the reason why I'm existing and why I should. They're the reason behind my courage to face each day and the strength to overcome the challenges coming in my way. There's nothing more I could ask for in this life, but to have them at times when I need an advice of a mother, strength of a father and love of both. It is definitely amazing to have such wonderful parents. Thank you, Jesus Christ.

Love,
A Never Enough Daughter

Best Daughter Ever

     People often say that life is too short to wake up each morning with regrets. They say that we should forget all the wrong deeds we’ve done before and move on. Those things which feels like perfect were what most of us will choose. No one would want to live in the present, regretting the wrong decisions in the past. No one would prefer to dream of the future, regretting the unacceptable deeds in the past. It’s just always about to move on, or not to move on.  All people want is to live the present and dream of the future harmoniously, without regretting the past deeds and bitter decisions. But oftentimes, it’s hard for us not to regret.

     No matter how much we try not to regret of our past, we cannot still defeat it. The regrets won’t just leave us no matter what. They are part of our lives. There will always be a time when regret will knock on our door, bringing back the harsh memories of the past. Each of us has our own regrets that we just want to leave behind. It just means that what people say about knocking down our regrets is not that easy and will never be. Trying not to regret is breathing. It’s inevitable for us.

      I, myself, also have regrets in my life. But of all those regrets, there’s the most regretful decision that bothered me every second of my life. This decision was not mainly what I decided. I was too young back then to decide on my own, so my parents decided for me. They thought that their decision was the best for me. They thought of it like they were really sure. My parents chose to let my grandma take care of me while they are working. My grandma took care of me, gave me all her love and treated me like I was her own daughter. My life was a fairy tale back then.

      When I grew older and had the chance to decide on my own, my parents asked me if I want to live with them and study high school in Manila, leaving my grandma. It was bittersweet. I felt happy because I will be able to have them, but there was also something inside me that wants to pull back. I love my grandma. I treated her like my own mom and I would never want to leave her. I already love the place where I grew up, so I rejected my parents. I decided that I will live with them when I’m in college. I know that it brought so much pain to my parents, but I didn't even thought of it. I disappointed them. I felt like I was the best daughter in the world.

      Months passed peacefully, not until my second year in high school. My uncle and I had a fight. This was the start of nightmares during daytime. Our peaceful house became restless. A time came when he scared the hell out of me. I was carrying my dinner one night going upstairs. He’s in a bad mood and we got in a fight. The next thing I know was I ran upstairs, seeing him behind me. He has a mop ready to hit me. I went in a room and locked myself. I was shaking, sobbing and scared. That’s when regret occupied my mind. I shouldn’t have been here. I should have chosen to live with my parents. Since then, peacefulness left our house. At once it was happy, we shared moments together, then it became a war. My mom and my uncle, her sibling, also had a fight. Their other siblings became worried. It was like the sky had fallen on me. One of my mom’s siblings blamed me. It made me regret my choice even more. If I weren’t in this house, then they will still be happy, my grandma would still be glad, I would still be fine and my parents would not be disappointed with me. I hate myself for doing this damage, but I cannot do anything. I want to leave, but I still need to wait for one more year so I can go to college.

     If I could go back to the past and change my decision, I would definitely do it. I regret my choice every second I see my grandma sad because of what happened to us. I regret my choice every second I remember what I did. I regret my choice every time I remember that it was my fault. I regret it every time I realize that I changed this home into a house. This decision is the most regretful thing I made in the past.

     Despite of having these regrets, we should face each joyful morning with a smile. We should focus on not regretting again, instead of being worried about the past. Each of us should consider the possible outcomes of the things we do. We should think first before doing it. it does not mean that our mind should always be the first thing to follow. It’s just better to follow our mind in deciding for our best as well as for others. We should not let regret scare us. Forget the past no matter how impossible it is and remember what it taught you because experience is the greatest teacher in life.

Life-fulfilling

If I were given a chance to have a date with a historical person, that person will be "The little flower of Jesus". I am an admirer of her since I was in elementary, and having a chance to talk to her in person will definitely be the best moment in my life. I could ask her the questions I've been longing to ask.

In the patio garden beside the church..

Me: I cannot wait to see her. I want to talk to her and spend time with her..

St. Therese: Oh, there you are. I'm glad you came here to see me.

Me: Is this for real? Thank you, God! You have given me a chance to see St. Therese of the child Jesus.

St. Therese: That's right. It's always important to give thanks to God. So what's your name?

Me: I am Jonah Terese. I am an admirer of yours since my elementary days.

St. Therese: Thank you, Terese. Why? Why did you admire me?

Me: I admire you because of your simple deeds did with extraordinary love. The little things you do seem so big because you give your whole heart in it. You do it with passion. Faithfulness remained in you at times of doubts and fears. You are one of a kind.

St Therese: You are right about my deeds, but you are wrong in saying that I am a one of a kind. It's not me, but God. He's one of a kind for letting me do all the things I've done and for giving me strength in life.

Me: I definitely believe in you, St. Therese. But most of the time, I cannot do the things that you do and have the faith and love you have. I feel sad when I think about those times.

St. Therese: I can feel that there's something bothering you. Tell me, don't be shy.

Me: Whenever I witness the sufferings of the Yolanda victims in the Philippines on television, I can't stop crying. I feel so sorry for them. All I want to do is to help them and give them everything they need, but I cannot. I was able to send some foods, but I can't go there and serve them. But when you were in my age before, you could help them in person. You do your work passionately and with love. I just feel worse.

St. Therese: Big or small, God acknowledges your gift for other people in need. God is not after on how much material things you have. He's after the love and care you gave for those people. It's all that matters. Great deeds are useless if they are not given with love.

Me: Thank you, St. Therese. I really enjoy sharing these things to you. Uhm.. May I ask some things to you?

St. Therese: Of course, you can. Go ahead.

Me: Are you happy with your accomplishments in life even though you died at a young age?

St. Therese: Yes, I am very happy and contented with everything I've done when I was still alive. I spent each day praising God and thanking him for everything he has given me. I do these things because I do not want to suddenly die without letting God know how lucky I am for being blessed by him. Since I know that I am sick, the only way I know for me to repay God was to do good deeds out of love, faith and passion. And with all of that, I felt accomplished.

Me: You are a great saint, St. Therese. Your last words before you die are "My God, I love you!" Why did you say those?

St. Therese: I said those words to repay the things I owe to God until my last breath. It's just what I feel that time and I want other people to know that it is God who should be loved until the time when you need to give back the life you borrowed from him.

St. Therese: Thank you. I am just curious about something. Of all the great historical persons in the world, why me? Why did you choose me?

Me: St. Therese, you were called 'the little flower'. That's what I like the most about you. You are great in your simple ways. You are humble in helping others. I love the way you show your thankfulness to God because even young people like us could do the things you do with love and faith.

St. Therese: Thank you so much for admiring me the way you do. I never thought someone  would appreciate those things.

Me: I am sure enough that I am not the only person who appreciates the things you did. There are many people inspired by you.

St. Therese: Thank you so much, Terese. I had a great time with you even though our date lasted for a short time only. Once again, I felt alive.

Me: It should be me thanking you. You answered all my questions and that is more than enough. Thank you for sharing your time with me and you'll continue to stay in my heart and serve as my inspiration.

St. Therese: God bless you, Terese! Take care of yourself. Until the next time again.

Terese: Farewell, St. Therese!

After my date with St. Therese, my life became almost complete. She taught me the most important virtues in life. My wish was fulfilled.

9 Stations of Violations in CavSci

Anywhere, everywhere, we can find people who commit mistakes and sins. Many of us, teenagers, do sins everyday. Because we stay at school for the whole day, we often do sins at school. Though we are not in hell, we could still find symbols in school for the nine rings of hell. I chose nine places in our school where the violations which symbolize the sins are often done.

1st. Gate. This is the first place in the school where we can do violations and tell lies. Yes, not only violations, but also lies. In the violations, there could be two possible things a student may do. The first one is he/she did not wear his/her identification card. We sometimes forget to wear it at home, so when we go to school, we do not have any I.D. The second one is being late. Students reason out that they're late because of plenty of school works or they just woke up late. In the lies, when the monitor in charge at the gate asks us the true reason why we did the violations, we sometimes tell lies. We tell lies to prevent getting into trouble.

2nd. Comfort Room. Students in our school are not allowed to bring cellphones. They cannot use their phones at the classrooms, so they go to the comfort rooms to use their phones. It could be not as bad as I think, but it is still a violation. Bringing cellular phones in school is a violation. 


3rd. Library. In the library, the most common violation is when we make noises. Yes, it is a violation, but there is still another violation in the library. It's when some students take books out of the library without any permission. Students are not allowed to take any book outside, but some still disobey the rules. Another is when we scatter the researches. We do not take care of the alumni's precious researches. Instead, we put them everywhere, making everything a total mess.

4th. Pathway. Students always forget about this violation. We often do this, but we never realized that it's a violation. The violation is when we talk with our classmates and friends about teachers. We make gossips about terror, lazy and other teachers. I chose the pathway because it's a place where students do nothing but walk and realizes things about teachers.

5th. Gym. During flag ceremonies and flag retreats, we are required to wear the correct attire and to behave and obey everything the platoon leader says. But sometimes, others do not obey the rules. Some hairs are untied, some socks aren't white, some hairs are too long, some identification cards are not with them and some uniforms are not properly worn. Students oftentimes make fun of the leaders and commanders. We think that these things are only simple, but they are still violations.

6th. Canteen. No one will ever think that there could be a violation here. But honestly speaking, there could be. It's a violation seldom uttered by the teachers because it's impossible for them to think that students will steal. I know a few who do those things, so the canteen could be considered as a station. Most of us do not do it, but it does not mean that we can't.

7th. Teacher's table. When teachers ask some things from us, we are expected to tell the truth. If someone did something wrong, students are obliged to tell the truth. But because we're afraid to, we lie. We lie because we do not want our classmates and friends to get angry to us. If you are wrong, you sometimes defend yourself to lessen the trouble. We do these things for ourselves, not for the best.

8th. Classroom. It's a place where students can commit many, many violations. First, vandalism. We do not give importance to the things that are not ours. Second, disobeying the teacher talking in front. Students study to learn, so we should learn how to obey elders, especially our teachers. Another is eavesdropping. Though it's not a violation, it could be a sin to listen to others' conversation. Lastly, backstabbing or simply fighting with our classmates. We are grouped by section to have them as our family, not enemies. Instead of fighting at their back, we should tell them how we feel towards them.

9th. Seats. The simplest place where we can commit the worst violations. This violation is cheating. We all know what it is. Some of us already did it. It's when we copy or look to our seatmate's answers because we do not know what the answer is. This reason is the dumbest reason for committing a violation because it's no one's fault but yours, so we do not have the right to get answers from those who studied hard. This dumbest reason, however, leads to the worst mistake in school.