Moon Day Entry: Of Ferris Wheels and Open Hearts

Sorry for the long absence on Mondays. My writing may be a bit intermittent too in the coming days - 2nd quarter exams beckon -- not for me but for my child, but will be busy making reviewers. Anyway.

We went to the fair in my son's school last week. I rode with him and my friend's kid, Paulo in the ferris wheel and got really dizzy. Didn't expect it to be that fast and for the seats/compartments to really rock back and forth so strongly. My husband tells me to stop saying that I am getting older but my body really feels it. Gone are the days when I could ride roller coasters (with loops and double loops) like the Demon or the Tidal Wave and remain unaffected.

We were a funny lot - the three of us - inside the Ferris Wheel. Adi, was sitting so quietly, holding on to the side of the compartment. He looked so serious and I was trying to assess if he was alright. Paulo, my friend's son, was so happy and noisy. He kept moving and saying: "Ang sarap. Ang saya." He was really enjoying the ride. As for me, I had to contend with a headache which stayed with me for the rest of the weekend. Even as the ride was not yet finished, Paulo was already saying: "Isa pa. Sakay ulit tayo." To which I retorted: "Tama na ang isa. Hilong-hilo na ko."

"Bakit ako, hindi nahilo?" Paulo retorted. And my reply: "Bata ka pa kasi. Ako matanda na." End of conversation.

Life is a lot like that ferris wheel. We are all in the same ride, yet we react differently. Faced with the same situation, we can choose how to behave. So it's up to us if we will be serious, happy, or pain-filled.

Speaking of wheels, may I ask you to say a prayer for Fr. Jim Ferry? Fr. Jim Ferry is the priest who officiated at my nuptial mass. He is set to undergo open heart surgery in New York tomorrow and I ask all visitors to say a prayer for a successful operation and a speedy recovery. Why a wheel? When my daughter Ali was hospitalized for Kawasaki, Fr. Ferry asked the sisters and his seminarian-students to say a prayer for her. Ali is now well and now it is our turn to ask people also to pray for Fr. Ferry.

Fr. Ferry, without him knowing it, is an important party to starting viloria.com indirectly. It was at Christ the King Church, almost 10 years ago, when I became a Viloria. In a marriage, as all married couples know, "open hearts" are critical to having "closely-knit" families. So if you have benefited or have enjoyed any of the things written here in our website, do say a prayer for Fr. Jim Ferry. God bless.