3 posts from December 2006

My first thought was that this year was a year of change. Of turning points. Of first times. Of upgrades. I graduated, I began singing on stage, I got a new job... My room, my wardrobe, and even my PC has had major overhauls... I started putting hot sauce on pizza...

But then, come to think of it, every year is a year of change. Every day is a day of transitions. Every moment is a turning point.

When I was six, there was this one day when I was playing with one of my brothers. For some reason I can't fathom at the moment, we were dancing an "interpretative dance" to the tune of We May Never Pass This Way Again by Seals and Crofts. Basically, we were just doing hilarious steps and jumping around and laughing like crazy in front of our mom's mirror.

I remember that, at one point, I wished that I would never grow up. But not just me. I wished that nobody would grow up, that nothing would change. I wished that everything would stay the way that it was.

It was a common wish, I know. And we all know that it'll never happen, because we weren't made to be something so mediocre. No matter how "great" we are now, God has an even greater plan for us. We all have a great destiny, and it'll take a whole lifetime to fulfill it. Every day is simply a stepping stone towards that great future. We all know that. But most of us, myself included, usually want to cling on to the present, especially when we're having fun. We want to stay as we are forever, and never leave our comfortable situations.

I think it's because we're overwhelmed, at times, by the responsibilities and expectations we have of ourselves. We're overwhelmed by pressures such as "I should be graduating by now" or "I should be making this much money" or "I should have lost this many pounds".... when, actually, we shouldn't be. We should take it day by day, moment by moment.

"Every journey starts with a single step," so the saying goes. And the journey is continued by step after step after step, all the while with our eyes on the goal, and at the same time, the path we walk on. It's a hard task sometimes, especially when we have a long way to go. But by the grace of God, we can do it.

Learn something new every day.
Relish each hour.
Make every minute count.
Treasure each second.

That's what I'll try to keep in mind for the coming year. I don't know what lies ahead, I don't know what changes I'll undergo. But I'll just be in faith and take it one step at a time. And then, by the end of 2007, I'll look back, and I'm sure I'll go, "Wow, God, you sure brought me a long way!"

I can compare it to a diamond.

A diamond, although it is one clear, honest, beautiful stone, has many facets. From different angles, the same stone looks different. It can be sharp and smooth, depending where you touch it. It reflects light to different directions in different colors.

That's how I am.

Like a diamond.

Put in different situations, I act differently. Grouped with different people, I talk differently. Access my numerous different blogs, and I say different things. But I never contradict myself. Or, at least, I hope not. I am Sarah, still the same, Sarah, but it's just that, when you're looking at me from a different angle, you'll see a different side. It's not that I'm leading a double life. It's not that I'm hiding things from different people. It's not that I don't want a life of integrity and honesty. But it's just that there's more to me than just... well... whatever you know me as.

We can't box people up and say that, "Oh this person is like this." and that's it. People are beautiful creations of God who are simple, and, at the same time, complex. We might think we already know one person inside out, but then, every day, we discover something new about her.

Just as the diamond. We think we know exactly what it looks like. But, looking at it again, we discover a different side we've never seen before.

That's how we are, that's how we all are.

Like diamonds.

What books did you love as a child?
Submitted by hearts.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas: (Dr. Seuss, 1957) It was Kuya Tim's book, actually. But we read it over and over even if it wasn't Christmas. I can still remember the illustrations! A classic book about how Christmas is not about presents, Christmas trees, or anything else materialistic, and about how Christmas can change the hardest (or the smallest) of hearts. (But, hey! let's not forget the real reason for Christmas: Jesus Christ!)

Benjamin Alexander Sheep: (Bob Friedman, 1974) God, I LOVE this book. Thank you for making Bob Friedman write it. Simple, easy to read, and absolutely beautiful. I read it over and over when I was small, and I enjoyed the illustrations. I read it again when I was a bit older, and I liked the plot. I read it again a few years later, and I liked the writing style. I read it again... and I LOVED the meanings behind it. A must-read, in my opinion.

The Chronicles of Narnia: (C.S. Lewis, 1949-1954) It was Kuya Jabes' collection, given to him when he turned 10. I wasn't even born yet at that time, but I read it when I was... Lessee... Eight... I think. I only got to read The Magician's Nephew, though. (Yes, I actually wanted to read it chronologically) I think Kuya brought the series to college, and... I never saw it again. I read The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe a few years later in our school's library, and I watched the Trumpets plays of the same book several times, and, of course, I watched the movie, too... Sadly, though, I have yet to read the other books.

A Little Princess: (Frances Hodgson Burnett, 1888) How could I NOT read this, when the title is the meaning of my name? An enchanting book about a little girl who lives the life of a princess, yet is far from spoiled. She's very responsible, intelligent, and... well... nice. Too nice, actually, that some people take advantage of her. Her perfect life takes a turn for the bad when her father dies in another country, and is forced to work as a terribly-treated maid in the very school that she attended. A happy ending follows, of course, but not before we see how she bravely copes with emotional torture, stress, and exhaustion. A riches-to-rags-to-riches story, but with cute little twists.

Little Women: (Louisa May Alcott, 1868) A touching book about four sisters dealing with the excitement of growing up, the pains of sibling rivalry, tension of peer pressure, strangling protectiveness of siblings, coziness of domestic life, and other everyday issues. Obviously written from the heart, no matter how you look at it. The two books that followed didn't appeal to me as much as the first one, but I suppose the series as a whole is a good read. (Am I the only one in the world who thinks that Jo should have married Laurie?)

Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew: (The Stratemeyer Syndicate, 1927-1979/1950-1970) Wow, I can still remember this phase well. I was in second grade, and our classroom was right across the library. Ah, bliss!!! Every recess and lunch break (and even in between classes, when our teacher is late), I'd go to the library, asking my friends to call me when our teacher gets in. I started reading books randomly, but eventually, I got hooked on the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books. And then, when the day is done, I'd borrow a book and take it home, reading until late into the night. My mom would scold me because it was already 10pm (WAY past my bedtime), and I was still reading. But, come on! It was so hard to put down a book in the middle of a chapter, and the chapter endings were always cliffhangers!!!

Anne of Green Gables: (Lucy Maud Montgomery, 1908) The life of an orphan girl who came to live with an elderly couple at Green Gables. Beautifully written. As I read this book, I could imagine what Anne was imagining, I could see what she was seeing, and I could feel what she was feeling. I actually felt very glad I had raven -- not just black, but RAVEN -- hair! Haha! I could SO relate to Anne. Although I'm not as much of a drama queen as she was, we were both walking disasters, especially at the time I was reading this book. As for the books the followed in the series, I read Anne of Avonlea right after reading the first one. Anne of the Island and the other books, I only read when I stepped into college.

The Diary of a Young Girl: (Anne Frank, 1947) A birthday gift to me when I turned 10. I think. This was what made me start writing a journal. I had wanted to keep a journal ever since I started school, but I decided against it thinking that my daily escapades weren't interesting to read, anyway. But after reading this book, I realized that mundane things today can speak volumes several years later. Not that I have any intention of letting other people read my private journal, though. That's for me and me alone. My blogs, on the other hand, are for other people to squeeze lessons from... if they get any at all.

The Tower of Geburah: (John White, 1978) Book 3 of The Archives of Anthropos. Similar to The Chronicles of Narnia in the sense that it's a children's allegorical fantasy, but don't be deceived: this is not a mere copy of Narnia. Although that might be where it started (White's kids bugged him into writing something similar to the Narnia series), the books have an identity of their own. The story is unique, the adventures are gripping, and the characters are very convincing. I can see myself in the three children in different aspects, and I'm sure you can, too. If you liked Narnia, then you'll enjoy this book just as much.

Mandy: (Dame Julie Andrews Edwards, 1973) A cute little book about a girl and a secret house. For some reason, a distinct memory I have of this book was this one afternoon when I was with my family in the UP Diliman Amphitheater. My brothers were playing Frisbee, my dad was playing golf... and my mom was reading a magazine... I think. I had the beginnings of a migraine headache (though I didn't know that was what it was called, at that time), and I decided to start reading Mandy so I could get sleepy. Well, I didn't sleep as I was sucked into the world of the book (as it always happens when I read), and I managed to finish half the book before we went home. I couldn't eat dinner because my
headache was awful by then, so I went to sleep, dreaming of flowers and secret pathways and of shells on walls.

Shakespeare: I bet not many kids read Shakespeare, but, yes. I did. And I loved it. The phase started when I had this project in fifth grade, about the forms of literature. Under plays, I put in an excerpt from Romeo and Juliet: the most famous "wherefore art thou Romeo?" balcony scene. After I finished my project, I went ahead and read the whole thing... And then moved on to the Twelfth Night (my favorite Shakespeare work EVER), then Midsummer Night's Dream... and a few other plays until I was well into high school.

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I think the World Book Encyclopedia and Childcraft are worth mentioning, as well. I really really liked flipping through those glossy pages with my brothers, way back when I didn't know how to read yet. I just liked the pictures, and my brothers told me what the pictures meant. When I did learn how to read, I had so much fun out of those thick volumes. I still remember what my notebook looked like. And how big my handwriting was. Haha! I wonder why my handwriting didn't improve as much as my vocabulary did...

At some point in elementary school, I also got into the Sweet Valley series as most girls did. But the phase didn't last long, nor did it leave any lasting impression.

So I suppose it's pretty obvious that I like the classics, eh? I got into reading a few "recent" books during high school and college, though. There's Kitchen (Banana Yoshimoto, 1993), This Present Darkness (Frank Peretti, 1986), and Haroun and the Sea of Stories (Salman Rushdie, 1990), among others.

I'm sure there are still a lot of books I haven't mentioned, as I typed all this in from memory. Which means they're the ones that really stood out. Hehe. I think I should check my library when I get home.