a day in the life of the list queen

monday

6am wake up

take a bath

615 get dressed; eat a light breakfast

630 drive to graduate class

700 teach graduate students

1030 run errands/head home

1130 eat lunch

12nn drive/commute to next class

130pm teach algebra

530 head home

600 rest/do household chores

700 eat dinner

800 check mail/layout newsletter

read/prepare next day’s lesson

browse through planner

(check appointments, reminders)

1130 get ready for bed

12mn sleep (or at least, try to)

i’m a stickler for details. i am most comfortable when things are planned. that’s why before i start my week, i already imagine what i’m going to do for the next 7 days. i schedule my appointments, errands, etc. i make a list of the people i’m going to see or talk to, the things i’m supposed to do, stuff to buy, deadlines to meet, books to read, errands to run, etc. i write them all down in my planner.

my friends and students often chide me about this (they love to leaf through the pages of my planner - trying to read my really tiny writing). they shake their heads unbelievingly as they see the endless lists and other stuff i write - lineups, daily quotations, dates, birthday reminders, book reviews, post-it notes, lyrics, poems, color-coded memos, mirror writings, etc. someone remarked, “grabe ka naman.. kaya naman pala ang liit-liit mong magsulat.. e ang dami naman pala kasi ng mga sinusulat mo dito sa organizer mo!” well. what can i say?! i may not actually write down my daily schedule as above, but i have to admit.. i am the queen of lists :)

ok yeah, i’m organized. to the point of being near-obsessive compulsive :p and the downside to it is that i do not take well to change. i am not fond of surprises. i only agree to last-minute plans when the person requesting is someone who’s *really* close to me. if something is new.. or if it’s not in my to-do list for the day, chances are i will not even try to do it.

this year, though, i resolved to work on my spontaneity. i decided i’m going to be a bit more flexible.. more open to surprises.. more receptive to doing new things. so i took on the challenge of teaching my first graduate class.. as well as a newly-offered algebra course. i also agreed to become the senior grade level coordinator at school starting june. and although at the moment, the workload is really making my head spin, i’m also thankful for the opportunity to try out new things.. new responsibilities :)

as i browse through my lengthy “to-do list” though, i’m suddenly reminded of one important item that’s missing - my quiet time :p oops. hehe.. i guess the lord is reminding me to have the proper perspective on things. that in the midst of my hectic sked and never-ending lists and plans.. i need to make room for him - his word, his plans :p

proverbs 16:3 says, “commit to the lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

hmm. i commit all my plans to you for approval, lord :p rigid or spontaneous.. predictable or filled with surprises.. may i always put you first in my daily list :)

wonderful journey

the past days, we members of the graduation committee have been busy preparing for the commencement exercises (yes.. while other schools have already started their summer classes, our students are just about to graduate. go figure ü) a lot of hard work, effort and sweat (literally!!) was poured into the rehearsals. for the past week, our music teacher, sir reyes, guided the graduating class into practising for the graduation and baccalaureate ceremonies. he’d spend hours with the students - teaching them how to sit and walk properly, how to applaud enthusiastically and how to sing with energy (and in tune, of course ü). he’d direct the leaders, give instructions to the ushers, coordinate with the other committee chairs and discipline the batch.

as i sat through each graduation rehearsal, i became witness to the students’ reactions. some were bored. others were inattentive. a few were annoyed. and all were tired. towards the end of the last practice, a frustrated sir reyes told me, “good luck na lang sa kanila bukas..” he was disappointed with the students’ lack of enthusiasm in singing. tsk, tsk. i felt for him. there’s only so much he can do, after all.

so this morning at the baccalaureate ceremony, we were both quite nervous. we didn’t know if the kids memorized the songs.. or if they were awake enough to sing well (the program started at 6:30am). but as the ceremony continued, we’d hear people say “ang ganda naman ng baccalaureate ngayon!” “ok this year.. organized ‘yung ceremony at saka lahat ng mga bata kumakanta” and we’d just smile. i couldn’t help but remember how many times sir chris raised his voice in frustration during rehearsals. haha. mabuti na lang naging maayos ‘yung mga bata pagdating sa actual. kung alam lang nila.. ü

by 9am, the baccalaureate ceremony was over, and the students had time to go around and hug one another. sir reyes was still at the keyboard.. and soon, almost all the kids in the graduating batch were behind him.. hugging him, mussing up his hair, taking pictures with him. they were smiling and crying at the same time. and i knew, in spite of the long hours and strict discipline, they were grateful to him for being a big part of their graduation ü

these lines were taken from the song “at the beginning” (flaherty/ahrens) that sir reyes taught the graduating class:

“life is a road and i want to keep going

love is a river, i wanna keep flowing

life is a road, now and forever

wonderful journey!”

graduating from high school. getting married. getting your first job. having your first child. these are some of the sprinkled “milestones” that add color and happiness to our lives ü but the journey becomes wonderful because of the people who help us along the way.. who guide us.. who stick by us.. who encourage us in every step we take. they are our teachers. our friends. our parents. our Lord ü

“i’ll be there when the world stops turning

i’ll be there when the storm is through

in the end i wanna be standing

at the beginning with you”

i pray that in the end, i’d come running to Him.. embracing Him.. crying & smiling.. to thank Him for the loving guidance He’s provided me in the wonderful journey of life ü

you found me

today was a busy day for me. you’d think that because it’s summer, we teachers would be on vacation; but nooooo. preparations for graduation, summer classes and seminars have been taking most of our time these past weeks.

i was at school the entire day, so i really looked forward to going home and finally getting some rest. alas, that was not to be the case. i got home, all right.. but relaxing was next to impossible. all the tidying up i’d postponed for weeks stared me in the face.. mocking me.. taunting me.

with a huge sigh, i started doing my long overdue chores. i tidied up my papers (all strewn about our sofa and dining table), dusted the living room, sorted my clothes, changed the curtains in my room and organized my desk. i was at it for several hours.. sneezing continually.. washing my grimy hands obsessively.. and still i was not even halfway done :( sheesh.

in the busyness of my schedule, it’s soooo difficult to keep all my stuff neat and organized. it’s hard to find time for dusting, cleaning and other chores needed to maintain order. so i ignore the mess and close my eyes to the chaos. and by the time i decide to actually do something about it, i’m surprised to find the really lousy state my room is in.

unfortunately, i can also say the same thing about my prayer life, of late. “there’s just so much work to do today,” i’d tell myself, “i’ll just say a quick prayer later on..” i’d often postpone my quiet time.. until i’d forget about it altogether. when i eventually find time to sit down and pray, i’d discover that i’ve already “drifted”.. and it would take a lot more effort and concentration on my part just to be “attuned” to Him once more.

i guess that’s why the lenten season is such a blessing. it provides us all with the opportunity to really *pause* and reflect on His love. to drop everything else and just focus on Him. and to discover that, in spite of our dirtiness.. our sinfulness, He looks at us and sees hope.. and beauty ü

“beautiful, that’s how mercy saw me. though i was broken and so lost, mercy looked past all my faults. the justice of God saw what i had done; but mercy saw me through the Son. not what i was, but what i could be. that’s how Jesus saw me”

thank You, for still seeing me as beautiful ü