Healing sea and the Bravo awards

The sun and the sea have amazing healing qualities. A kaleidoscope of sensations and moods mesmerizes the restless spirit.

The ocean is both a fascinating refuge and a source of creative inspiration. Serenity calms the heart and soothes the mind.

Sunrise is a delightful surprise. The pale lavender — silver gray sky at dawn slowly turns to light powder blue as the sun begins its slow ascent. Walking on a deserted shore is a precious luxury. The sound of the rolling waves is music. The seagulls are not yet awake. A flying fish suddenly sprouts from the water and dives back.

One can bask under the mellow and mild sunshine and gaze at drifting puffy clouds in the cobalt sky. The sound of the waves rushing forth and receding is soothing. The racing anxious heartbeat slows down. The electrical impulses of the hyperactive brain settle into a gentle pattern.

Random thoughts and bright ideas begin to crystallize. The imagination begins to unfold images of wondrous light.

The water appears to be a sheet of mirror stretched out to the horizon. Only a solitary sailboat glides across the line between sky and sea.

As the morning ripens into noon, the sky turns cobalt blue with towering cumulus clouds. Seagulls soar ad swoop like white kites dipping into the water. Kingfishers perch on the ledges of caves searching for their aquatic pry. Little sea turtles crawl out from their hatched eggshells and tiptoe lightly on the shoreline. The waves make bubbles and leave tangled seaweeds, scattered shells and a lonely blue starfish.

In the late afternoon, the sky deepens into azure. The sea becomes pewter gray with flecks of gold and copper that cascade forth, streaks of magenta and violet magically transform the clouds into sheer gaze ribbons.

Perched on the side of the cliff, a curious traveler marvels at the Divine tableau created by a giant brush and palette. The sky is splattered with impressionistic dots and strong, energetic brushstrokes. A work- in- progress.

The radiant orb begins its solemn descent into a hazy horizon. Streaks of copper and rust ripple on the moving water. The dramatic sky turns into startling shades of peach, orange, fuchsia, crimson and lavender.

The fresh salty air is a heady cocktail of oxygen and the fragrance of wet grass and wild flowers. The heart feels the sharp sting, a tight tug. The minutes tick ever so slowly as the golden sun vanishes into the horizon.

The afterglow evokes bittersweet nostalgia, memories of happy summers and melancholy sunsets past.

The moon rises from the east. It had been so long since one has seen the phenomenon of the simultaneous sunset and moonrise. A splendid synchronicity in nature.

Twilight turns the sky into a velvet indigo backdrop for astrologers and astronomers. The evening star twinkles brightly. The planets and stars align into familiar constellations. One can trace their glittering designs by reaching out and making diagrams.

Shooting stars, comets and meteor showers streak across and fall into the ocean. It is a different cosmic spectacle every night. One feels like a tiny insignificant speck in the vast universe.

The luminous moon ascends and bathes the jagged cliffs with a magical silvery sheen. Its radiant reflection is gentle and soothing to the aching heart.

To gaze at the timeless panorama of sea and sky is to find harmony in heaven and earth. That priceless moment is like coming home, and healing — at last.

BRAVO AWARDS 2017

Zonta will honor women achievers who have not yet been recognized by any organization nationwide. “This organization’s advocacy is to empower women in various levels of society. They are the unsung heroes that we can emulate,” Zonta Makati and environs president Armita B. Rufino remarked.

The Bravo awards, co-presented by Security Bank Corp., were launched in 2014.

Ms. Olivia Ferry, Bravo Awards Chair explained the five criteria for the awards:

Vision and leadership. Social impact. Innovation. Sustainability.

The nominee’s standing as role model as shown through activities that have significantly enhanced the lives of people in the community.

Congratulations to this year’s outstanding achievers:

Sister Mary Placid Abejo OSB — Awardee for Arts, Culture and Heritage

Mary Beth Maningas — Awardee for Science and Technology

Zarah Jane Juan — Awardee for Business

Sadhana Buxani — Awardee for Media

Yvette “Betsy” Medalla — Awardee for Sports

Susan V Ople — Awardee for Social Service

Susana P. Guerrero — Awardee for Culinary Arts

Jessie Coe Lichauco — Special Award for Social Service

Ms. Lichauco is an American who has resided in the Philippines since 1930. She was granted Philippine citizenship in 2012 through Republic Act No. 10356 which was signed into law by President Benigno Aquino III, citing her for her social contributions to the country, adopting the Philippines as her home, speaking the Filipino language, and for embracing Filipino culture. Her life, her social work and support of the arts and culture of the Philippines is captured in her award-winning life documentary produced by her granddaughter Sunshine Lichauco De Leon entitled Curiosity, Adventure and

Love. She is 105 years old. The panel of judges are: Ms. Marife Zamora chair of Convergys and president, Management Association of the Philippines; Dr. Esperanza Cabral secretary; Dr. Jikyeong Kang president of Asian Institute of Management; Ms. Emily Abrera, former CEO and president of McCann Erickson; Ms. Elis Flores, RTC judge, Muntinlupa.

(The Bravo Awards will be held on Aug. 16 at the Security Bank Centre, JYD Hall Auditorium, Makati City.)

To gaze at the timeless panorama of sea and sky is to find harmony in heaven and earth.