Small mercies

E mu ku lalawen uling bina kung matuling,

Uling ing aldo diklukan na ku.

Ding mambang ning kanakung indu mimwa la kanaku; Titukan da ku king pamanibala karing mulang balag: Ing sarili kung mulang balag e ku sinese.

Sabyan mu kanaku, ika a kaluguran ning kaladwa ku,

Nung nu ka pastul, nung nu’ka magkalub paynawa king ugtungaldo. Bakit ku lilibut magbante karing kawan da ring kakaluguran mu.

Nung e mu balu, pekamalagung-dili karing kababaynan, Taluntunan mu ing daralanan da ring kawan at isoga mu la ring tupa lele ding kubul da ring pastul.

King babaing kabayu da ring saken ning Paraw karela da ka yayambing, kanakung kakaluguran:

Ding pisngi mu malagu la karing kwintas, ing batal mu karing sula. Gawa katang kwintas a gintu para keka, at kalakuting pilak.

Kabang ing ari ati yu king sandalan na, ing kanakung kanangga pasalingalngalan na ing banglu na

Ing palsintan ku metung yang balut ning mira para kanaku; Libutad ning salu ku karin ya magkera.

Ing palsintan ku metung yang kumpul ding yena karing mulang balag ning En-gedi.

Asna ka kalagu, kanakung kakaluguran, asna kalagu! Ding mata Mu mengari lang pati-pati!

Asna Ka kalagu, kanakung Kapalsinta— masanting Kang tagana! Aluntyan ya ing sandalan ta; ding kilu na ning bale ta kalantas la, ding patukud, pinyun la.”

~ Suliman, “Dalit ding Sablang Dalit,” Dangka 7: Sunis 1-17

O’t deng sablang kasalpantayanan magdalit la neng sisismba o sasamba la? Keraklan pa pin mamanerak la. E tutung dapat malungkut ing pamanyamba. Dapat pin masaya uling ing

Apung Ginu Ya ing Panginwan ning Ligaya.

Ing pamanyamba masaya, matula at maligaya o nung malungkut man babagayan naman iti king malungkut mu namang dalit o tigtigan, dapot dalit pa mu rin at tigtigan a makawili para king Apung Ginu. E sukat makasawa o makalako gana ing paralan ning pamanyamba nung e sukat pin makasasal at makagaligatsu. Nung wari king metung a bingut, ing pamanyamba mengari king mumunang-diling lasang asna kanyaman o kayumu.

Nung patakmanan yang maslam ing bingut— mangapangisngis ya. Makanyan mu naman nung mapait, malat, masalpak o nanu mang e makaenggayung mangan. Buri ning bingut manyaman ing alalasa na, e marayu king buri tamu naman. Ninung e bisa keng manyaman?

Ding lawiwi ring balang dalit pamanyamba, subali pa karing mangasampat a amanu, makapakde la karing tau bang lakwas lang sumipag

at sasal king pamanyamba o pamanyimba ra. Manibat king ibat at laganas karing kasalpantayanan ating pamagdalit papuri king Apung Ginu at mangalagu la reti uling malino karing gagawang dalit a ing pamanyamba sukat mung makapagbye tula at ligaya, nung e man kanlungan, kapaynawan at kapasnawan king isip, pusu at isip.

Kasalungsungan, ing pamagdalit karing pisamban maragul a saup bang ding talapanyimba samba la parati.

***

Dake Talabaldugan:

1. kiwal³ – (palagyu) lakad makabukaka pwad; sakang a pamaglakad. English – walking with open thighs; bow-legged. Alimbawa king pamangamit: “Kiwal yang maglakad i Dan inya pagsisti de— Apon ya kanu.”

2. kiyapù/kyapù – (palagyu) tanamang mangalating mayayakit keng tabang a danum , sapa o ilug. English – Pistia stratiotes: tropical duckling weed,a variety of water lettuce, with leaves hairy on both surfaces. Alimbawa king pamangamit: “Mengasumpal ing kyapu keng ugit ning bangka inya e de agad apasulung angga’t e da alako ngan.”

WITHIN the first month of the turn of the New Year, I celebrate my birthday. Over time, it has come to signal also the addition of another year to our respective ages for our high school batch since I am the first to add a year in age for most, save for a few exceptions. For us members of the Corpus Christi High School Batch of 93, this year is especially significant because we are celebrating our 25th year since graduation.

It has been that long since we left the portals of our beloved our high school. With most of us in our early 40s, the period when we were together as high school batch mates represented memories made a lifetime ago. As we creep ever so closer to the fabled age of 50, a kind of reflective pause is warranted.

This mental interruption may come in different forms and labeled differently depending on whom you ask as well as the differing levels of severity in manifestation. That leather jacket in tropical climate Ph or that big Harley bike that would be unforgiving to one’s barren crown in long openair drives or that growing number of cats that one has taken in have been called by pop psychologists as manifestations of the dreaded midlife crisis. We all have our share of mildly going bonkers over time and it is necessary perhaps, in order for us to

AT THE outset, the issue of Workaholism is not as alarming as alcoholism, but when you look deeper, both the addiction to work and addiction to the substance have had the same effect... it has destroyed many lives!

Solomon labelled all his hard work as meaningless. Do not get me wrong, work is a vital and godly function of man... overworking is the dysfunction! It makes no difference whether you are overworking for God or for the devil... the result is damagi n g!

Solomon’s response to all his hard work was summarized in a litany of regrets. Ponder on Solomon’s ‘hugot’ lines {par} …

“I hate all my hard work, I have to leave its fruits to another” v.18

“The other person who will enjoy the fruits of my labour is not as hard working as I am yet he will enjoy all the fruits of my labour” v.19

“My labour is not only painful and grievous; it does not give me rest even at night. v. 23 “The time to enjoy the fruits of your labour is now” v. 24

“Only God can bring enjoyment in our work” v. 25

“Ultimately, it is God who decides where wealth will go. God gives wisdom, lose steam from the pressures that come with age.

So what is special with silver anniversaries? For all intents and purposes, the 25-year celebrations pertain to an arbitrary peg that is supposed to stand in for milestone achievements. It is certainly a special occasion that we who have gone far enough are now able to look back and chuckle over the follies of our youth.

The vantage point is certainly unique. As one batch mate waxed poetic in a recent gathering, we have arrived at that age when we don’t have to prove ourselves to anyone anymore.

I don’t know if this is what they call the stuff of wisdom that comes with the grey hair and the permanent potbellies. But I am toying with the idea of finally not caring may be a consequence of how life has actually blunted us into submitting to accept the truth that we can only do so much about the challenges of life; that in the end, it is life and its weird random logic that will emerge victorious and it is futile to resist its unstoppable flow.

For some, the game has been to learn to be grateful for life’s small mercies. The joy of family and children have been granted to many, while for others, it has been fulfilling and relevant careers.

— Ecclesiastes 2:23

knowledge and joy to those who depend upon Him. v. 26

“Those who depend on themselves will be overworked to death, then all their harvest will be given to those who chose to depend upon God.”

Pause for a while and ponder on these red flags which show Workaholism is thriving in you without being defensive. With a Quiet Heart, be dependent upon God. With a Quiet Heart, be consulting— not condemning. Here are the red flags:

1. Work becomes your identity instead of an expression of God-given cr eat i vi t y.

2. Perfectionism is the twin of Wor k ahol i sm .

3. Overwhelming feelings of guilt when we do nothing on our day-off.

4. Strong condemnation against those who enjoy their rest... labelling them as lazy.

How do you face this issue of Workaholism with a Quiet Heart? With a Quiet Heart, pay attention to the red flags of Workaholism. Do not envy a workaholic. Do not flatter the workaholic. Do not condemn the workaholic but do not be influenced by them.