Better Days

Sleepy town is still recovering, the skies are still overcast and only a few cars and trucks have started the hustle and bustle of the day- AND it's already 6am. It is weird and it's kind of depressing. I've never imagined, in my whole life, ever experiencing first hand a typhoon in this city. When Sendong hit CDO last Dec 16, it missed my town by just a few miles. But the effect is likewise traumatic.

Last night, we were kept awake by news about the river rising, and a tsunami coming (WTF), If these were practical jokes of some sick mind, they're by far, the lamest ever.

I have friends who lost their homes, who lost family members, loved ones missing and without a place to call their own this holidays. And the sick joke is just SICK. It's insensitive and callous, rude and everything shitty. I hope whoever initiated this whole crap would actually find himself in a manhole with all sorts of poo (EK)

Anyway. Such bad vibes on such an early Wednesday morning.

The good thing about the tragedy, though,  is that we get to take a second look on our lives. We get to re-set our priorities, become less urbanized and appreciate what are really and actually important; we find that we can do away with some material comforts, and actually battle the strangest fears to extend an arm and a limb for a friend.

we see family and friends, appreciate their presence in our lives and see that we can always work together better- systematically, automatically when the need arises.

I think it goes for all tragedies in our lives - there will always be the time when we go through the DABDA stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression then finally acceptance.

There will be the time when we just sit in denial, or in anger, just staring into space, questioning the circumstances. Sometimes, even questioning God. Pleading for the bad things to just go away.

Few days after the storm hit the city, we can see rich and poor alike, sitting on the streets, with what's left of their belongings just staring into space, with sad eyes and an empty air.

But then, there will be the time when we start picking things up, organizing the crap in us. Planning our way out of the tunnel. Sad to say though, at the time when we're all getting our acts together, this is also the time when people are quick to point fingers.

Then finally yes, eventually, we will come out of everything that scares us, scars us, even breaks us - alive and better.

Yes, we can't do it without our support groups. family. or friends. or prayers.
But certainly, we most can't do it without the conviction and the faith in ourselves.

We are actually tougher than we thought we really are. We are built for these crises, we are better than the circumstance.

And Maybe, just like all things, all bad events and bad people in our lives eventually fade in the background. I can't say there's always the forgiveness playing, but there certainly is acceptance.

The road to recovery may be a long and winding one, with a lot of road blocks on the way too. But all I know is, there will be better days. And the most comforting thought is that, certainly, there is an end to all this sadness. - and that, that makes all the difference.