Forever Holding Unto My Highlighter

I have a big appetite for reading (well also for food..hehehe). I love reading almost anything....almost, with the exception of chem and math stuff! I love sinking into the playful thoughts of writers. I am often amazed as to how they interpret any real event, which mostly they base their stories from. Fictional books are also interesting because they bring me to another realm. They introduce me to things I never thought any man could even think of—truly enchanting.

When I read books, I often use markers to highlight the portions which struck me or stirred up my emotions intensely. Sometimes I also highlight lines that I find significant. Just the other day, I was sorting my books and was able to open one. The book was the General Biology book by Campbell. I found so many sticky notes on the pages indicating the keywords. The much-read book also reflected my artistic (read as a-tis-tic… close enough to be autistic! Hehe..) side because the pages are brightly colored with complementary tones. I just love complementary colors!

Speaking of well highlighted books, I saw my Mom’s Bible and man! It is so color yellow- thanks to her stabilo! Hahaha! She loves her bible. Who wouldn’t? Only fools would hate it! The Bible is one of the greatest adventure and history books I have ever read. It contains the story, which I believe (as a Christian) am a part of.
Our individual lives are in fact a well crafted story in itself. God, who owns the pen and the paper, wrote each one’s story wonderfully. From the time when we learned:

• to stand on our feet without any form of assistance
• to tie our shoes
• about ABCs and count
• to do arithmetic
• about food chain and photosynthesis
• that boys and girls could be co-exist harmoniously
• that infatuation dies down eventually, and that it is not love
• that things don’t always end up the way we want them to
• how love can both feel so good and hurt so bad
• that we could only be free when we start to let go of the things we thought could be ours and most importantly when we learn to forgive
• that God uses the most hurtful things to pull us closer to Him so we may get to know Him better…..
  

He wrote each part with a loving purpose of revealing himself to us. He knows us very well for he sees our hearts. But He richly desires to know us more intimately.
I humbly admit that I am still preschooler in God’s school. I am trying my best to highlight all the things He has been teaching me all these years. I pray that I don’t get to miss any single momentous item. Forever I will hold unto my highlighter. And forever I would be tirelessly highlighting the ‘highlightables’.

P.S.
Oh by the way! Just want to give you a tip. Don’t use blue highlighters much because it makes you feel somewhat sleepy when reading any handout or book highlighted with it. Try using orange or green. Green works best for me—it’s cool in the eyes.

A Peter Pan Inside of Me

Rain drops on our face.
Sprinkles on our ice creams.
Lollipops and cotton candies.
Clowns, bubbles, and crazy-colored balloons.
Jump ropes, hop scotch, hide and seek, dolls, water guns, and matchboxes.
Innocent giggles and laughter.

Isn’t a child’s life a much less complicated than we used to think it was? How ironic when we used to get irritated when we hear our parents’ ‘oratorical pieces’; telling us not to /to do this and that; and now that we’re grown ups; we sometimes wish they could still decide for us. Right before we could utter our first ma-ma and pa-pa/ mommy/dada/ tatay/nanay, they already have an existing database of rules and guidelines, which they easily retrieve whenever we do wrong or whenever we need to decide. Excellent information management system indeed! I only wish we could have the full access to it now. There are times that when I face a very difficult/ painful situation the Peter Pan inside of me grows- the same Peter Pan who wants to get stuck in his childhood. I am frail and wishes to cuddle in my parents arms whenever I feel pain. But I can’t anymore. I’m technically an adult. I am but faced with more hurdles to overcome; a race to win. A Peter Pan inside me grows whenever I feel tired and weary. But a Peter Pan inside of me continues to hope and embrace the adventures of my story, which my Creator crafted for me perfectly.


Life is not a cycle; I believe so. It only becomes a cycle when we don’t learn from our mistakes. It is only stagnant whenever we don’t get to appreciate the little things that God tries to teach us everyday. A Peter Pan who refuses to grow up has a life that is cyclic, a life that is stagnant. Surely, there are times that the coward and laid back Peter Pan overcomes me. But definitely, I would choose the hopeful and adventurous Peter Pan to influence me the most. A toast to the hopefuls!