WHAT do they mean “life begins at 40”? How does it feel to be 40 years old? These were the questions that were thrown to me by my daughter as I recently celebrated my 40th year of existence.

I simple told her that life begins at 40 because it is at this age where you now see yourself as an adjusted person. One should already have ample experience at this age to answer life’s simple questions. At this age, one should already have experienced much that he or she should have ready answers to any situations in life. In short, it is here where one starts the mature life. By maturity, we mean here that what was lived in the past 4 decades should now be applied in reality.

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My daughter further asked. Does this mean that you will now become old? I told her that a person grows not by years that he lives but by how one live his life. It is life’s experiences that make a person grow and not the number of candles on top of the cake. A person may have lived for seven decades without lifting a finger to help another person is a life not worth living for.

I think I am very fortunate that God allowed me to experience things and events that one could not experience in one’s lifetime. I thank God that for the four decades he has given me a lot of experiences that had made me what I am today. Allow me to share to you my 4 decades of meaningful life.

I was born in the year when man set his foot on an alien soil -- the moon. This might explain that those born in 1969 are people who dreamed beyond and thought beyond boundaries. I could recall that more than 75% of my high school classmates, including me, did not finish our tertiary courses on time. Many of us spent more time in college for changing our courses due to conflict of principles. Now, many of those who finished their courses later than the usual are doing well than those who have gone through the traditional road.

The 70’s were characterized by turmoil, both political and social. I remembered that an old friend would often tell me stories about the martial law years and how fear was sown by Marcos and his Dobermans. The turmoil did not bother much our family because we belonged to the higher middle class of the society. However, as I grew in years, I could see the disparity of life. While I was enjoying a good Chinese private education and the comforts of a bungalow house, many people in the farm are suffering from extreme poverty. I saw this when my grandmother died and I had to stay in the farm during her wake. There I saw the injustices of the sugar industry.

The 80’s gave me a chance to widen my horizons. I saw not only the economic side of the problem but also the political and social problems. Once I tried to ask why is it that the rich are given spaces in front of the Church. Why are the rich people only the ones running the affairs of the state? These were questions that I tried asking my father and we would often argue and he would tell me that these are not topics to be discussed. So they remained as unanswered questions.

I was fortunate to experience the Edsa revolution from afar. In high school, I was more politically aware. I was concerned more of the political state of the country than what we were studying. The toppling of Marcos and the catapulting of Aquino are two experiences that could not be replaced. I saw how political stands and principles would change. I see the dirty world of politics and of government.

I decided to dedicate myself to the service of the Lord. I entered the Seminary and submitted myself to the training for the priesthood. My memories inside the seminary had molded me to what I am today. My questions were answered and I was growing very fast. I later decided to pursue another vocation in life. So, carrying with me all the beautiful and learning experiences, I exited from priestly training and pursued another life.

The 90’s were the colorful years of my life. I continued the profession of my mother. I taught at UNO-Recoletos. My approach to teaching was more on the pragmatic and realist. My ideas were immediately transformed into realities that even my superiors were fearful of my thoughts. However, I tried to prove the theories in books and the principles of Philosophy. I was right that many of these were absurd and ideological.

In 1997, I decided to pursue a new vocation and got married to my wife and found a family of my own. God gave us a daughter with a very critical and inquisitive mind and immediately we lived independently. Now, I could say that the 4 decades of my life has been spent and has molded me to what I am today. Thanks to all the people who have mentored me to live a life of this kind.

If I am given another chance to relive my life from age 0, I would live it the same way that I am living it today with no regrets.

So, my daughter, life does not begin at 40 but life begins on the day one sees the light. All experiences in life should be geared towards helping others and not to fatten our bellies on the miseries of others. Life is worth living for if one lives it for others and not for oneself.

Thank you very much for all your prayers.

For comments, email me at ecaloy1@yahoo.com

St. Ezekiel Moreno and Pope John Paul II, pray for us.