Custodio: All worth it

LIFE is funny.

We go through it thinking how yesterdays and memories seemed better and happier. We laugh at the way we were and what we loved before we got to 'here' and 'now'. We quip about how it was simple then with simpler joys, and how closest it was to the best things in life being free. The happy times spent like Sundays lying on the beach or building sandcastles. We talk about the time when the air was clean and traffic seemed like a foreign idea. Life was good and easy. Then we grew up.

Post your reaction to the Manila hostage crisis

Hmm.

Now, we find ourselves wondering where the time went and how everything moves so fast and that people seemed to get old faster. We stare at the mirror and surprisingly find an older version of ourselves, time-worn and weather-beaten. Sometimes when I think about these things I feel so old! Gone are the days of dancing and gallivanting. Now, I have trouble standing up and I can't touch my toes anymore. I feel like grandma on a rocking wheelchair! These days, I complain how success takes too long to achieve and whine that love is so hard to find. Haha. Weird? Just wait till Valentine's Day.

Hmp.

When we were younger, there were no worries. Troubles were passing thoughts that never lingered long enough to stress us out and cause wrinkles in the most obvious places to have them. Today, we start worrying about things even before any REAL cause for alarm takes place. What's even worse is we continue to be anxious even after the trepidation is over! What's up with that? We seemed to have found more and more reasons to worry ourselves silly. Where and when did we pick up that attitude toward life? Haven't we learned not to worry and just be happy?? Apparently, the answer is NO.

Errrrr.

Okaaay. I know that growing up is not easy. As we mature, we are given certain responsibilities and we ARE expected to be responsible. I get that. In these modern times we are in, everything seems to be about getting ahead and making a name for one's self. I get that too. BUT, I just hope that in our quest for self-fulfillment and success, we do not lose sight of what is important. Like, our family and making the conscious effort to spend quality time with them. I have seen people focus too much on achieving their dreams, only to find that they have lost everything else in the process. We should learn to keep things in balance and know what matters most to us so we don't find ourselves falling off the edge of the earth.

Life is not all smooth-sailing. When the times get rough, surviving may feel impossible. It never helps to be pessimistic during these times. Just take a deep breath, smile and say: "This too, shall pass. What doesn't kill me will make me stronger." We may not see the light at the end of the tunnel sooner than we want, but we know that it's there. We are proof that the light does exist. So don't lose hope. Hang in there.

There are times too, when we fool ourselves into believing that the fun will never stop. That life is one long party and the good times will never stop rolling. Yeah right, good luck on that. We are capable of being stupid enough to do really stupid things that only teach us that we are uh, stupid. Then, amidst all the illusion, you get smacked in the head for being such a bonehead. When these things happen, I hope we all learn our lessons and remember them well.

In our life's journey, it's a good thing that we will always have the chance to start over and try to be a better versions of our old self. We will always have that choice. We are lucky to have that, no matter what anyone says. For that, be thankful. Always be hopeful for the future despite the challenges because there will always be someone who loves us no matter what we are, what we were, and what we will turn out to be. THAT makes this crazy life on earth all worth the crazy living.

So REALLY count your blessings! :)