IT IS very heartwarming when family members call you up to check on how you are doing. It becomes special when your "apo" shows how much he cares. As the entire Luzon was preparing for the onslaught of Typhoon Rolly, we were having pretty good weather here in the south. In fact, the weekend was spent on the beach, away from my "robotic routine" here in the city. I was worried about the super typhoon especially when signal no. 5 was declared.
Before I could call and check on my loved ones, I got a call from my angel Caleb and he wanted to find out if I was okay. I said I was and he went on to tell me to prepare for a very strong typhoon. He advised me to have my go-bag ready and buy essentials at the supermarket so that I wouldn't worry about these when the rains come. I had to explain that the typhoon track was very far from where I was and to this he had a very big sigh of relief.
He then reassured me saying that everyone was ready in La Union, that he had his go-bag all set, and that his Lola and Mommy already bought the stuff they needed for the storm like candles, canned goods, batteries, and flashlights. I was so touched by his concern. What amazed me was the sincerity and seriousness in his tone especially about preparing for "war." I wish we adults can also have the faith of a child! Instead of being childish, we need to relearn being child-like!
This year, I cannot imagine what Christmas would be like. 2020 has been very challenging and so much has changed in just a couple of months. Bring in the devastation in southern Luzon brought by typhoon Rolly. So much damage, so much pain. 20-20 vision is a term for visual acuity in which the numerator refers to distance and the denominator refers to size.
Visual acuity, literally, is the sharpness of your vision measured by your ability to identify letters or numbers on a standardized eye chart from a specific viewing distance. Visual acuity is tested one eye at a time, with the help of a standardized Snellen eye chart. It is a static measurement, meaning you are sitting still during the testing and the letters or numbers you are viewing also are stationary. Visual acuity also is tested under high contrast conditions -- typically, the letters or numbers on the eye chart are black, and the background of the chart is white.
2020 will be a year to remember, for sure. 2020 should remind us how time stood still and we had to stop a lot of the things that we got used to. Perhaps, it is really time to sit still, and picture what was, what is, and what we want for tomorrow.
"Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14)
"He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." (Matthew 18:2-5)
"Vision looks inward and becomes duty. Vision looks outward and becomes aspiration. Vision looks upward and becomes faith." -- Stephen S Wise
"In the beginning, you'll have to defend your vision. But after you succeed, your vision will defend you." -- Unknown