THE Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy (Ihma) in Mati City is celebrating its 66th Foundation this year. And as part of the tradition, this year's silver jubilarians are spearheading the celebration.
And this year's silver jubilarian is Batch '88 thus the double celebration -- 66th on 88 with this year's theme "Dobleng Saya, Dobleng Pasasalamat, Celebrating Life's Best".
The three-day celebration kicked off with a motorcade followed by sports activities wherein students and Ihma faculty and staff are pitted against alumni in basketball and volleyball events.
In the evening, Batch '88 tendered a dinner for the Ihma faculty and staff, the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (MIC Sisters) and former teachers who nurtured their former students into becoming what they area now -- successful members of the society.
Speaking of success, Batch '88 has produced a city judge and a vice mayor, among others. But as what was stated in the video presentation about coffee and cups during the thanksgiving dinner, positions and possessions are immaterial in measuring success in an Ihmacian's standard.
Life is like a cup of coffee
Let me just quickly share what the video presentation was all about: "Life is Like a Cup of Coffee" Spiritual Story by Unknown.
"A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups -- porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite -- telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups have been taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.
Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.
Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live.
Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. Savor the coffee, not the cups! The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly."
IHMA Night
The second day started with a parade followed by a pass in review by Ihma's cadets and a presentation by the school band and boy scouts.
A mass was held in the afternoon. And on the evening was the much-anticipated alumni night.
Sponsored by Batch '88, the alumni were treated to a night of singing, dancing, and fun and games. The Golden Jubilarians, Batch 63, were also honored during the three-day celebration but all of them have to leave early.
"It's past our bedtime already," said one golden jubilarian as they marched their way out of the venue around ten in the evening.
An impromptu one-minute cheering contest was conducted which most of the attending alumni gamely joined by batch. Next year's silver jubilarians, Batch 89, won the contest along with cash.
Batch '88 also presented P100,000 in cheque to Ihma as donation to the school. Another batch also donated cash for a specific school project while another batch donated two nebulizers for the school clinic.
On the third and last day, a field presentation was held wherein students showed off their dancing skills to the delight of the parents and teachers, and the alumni of course.
So to the Batch 88 of Ihma, see you in 2038 for our Golden Jubilarian celebration. By then we will no longer be as stressed as the silver jubilarians who did all the hard work. But hopefully we still are strong enough to stay through the Alumni Night.
We may be the most notorious batch of Ihma, so notorious that the MIC sisters have decided to hold our graduation inside the San Nicolas de Tolentino church with the hope that the place's solemnity would rub off on all of us, but to no avail.
Batch '88 surely rocks. Cheers to you all batchmates!