“If winter comes, can spring be far behind?” This is the line I remember very well from our English Literature subject in high school at St. Joseph College (now Holy Spirit School). I am referring, particularly, to the classes handled by Miss Candida Vale and Miss Luz Ibaya. They were truly impeccable in their ways, values and style of teaching. I cannot remember anymore the title of the poem where the above line is taken. I’m sure my editor, Ms Ardy Araneta Batoy remember this well.
In our class, then, we were asked to pick out our favourite line, and I chose the line, “If winter comes, can spring be far behind?” Then we had to paraphrase the line chosen.
How do I associate this line from our present situation? In this time of the pandemic, I can say that I am experiencing the “winter of my life; of our life”. But like the verse in the poem, I know that after winter, spring is near. And our “spring” will be the season to glean from the “coldness” of winter. This is the law of nature, I am sure. If there is winter, there is spring. If there is sunset, there is sunrise. If one cries, he/she does not cry forever.
Yes, I’m praying for winter to end, soon, soonest. I am convinced that in every darkness, there is light, and in despair, hope. This is the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. There is always an end to every situation no matter how depressing it may seem. This pandemic has given us something to reflect on: the changing of our ways, and the nurturing of Gods given gift to us: the environment.
I miss my Bff Ardy. We used to talk about the winter and the spring of our lives. I’m wondering what she has been doing. I listen to her programs on radio everyday over dyTR and I get revitalized. I laugh with her; fight for her cause; subscribe to her views; and join her in prayer for the rest of the world. But it’s different when she is in front of me for a tete a tete. We used to laugh to our hearts’ content when we discussed the problems of the world. We never put boundaries to our dreams and our role playing mode to help solve (in our dreams) the gigantic problems of the world – at the click of our fingers. We both believe that the “secret of happiness is freedom and the secret of freedom is courage.” At times, we also laughed at our problems mostly committed in the past. And we would reminisce by saying, “Ug karon pa tong problemaha nato gihibalag, ingon ani-un gyud to nato pagsulbad…”. Unya ubanan ang among mga tinguha sa dagkong talidhay ug pagmaya. Gimingaw ko sa akong grupo uban kang Bff Ardy. Nakabaton na ba mo aning klaseha sa grupo nga dili ka magpanuko sa pagpadayag sa imong mga hunahuna sa kamatuoran sa mga panghitabo sa imong palibot? Kanang bitawng grupo nga dili ka magpanagana sa pagsaysay sa mga tipaka sa kagahapon. Kana bang grupo nga mo respeto sa imong pagka ikaw? Kining akong grupo mao ang SPRING sa akong kinabuhi. Thank you Miss Vale and Miss Ibaya for rekindling in me the beauty of SPRING to wash away the pains of WINTER!
I miss my children and grandchildren. But I feel very happy realizing how they spend their “quarantine time”. They have made a garden in whatever available space there is in their surroundings. At first they were bartering plants, especially herbs and flowers, and vegetables that could be planted in recycled pots. Nalipay akong eldest nga si Estela nga nakabaligya ug tulo (3) ka sunoy gikan sa mga piso nga iyang gi-alimahan. Her family is happy, too, for the native chicken they raised including its eggs. They have already picked flowers from the ternate vine – from the seeds they gathered from my garden last Christmas. My grandson named Blue, sold lechon, in partnership with the neighbouring boys. Irene, my youngest, made masks from recycled materials. Namaligya usab siya ug sud-an sa iyang mga silingan. Ang maka proud ani kay ang iyang mga recipe gikan sa akong mga niluto sa balay. My children are playing a major role in the SPRING of my life.
My cousin Myrna Uy-Anana has a little farm in the boundary of Baclayon and Tagbilaran. Nalipay gyud ko nga giapilan mi niya ug bahin sa iyang na harvest sa duha na ka higayon: Sikwa, talong, batong kamates, okra. She gave me a sample of her red okra. Giapilan pa gyud ug sili nga espada which is a very important ingredient for my recipe that is sisig. The thought alone of all these gestures of generosity makes my heart abundant with love. Myrna is the wife of mayor Arthur Anana, the undefeated mayor of Sagbayan town. He was the one responsible for the construction of the first beautiful town hall of Sagbayan. However, it was ravaged to the ground by the strong earthquake of 2013. When Myrna was widowed, she transferred residence to Tagbilaran with her daughter, Janjan, who got married to Edgar Cempron from Carmen. They have a hardware store and lumberyard in Bool district, Tagbilaran City. Their only daughter, EJ, was in the “Voice Kids” of ABS-CBN. And now they have a small but beautiful cottage in Baclayon. Myrna, thank you for being in the SPRING of my life.
As SPRING is hoped to come, I have this short lovely prayer: Slow me down, Lord. This prayer is written on the prayer book, straight from the heart, given by my nun neighbor in Tacloban, Linda, when we visited her after typhoon “Yolanda”.
Now, I remember the poem: “Ode to the West Wind by Percy Bysshe Shelley”. Spring is, indeed, about to unfold.
