"first love ....joys and pains"

my experience last saturday awakened me to two realities: One, my babies, except Nina of course, are now experiencing the joys and excitement of being in love and two, I have also ventured into a new dimension of parenthood...dealing with your sibling's experiences on having "relationships".

First love. I can still remember how it was....the excitement of seeing just a glimpse of the guy, hearing his voice, where he hangs out, his circle of friends, where he lives, etc.

My first love, first boyfriend lasted four years. I thought that time we'll end up in the altar. But when we were separated...the love just drifted away too. So does my second serious relationship...we parted....we drifted apart.

Looking back at those times now...i can only smile at the "thought" of how i went through it all. The "kilig" feeling of being together.....the small and petty quarrels.....breaking up.......hurting.....making up. Having boyfriends was both a sweet, painful experience.

Now my sons are in this phase...and kids now are really different from us then. I told them, it's wonderful to find someone that really makes your heart skip a beat...falling in love. But they should not let their hearts rule their brain....as of now. I want them to finish their studies first and when they do....when they are more stable and mature....am sure they'll have their hands full.

I may sound "unfair" but....well....just have to accept that since i have such great looking kids...i have to suffer the consequence.

Oh well........

hydrated lime n' chromite

what a great shift!!! But i think the latter's more real and promising......

Dr. Lulu B. can't seem to stop but she's a heaven sent. Thanks to my partner, Norman M.. Just when i completed her Financial Projections for the P20 Million hydrated lime project, here comes the 5,000 Metric Ton initial requirement for chromite lumps. If we make the first shipment this October 15 good... then, am gonna kiss my office goodbye!!!

"Everything happens for a reason"..... even the people we meet in our respective lives. I don't think we'll get the chance to bump into at least 10% of the 84 Million filipinos in our entire lifetime. How much more the 800 Billion (is this the right stat?) all over the globe. So these selected "few" a negligible 1% or even less i guess.... must have a significant contribution in your life.

Pondering on this.... i can only wonder why did i become close to Norman only after Kenneth died? I heard about him almost 2 decades ago, he's even married to a very close friend/neighbor but i got the chance to meet him in the flesh last year and we became instant partners and we're doing good so far!!!

Met Dr. Lulu B. too decades ago .... she was just starting but she's really brilliant!! She's gone places and is now the biggest banana tissue culture lab in Davao...supplying "little President" before...Paul Dominguez.

So why did our paths crossed again?

We are sitting in a rich deposit of lime and chromite......... a new beginning!!!

"shouldacouldawoulda" ...again!

i facilitated a Strategic Planning workshop today. Going thru the process...a strat plan starts with a vision...a dream and a mission...how to achieve that dream. The next step is the situational analysis....this caught my fancy today.

Situational analysis: WHERE AM I NOW?

am 44 years old, worked for 22 years now, 4 kids...a single mom!!!

if i do swot (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) what would it be?

S: i got the expertise
W: i am unknown/a few knows about my skills
O: foreign-funded programs; US
T: other consultants; US restriction on visa approval.

I am unknown. Strategize!!!

I need to expand my network.
Give the US visa application a shot.

When?

Do both by December.

How?

Fund-sourcing.
Hire monitoring team.

Are these doable? Very...just need to give my heart and soul to it.

welcome!!

why "shouldacouldawoulda's"?

these are the "i should have's.... i could have's...... i would have's ..... that should have, could have, would have changed my life.

is it still good for me to dwell on those?

Going through all of it and reflecting on those will not in any way change what i am now. It will probably guide me not to make the same mistakes again but definitely it will prod me to take note of the lessons learned and move on.

I believe that God has a grandiose plan for me.......if He wanted me otherwise, He could have created me otherwise.

So, if i had to live my life again.....i will still tread on the same path. ^.^

I may not have all the wealth and fame but my treasure chest is filled with my most cherished and precious possessions.....my kids..Ipe, Baden, Kim and Nina......and my supportive and generous family, relatives ....my friday group...Gina... and friends.

To all of you....I can't thank God enough for allowing our paths to cross you for being with me all these years!!!