"tanging yaman"

translation (filipino [tagalog] to english)
tangi
-adj. - special, precious, only

yaman
-noun, -riches, wealth

i think i got one of the biggest news of my life this week. as i always say, my Lord works in mysterious waysi could not fully comprehend and grasp but i am really thankful.

the nursing school i previously applied for in los angeles called me back and asked me if i am interested to the remaining one spot they have left outofthree candidates qualified. wow. the same secretary, mila, who i used to bug and bother every chance i get at the nursing department, who was practically annoyed of my presence there, was the same person who wanted me in their well coveted,conservative, "hardto get in" and disciplined nursing program.

apparently, the only constant thing in life is chages. so life changes for me...AGAIN. i have roughly a month to finish all the courses i have here up north. i'll surely miss stockton. i was contemplating to just leave and everything but i mean, a month to spare is nothing. so i decided to stay.

when i broke the news to my cousin aileen, she got depressed. she kept saying how my being here eased her depression when her friends went away for college. and now, it has to start again. that my stay here gave her an "ate" ( big sister) figure, someone to go shopping with, clubbing, babe searching, whatever! i felt bad. of course, i'll miss her, too but i have to do this for my future. couz albert, on the other hand, kept asking me not to leave annoyingly. frequently asking, "why do you have to leave?" a thousand times when i already answered it more than a thousand times. auntie vicky is quite sad, too. though she doesn't say much, i know it was affecting her. i can see it in her eyes. nevertheless, she was happy for me.

i talked to my mother about it when i called her at work. for the first time, i heard my mom say, " congratulations, i am proud of you." odd, because despite of our casual disagreements, my mom loves me dearly and she shows it on her mean, straight and blank face, no emotion demeanor. but that's just how my mother is. my father is very glad i am sure. after all, he's going to have his little princess back in his castle. ( i am a poppa's girl, okay!?) my brother long had this weird intonation in his voice when i told him i was going back. maybe, that was his way of showing he was glad for me. besides, my baby brother complained that he's getting sick and tired of my brother long's "specialty dishes"---sardines and egg. [LOL}.

everything in life has its own purpose. there are things too difficult to understand. but nevertheless, whatever the outcome is, it should be a learning process. i read something in the bible before that, "everything has its own time" and so we must patiently wait. what was my reason of staying here? at first, it was mainly for educational enhancement purposes. then as days passed, it was more on the spiritual and emotional enhancement and reflection towards people around me. i missed my family terribly.there were nights when i would cry myself to sleep because i'm felt homesick. i reminisce times i share with them. it was killing me.

i did not have all the material wealth others have. for instance, my cousins here have every electronic device/games you can think of. i mean, almost all of the tangible things they wanted out of life, they have it (i.e luxury car...) my other cousins travelled all over the world to shop, for vacation(name it: paris, japan,hongkong...). as kids, they had all the fancy toys to play with. i had my siblings to play with.

i may not have all the material wealth. i do not have a luxury car, we didn't get fancy toys, brand name clothes, we didn't travel to paris, hongkong, tokyo....but i had been fortunate because i have an intact family. this is where i belong.... where sunday was a family day, where we eat together almost every dinner night, where i shared my cheap toys with my siblings, where my dad taught me how to ride a bike,play the piano, and our mom taught us how tosing ( we can sing acapella as agroup--i have the highest voice) and instilled the love for the Lord and respect for others, where my big sister bel used to braid my hair, and now i braid my little sister's hair, where i can play basket ball with both my brothers and beat them, or cruise around in los angeles with them and have fun, where my siblings and i would watch a movie together at the mall or spontaneously go to the amuesement parks, where we snuck out of the house 3 in the morningjust to get pho or play counter strike...........aaahhh...*sighs*

...there are so much to mention. these are only portions of my memories. these are my NON tangible wealth. something no one else have. i may not have all the riches in the world....but i have a family who is dear, god fearing, close, and TOGETHER. above all, they love me dearly. i can't ask for more. some people have all the millions worth of luxuries. i have a valued treasure of FAMILY that no money can pay. and my mom, my dad,my brother long, my sister kring, my baby brother LA, my big sister ATE bel, my nephew ichad and my niece ischa...they are my prized possesion. they are my and precious wealth.

they are my "TANGING YAMAN."

posted by pinay freestyle @ 8:33 PM

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