Achievement Unlocked: Single Mom (Part 2)

M developed a boil on his head which popped last Saturday. He didn't want anyone to touch it, even his hair. He was restless and throwing tantrums. The last one was done right before sleeping. He was crying for close to an hour. Dad, who cooked the whole day, was letting me handle M. Eventually, M settled down and started getting ready to sleep.

All these time, Dad was playing with I on the iPad. When it was time to sleep, he asked I to put the iPad away. She complied then asked to sleep beside me and M. Dad threatened I that he will spank her if she doesn't sleep already. Ofcourse, she got scared and started crying. Dad will not hear of it and got angry all the more, threatening more spanks, which ignited more tears, and so on.

TO PART 3

Achievement Unlocked: Single Mom (Part 1)

This is a looong story.

Last Monday, Dad and I joined our parish's annual Visita Iglesia. We joined last year and I was able to convince him to join again this year. At each church, I was reciting very basic prayer intentions:

• Good health for our family
• Financial stability
• Good relationships between me and dad, us, lolo and lola, etc

You know how God takes your prayers and completely turns it around? For example, you ask for the gift of patience, then God goes and gives you a week of incompetent work colleagues and kids with tantrums.  The essence is -- He is giving you situations so you can exercise your patience. And just the physiology of the muscle -- if you exercise it enough, a day will come when the task (i.e. being patient) will not seem as hard anymore.

This is the reason why I no longer pray for patience.

Anyway, God seemed to focus on my relationship-building prayer and pounced on it. Because it the hours between Black Saturday and Easter Sunday, He allowed it to be strained.

TO BE CONTINUED.

Apologies

Dear C,

I have judged you. From the time you told me you were seeing a married man secretly, I judged you. When you told me you were the fruit of a second family, I succumbed to half-baked assumptions. When you were already dating openly, I was disappointed and felt angry "on behalf of his wife". When B got sick and I saw you were beside him every step of the way, I didn't know how I should feel. Should I be proud of you? Should I be praying for him and for your relationship, thinking that you are sinning all these time?

I'm sorry.

God has a way of talking to us and putting us in our place. I saw how his sisters honor you and acknowledge your efforts -- and suddenly, I realized that I do not know your whole story. I have let my assumptions blind me from seeing how you stayed by B's side through the best and worst times. I'm terribly sorry.

I hope I find the guts to tell these to you personally. But what I know is, when I see you again, I will hug you and tell you how proud I am of you. You have matured beyond your years. And while we may not agree on a number of things (including your relationship), I am still proud of you and B for making it through. I pray for his recovery, and your emotional strength. I pray for his kids and his wife. I pray for your relationship, that things may turn out for the best. I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me.

I love you, C. Be strong! God never gives us trials that we cannot handle, He always sends help along the way!