Personal Challenges from the cold winter to fall: Cemetery, College, Church, Cameraman, Changes, California, Caregiving and Cease on Christmas

It seems like a lot of Cs came into our life this year before Christmas.  This Christmas day, we cease work and so many things - around the world where we all stay home - reflecting on what has passed and what's at stake in the future.  This one is very personal.

My father passed away in February, a big event as I travelled over 16,000 just to pull the plug of my dad who was in his death bed in pain for over 3 years.  Now his pain is gone, while they open the casket at the cemetery I saw peace in him.  Just like anything else, everything has an end and a new beginning.  Some pain can only last for so long but my dad and people around him who gave care have finally found peace.

While in the Philippines during my dad’s burial was also my last chance to submit my research towards my college with Capella.  It was a long ordeal as I balance everything in the middle of our move to our new home in Virginia Beach two weeks later.  My wife did our final house move on her own as well when we move mom to an assisted living a decade ago while I was deployed.  I’m still pending towards my college courses to publish my research, a continuing challenge.  All credit goes to God and my wife Myla who was always there for me.

As I struggle and get more confuse with our future and seeking answers in life, this was also the time in Spring that we decided to move to another church as we found solace in a nearby church versus our old church where I serve as cameraman in a popular non-denominational Christian church.  This fall, after 7 months we decided to return to our old church as we become more humble and mature in our community service and faith in spite of all our challenges - and hope to do again what I love to do (camera & video).

Summer, we decided to move mom out of her Camarillo California assisted living who gives 24 hour care for mom to live with us in Virginia Beach.  My family gave up those comforts by taking care of mom while she awaits another Assisted Living.   This brought smile to her as she is back to her only living family in the US.  It was not easy as we continue to work on finding her the best caregiving, at least like those she gets while she is in California.

And then it is Christmas, a celebrated season around the world - where and when we pause & cease and reflect the joy and blessings after every challenges.  We seem happy because we are but we have those challenges and pain too and we continue to pray about it.  Many of our friends from Virginia supported my mom’s move with us and provided wisdom and seeing joy in my mom’s eye that she is closer to her family now.

As Christmas season started a few weeks ago and coming to almost an end, we continue to pray that we take this changes, challenges and move on to the next with joy and strength.   These are my wishes to us and to you.  

To all our followers, friends and readers - as we cease the usual things we do to reflect the joy of the season -we wish you Merry Christmas and more festive spirits in the year 2017.