RIP, Nacho

You never failed to greet us enthusiastically at the door.
You entertained us with your tricks and various dog activities.
You begged for bread with those big brown eyes of yours.
You were sure to be found in the middle of the most happening location at home.
You always responded meekly to the words, "Nacho, OUT!"
You were a part of our lives, for seven years.
You were FAMILY.

None of us foresaw that you would be taken away from us so abruptly, but we know you are now up there in heaven surrounded only with happiness and no pain. Take care of my baby Misty for me, and don't bully her too much.

And in case you didn't see it already, here's some messages for you from the rest of the family:
http://facebook.com/?w2m#/profile.php?id=575965076

We'll miss you, dude.

**Without Nacho and Misty, the house feels...childless.**

If You Can Swim When Right in Front of you Is a Tsunami...

Today, the workload threatened to overwhelm me.
Today, there were customers to call and see and attend to, all asking for attention at the same time.
Today, I had to drive from one end of the island to the other. 
Today, I wanted to throw my hands up in the air, tear my hair out, cry in frustration.

And then I chanced upon an email sent by my brother, which enclosed a long-beloved poem. 

And I stopped struggling.
Took a deep breath.
Stared up at the tsunami, the wall of work, which was waiting to swallow me up.
Smiled.

And started swimming for the shore.

One lap at a time.

While the familiar lines of the poem which i many years ago etched into my memory, rang in my head, reminding me...

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools.

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

**she is carrying her baby niece Kayla**

The Power of Prayer (On a Hilarious Note)

My mom burst excitedly into my room this morning while my sis and I were still in bed.

"Girls, you know what??" She gushed.

We open our eyes to peer up at her sleepily.

"The bad ache I was having in my lower back yesterday was gone this morning when I woke up! Now it's coming back just a little bit, but I think the fellow GB teachers who prayed for me really helped!"

"Oh..so that means that our prayer is not effective la, only the GB teacher's prayers are," I replied cheerfully.

"No la, not that. But now my lower back has no more pain, but my middle back is experiencing some strain now."

"I think if like that, then next time ask them not to pray until so specific la. Just ask them to cover your whole back with prayer, so that the pain won't travel up and down!"

**She is telling herself that just because it hurts to smile doesn't mean you stop smiling.**