The 'bestest' times of my life

...in my current incarnation are when I get to hold, or get a chance to see, or mingle with, the big, middle and little lights of my life. Whatever my flaws in this lifetime, and they are many, I know I have been blessed over and over, under and sideways because I have a family, because I am a wife, because I am a mother, a grandmother, a daughter, a sister to all in this family of humankind.

Call it aging, call it post-menopausal pause that enables contemplation--perhaps I find myself in this mindset these days because I feel the windows of time, of space, of patience, slowly shutting. This gives me one more chance to set things right, or center, or left again.

The center will hold.

Images in their sequence:

1. Stuff a lola wants to hear someday

2. Rolly Fern (seated right) watches Kai/Butones dance onstage while everyone awaits the start of a program for the 12 Outstanding Senior Citizens of the Baguio-Benguet area. Beside Rolly is Kidlat de Guia carrying his few months old son and representing his father Kidlat Tahimik

3. Rolly relaxing by the bread display of Cafe by the Ruins

4. Butones and her Mamay Kimi

5. Butones with her aunt Ida who she sometimes addresses as "Ate"

6. The gurlz

7. The Lollikins of Pasig, Quezon City, Antipolo and Calgary with family matriarch Nene Lolarga seated in the middle row (in bright orange, the color of service)

8. Look forward, ever forward, angel of ours!