My Cup of Tea

Barely recovered from the death of my former boss, Engr. Reynaldo Deypalubos, another shocking news of death of one of my closest friends in the university hit my horizon again. Oh God why all these sad news just won't end??But then of course I have no right to ask God why. Everything happens for a reason and in His perfect time and maybe this is the perfect time for Roumel to join the Lord.  At first, I would not believe it even if the news came from Cromwell's post in FB, it's simply inconceivable. I needed a concrete confirmation directly from his family, so I attempted to call Bels, his wife, there was no answer, so I sent her a text message, later she called me back and confirmed the agonizing news. I felt my stomach twisted into knots. I cried with her and asked how it happened. Actually while talking over the phone I did not know how to comfort Bels how to ease the pain she felt at this moment of sorrow, it's always devastating to lose a significant o...

How would you know when death is coming? When that day would be your final journey in this world? No one knows. Not even the most gifted psychic we have around. For death comes like a thief in the night, most often without warnings. It never measures one’s physical strength and weakness. It has its own pace, own timetable.  We can never tell what life awaits us in the future, even if we carefully plan it, who will come to us and gone from us but one thing is very certain, we all have to die. It's everyone's destiny, nobody can escape it. But why it comes as a surprise when it finally happens? The emotion that flows seems impossible to imagine. Sad. Remorseful. Tormenting. But do we have the right to ask God why? My immediate boss in the university from 1998-2001 and 2006-2010 Engr. Reynaldo Deypalubos. A truly inspiring and amazing man. Sir Rene was full of life, very vibrant, active, physically fit  and with an incredible sense of humour. ...

.. ..And my world temporarily stopped. I've been closely following Steve Jobs for several years now, his story, his inventions, his unique management style and techniques.  I admired how he managed Apple and how he  led it to greatness and stability. He was such a huge influence and his business principles are worthy to be studied. Under his leadership, Apple Incorporated became the World's Most Admired Company. When I read the news of his death this morning, it felt like someone very close to me had died too.  You know when you admired someone and had been following his life for almost half a decade, you will develop this sort of attachment and sympathy that death seemed a terrible word to hit the world. Jobs was one of the fewest world's billionaires whom I showed so much interest on. I'd read numerous articles about him. This is really a bad day. I did not take my lunch. I just ate bread and one cup of green tea. It felt like my appetite was shut. J...

Dr. Leo Buscaglia, an Italian born American psychiatrist, once said: " Death is a friendly word, because it reminds us that we don't last forever" .  But how would we deal the pain of losing a very good friend? With Grace. at the Mine's view Park during our retreat in Baguio City, April 2008 When I received the sad news that Grace had died, it felt like there's a terrible storm that suddenly hit the surroundings. Its effect, usually, is not right away seen or felt until the storm subsided. So I returned home contemplating how to ask other friends about it without breaking in tears. Then I went on with my usual nightly routines: flipping books, writing case assignment then drifted to sleep. Then morning came....and still thinking how I would visit her wake. When I exchanged words with some of our friends, a strange grief slowly swarming underneath. Sadness. Sorrow. A mix of distress and silent pain of missing a dear friend. I struggled to hold some ba...