Dolly de los Reyes

March 30, 2013 – It was my special day then. After a series of birthday celebrations from one set of friends to another, my fellow young single ladies and I decided to follow the mob – and off we went to the movie house for the exciting romantic sequel of Sarah Geronimo and John Lloyd Cruz’s “It Takes a Man and a Woman.” I remember myself being so curious of the story line. I kept asking myself: What is it this time? I eventually resigned and anxiously waited for the big twist. If being able to cry during the movie is equated with its high quality, then I would gladly give it two thumbs up. But then again, we don’t measure it through the amount of tears we shed. Love, trust, pain, and forgiveness have inhabited my mind since then. Love , for one, is bathed with mystery. It can break all impossibilities. It can bring you to the heights of human emotions that only those who are capable of loving can experience. It is enveloped with magic, with sweet promises, and with the laudable whisp...

“I love you, and it is out of love I allow certain situations and events to happen, to show you that without Me you are nothing. I allow these events to happen to keep you near Me and lean on Me. I want you to trust Me.” - Jesus’ message to Vassula Ryden dated Jan. 30, 1990 (from the book True Life in GOD) I have been hibernating in my self-made cocoon for the past two weeks! But instead of relaxing, I am feeding myself with God’s words, chewing every bit of it. I bought a book titled True Life in God 4 years ago. I just happened to catch a glimpse of it inside National Bookstore. Curiosity kicked in, and half an hour later, I was heading my way to the cashier. I remember being so “in love” with Jesus at that time. Smiles…smiles…smiles. Fast-forward… I fell in love afterwards, turned my back to God (I was too focused on that man that it only hit me recently how I had chosen him over God), and got hit so low that I remained flat on the ground for quite some time. So here I am now,...

"Would you like to go with me to The Feast?" asked my boss. "I would love to, Ma'am," I answered with a smile. Those lines marked the start of a beautiful friendship. That happened 3 years ago. In short, this mentor-mentee relationship has already taken root through those years. I used to call her Mom for all the right reasons. She was an answered prayer. She paved the way to my dreams. She cleared my path to spirituality. She eased the tension built by the people around. Gradually, she had become a Mother to me. Yes, because she deserves to become one. Inch by inch, she made her way to my heart. When triumphs follow me, she rejoices with me. When the battlefield nears me, she is always there to tag along, not to fight with me but to storm the heaven with her prayers. When tears just fall from my eyes, she is a comfort and a solace. When darkness threatens to blind me, she serves as the lighthouse to guide me through. When life is all but challenges, she pa...