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...

Between now and tomorrow lie uncertainties, and that is where life’s paradox dwells. We are taught to work hard for something we want done. We start to believe that there is a somewhere where all dreams meet as one. We heed the signs that seem to lead us to that one destination. We ignore the hindrances to keep focused. There is nothing stopping us to move forward. And then we give our partial best in any area of our life. We live, laugh, and love to experience that momentary bliss. That is NOW. But tomorrow doesn’t come in quickly. In between the two is a small crack, a gap, where countless heavings and sighings are witnessed. This is that one instance when doubt suddenly crowds our hopeful minds. When we suddenly realize that we are not equipped enough for the battle that awaits us. It is when life’s crossroads are met. The end of the tunnel is seen, but the only thread of hope we are clinging into is as dark as a starless night. Negativities creep in and consume most of the powe...

I used to think about the real meaning of LOVE. And as usual, figuring it out isn’t an easy thing. As I grew older, things have changed somehow. Gradually, piece by piece, I feel the puzzle of love is nearing completion. As experiences come one after another, so do lessons and learning that have taken root in my soul. I have come to understand that I have been blessed with the opportunity to grow with my pupils. Slowly, I have realized, there is so much wisdom in these young minds. And since it is February, Love Month, I asked them to define love. Well, I was expecting the usual childish stuff, but it turned out the other way around, for these are things that I have somehow forgotten along the way to adulthood. Through careful observation and innocent reflection, my cherished 11-year old pupils gave me these definitions of love: - True love is not to be found, only to be felt. I did not give flowers to someone because I haven’t felt true love. And for me, it’s not something you can ...

(For my class – Gr 5 Simplicity) Victory isn’t luck; it is earned and gained. I thought it would be me guiding my pupils all throughout the week-long sports fest; it turned out the other way around. Divine Light Academy’s most-awaited event, Palaro 2012-2013, took place last Feb. 4-8, 2013. And it really was fun. I had thought of it as a mere bonding time with my pupils, but my advisory class had shown me things I never really took notice of. Two days before the opening, we scheduled a 3-hour practice in whatever sports they were assigned to compete for. Everyone was eager enough to prepare that they arrived in their full sports attire. (You should have seen them!) And yes, it was a fun morning for all of us. Then the opening came; I was as excited as they were. I was wearing my class’ official jersey. Wearing a bright smile on our faces, we headed off to the parade. The program that followed was more than what we expected. Everyone was really set into high energy level. C...

My life is a pilgrimage to the unknown. True, my life is a gift from the Divine. But every moment of my existence is flooded with uncertainties. There are things that would seem irrelevant, but are actually part of a bigger puzzle that has yet to be completed. I was seated on a bench inside De La Salle University’s campus reading Paulo Coelho’s “Aleph”. I recounted being excited about it, then falling back to the routine of leaving it in one corner of my room for dust to accumulate. I was too engrossed with every line, every syllable vibrating in my head, sensing the urgency to act on my life NOW. Knowing your personal legend. Following your heart. Listening to the soul of the Universe. All these things boil to one: living your purpose. A state of euphoria washed over me, for somehow a portion of my being has been revealed. “Listen to the signs,” as Paulo Coelho would say. Yes, signs. They surround us, until that one instant when that sign hits you directly that there is no other way...