Remembering the Dead

It's Halloween and it reminds us that all of us will really go to the Great Beyond. We humans know how to make our fear of death manageable. Halloween today is celebrated in malls with the children wearing their fearful yet cute costumes. We make our fear of death not so morbid anymore.

November 1 is All Saints' Day and November 2 is All Souls' Day in Christian calendar. Both two days will give honor to the dead, the first is for all the unknown saints who gave their lives for the faith and the second is for all the dead ones including our dear relatives.
Why there is a need to remember the dead? It's because we love them while they lived. They could be a mother or father, wife or husband, son or daughter, friend or lover, etc. Besides, someday we'll also die and we also want to be remembered.

So, whatever nationality you have and whatever custom for the dead you believe, we're united in our belief to respect and remember our dear departed loved ones.

How to be Happy?

Happiness is actually a state of mind. You can be happy or sad in the midst of prosperity or still be happy or sad if you're stuck in scarcity.
I happened to read news that some famous people with riches and fame are sad; they even attempted suicide and some had succeeded. I also learned that a small island republic of Vanuatu ranked as one with happiest people in the world. This republic is frequented many times in a year by typhoons. Their houses are destroyed. Their only possessions of taro plant and pigs are carried by flood. Yet the Vanuatuans are happy.
Many simple things in life are free and become our sources of happiness. If we're in good health while other in the hospital are dying, can we not be happy? If our family is well and our children are sources of inspiration can we not be happy?
Appreciating the scenes of nature can lift our spirit to be happy. The singing of the birds every morning will inspire us to praise our Creator.
Stopping from our busy schedule and contemplate for our existence will give us happiness. Why demand so much to acquire material things hoping to be happy if we succeed and yet happiness is fleeting. Don't fool yourself. You can be happy if only you want because most the things that will make us happy are free.

Always Find Opportunity to Relax

I discover that if I lack rest my blood pressure is rising. But the moment I relax my mind and my body my blood pressure returns to normal.

This is now the malady of the so-called rat race. If you're always busy because the job is so demanding your blood pressure tend to shoot up. Your intention to be excellent in your job and to be always on top of the situation is slowly killing you.

Why not find opportunity to relax? If you're in computer you can visit You Tube and see and listen soothing music. You're mind will surely relax. If you're religious, you can find rest by meditating through the Bible.

You may also visit your memory bank--flash backing your happy memories.

So, there are many opportunities to relax and you should grab each one of these. Unless you do justice to your mind and body, sudden sickness like stroke, heart attack and cancer be avoided.

Social Reformer Turns Hedonist?

This was the focus of my discussion with an old friend today. We talked about our mentor friend whom we consider as a brother, a writer, a social advocate for change and sometimes we think as revolutionary.
Our common friend was our guide for improving our socio-political skills. He was also our critic.
Now. we're sad to learn that he becomes a drunkard. Worst, he has somebody living--a young prostitute half of his age as his mistress.
We also learn that for every company or organization he works he committed finance and trust opportunism. He did not able to deliver the work he supposed to do. He pocketed and did not return the materials and equipments under his care.
This situation of a former friend made us sad. We find it hard to believe that a social reformer who advocates for positive change in the society especially human rights issues now a hedonist?
I remember my lesson in Psychology in college. Freud taught that development of human mind or composition of human mind is controlled by id, which is animalistic, ego--rational, and superego which is more more a spiritual.
Maybe this friend when we knew him years ago was ego to superego dominated and now reverted to id. What a pity.
We hope that someday he would awaken from the filth that he's swimming and wash himself for purification.

You Become Vocal as You Old

This is my observation to my friends and to myself. I become more vocal and expressive as I increase my age let's say I'm 42 now. I don't care anymore how others perceive me. I want to express myself especially if I'm angry. Of course I see to it that I can't damage relationship.
When I was younger, I found it hard to criticize or to be frank with somebody in the fear that a relationship could be damaged. Now, it's different. If I found somebody trying to put me down I immediately put my guard and ready to assault if necessary. Unlike before which I was only passive.
This attitude maybe associated with the changing physiological changes in the body. Blood pressure easily rises. Maybe the mind asserts itself that it doesn't care who you are. I want to establish my identity and I will really show it.
So, if you find your folks always arguing easily in a trivial issue it's sure that they're aging. But this is not to say that aging is always associated with short temper. Some old folks are so peaceful. Most of them also are opinionated. There's a saying that old age loves tales and this is really true.