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2008. It has been a year, colorful even with shades of black and grey. A year I will never forget, just like the last 25 years of my life. I am still searching for the pot of happiness at the end of the rainbow and I believe it will always be a nonstop journey. There are a lot of wonderful memories this year in spite the painful recollections that I will fortunately leave behind.

My health, I welcomed 2008 with a news that I have Levo ( left) scoliosis, I decided to have a check up since I am having this throbbing back pain for days already. Dancing has always been a passion of mine since I was a kid and never did I think I’ll be diagnosed with this condition. I am still thankful that it’s only a 10 degree angle scolio so I just had a few therapy sessions and the pain was gone temporarily. I was also forced to wear eye glass from time to time since my vision is no longer 20/20, I already have myopia (nearsightedness). I am still thankful to witness the wonderful creations of God, the sunset and the hopeful sunrise, the smiling moon and stars and even the people I love. I was also diagnosed to have an ovarian cyst but good thing it disappeared after a month of drug treatment.

My work, even if I passed the nursing board exam again last February after the awful 2006 leakage issue and thanked God that even if I just reviewed every after office hours at, where else, Starbucks, I never pursued that career. I continued to work in the Marketing field, I never had the formal education but it served as a challenge for me and God is so good I was even promoted this year. Aside from that, my hosting passion also flourished and I met a lot of wonderful couples that inspires me to accept as true that an ever after is still around the corner. Late 2008, I had a firm decision to continue my business since I know that there is no other way but for me to be an entrepreneur, if I really wanted to have the freedom of time and money ( of course) I ALWAYS wanted to have.

It was also a year of travel for me! It was very impractical to spend my HARD earned money if I will dedicate it to travelling alone(as early as now) so that’s why I am thankful that I get to visit Singapore, Cebu, Iloilo, Palawan, Tacloban, Vigan, Quezon, Occidental and Oriental Mindoro and Bolinao whether it is for business or pleasure. I enjoyed the adventure most especially when I am travelling alone. It gives me that sense of freedom even for a while. The weird part is that every time I ride the plane, seeing the puffy clouds, the crystal blue water, the green mountains and even the Manila skyline makes me ecstatic! I am hopeful that I will get to see Barcelona this February ( I need a miracle) and Singapore again by June and be able to tour the popular places like Sentosa and Night Safari. It is also my dream to bring my family to these places in the future, perhaps I’ll target local spots first. Hehehe…

There are many other things I am grateful about, some of which are as follows:

- I was able to teach ballet again to the little kids of Dance Plus early this year

- served through my passion at the ICON 2008 and Princess Diaries ( Usapang Babae ) of SFC,

-    being a participant ONLY at the MMC 2008

- enjoyed households with my SFC sisters

- attended The Feast at Valle Verde most Sundays of the year

- witnessed weddings of my friends like Mia and Leia, and engagement like my cousin Ate Love

- My mom’s 50^th birthday celebration

- strengthen bond with my friends and able to see long lost friends

- felt the love and support ( over and over again) of my family – both Casuyon s and Mercados

- gave back even on my own lil ways to our poor brother and sisters

- bought my first SLR Camera

- the Spa-holic days

- the silence of my heart with God

- the answered prayers

- the laughter I infect others

- the calls  from my Dad

- The tears that made me smile afterward

- the successful and fun-filled hosting

- the inspiring books I read throughout the year

- the notes God sends me every day

- the blogs I wrote

- the TV series I watched and enjoyed

- the new found friends

- the morning breeze

- and even the person I left behind.. well yeah, even that one.

It might be one of the crises I thought I’ll never get through; I never imagined even in my wildest nightmares that it could happen. I don’t have to elaborate (it was written all over my blogs anyway… hahaha) But yes, I am still thankful the truth was revealed early and those incidents happened. It made me a stronger woman to face the year ahead of me. It made me realized how my family and friends cared for me and how God has greater plans for me and preparing me for the best guy that is yet to come. I will be a fool to say that I’ll forget him or his dreadful actions, but I am over him and that’s what made it exciting! It will lead me to the “one” soon…and I will be here actively waiting. I will never forget these lines from an email I received “There comes a point in your life when you’ll realize who matters, who never did, who won’t anymore and who always will. So don’t worry about the people in your past, there’s a reason why they didn’t’ make it in you future”

I thank God for the 365 blessed days, we should be thankful even on gloomy days. It is serenity found only in our hearts, life is good though it may be unfair sometimes but still we have to be appreciative of the little things that made us smile this 2008.

For 2009, who knows what is next? But I will continue to be fun-loving and optimistic that there are greater things that lie ahead of us. More laughter and perhaps tears, but nothing happens by chance, we make our own destiny and we can always choose to be joyful even if we are not so happy at times. Thank you to all who have been part of my 2008, one way or another you made me a better woman and I will not wait for yesterday. Hello 2009!