I have been hearing a lot about time for the past several days—time that continues to pass us by regardless if we are ready or not. From the pastor’s sermon last Sunday to my drive-home conversations with my wife, these moments have contributed to my thoughts on time—thoughts that include what we sacrifice in our pursuit to “increase” our time.
Having three kids, my wife and I often grapple with questions on our fairness to them. Do our kids equally receive the love each of them deserves? Do we give them with the same amount of affection, time, and engagement? Do we play favorites? The quest for fairness is manifested in different ways, and is highlighted in different facets of our lives. We look for fairness in our families, in our schools, in our work, and in our society.
More than a year has passed since I wrote the article “Words Matter.” Through that article, I shared how my kids would play a game where their powers are determined by the words they utter. My then eight-year-old daughter, with her significantly superior vocabulary compared to her much younger sibling, can say a lot more. She can summon fire to melt ice, make flowers bloom to signify a new beginning, and surround herself with a force field to protect her from the attacks of her sister. Her sister, who was only three at that time, can only summon “Ice”! This little one got annoyed so much, because her limited words hindered her from being able to compete with her sister.
It has been a while since I last went out on a date with any of my daughters. My wife and I have committed to taking our kids out on dates, but circumstances have always hindered us from doing so consistently. A couple of weeks ago, I was finally out on a date with my second daughter, doing the things she likes to do, eating the food she wants to eat and, most importantly, neither allowing me nor the past choices of her older sister to influence her.
While waiting to board my 12-hour flight, I browsed the web through Hong Kong International Airport’s free internet stations. I searched “things to do in Amsterdam” in Google to give me an idea of what I can do in the city in my spare time. This is atypical. I normally have my itinerary all planned out, either because I am travelling with my wife—who is such a great organizer—or I had already planned out my trip due to excitement. That was not the case for this Amsterdam trip.
Less than a week from now, we will have our midterm elections. One of the buzzwords we often hear from voters on who they would vote for is authenticity. Authenticity is defined as being true to one’s belief, character and personality. In short, we want our politicians to show who they truly are. It is the degree to which an individual’s actions are aligned with their beliefs and desires. During the campaign period, we try to determine who is authentic and who is simply faking it. Do they believe in honesty, or do they believe that lying can justify the end? Is eating using your hands being authentic?
Two days ago, we experienced a magnitude 6.1 earthquake in Luzon. Another one hit Visayas yesterday. From what has already been reported, there are a number of casualties mostly in Central Luzon and Eastern Samar.
April 16 or ‘the day after’: a day most auditors and accountants will consider as the start of their temporary emancipation because the tax deadline has passed. Temporary, however, because unless we shift careers, we will face the tax deadline again next year.
