ABC STARS Inspires

If he could then he would, he has tried myriad times. If he could take your sorrows away and bring gladness and joy, that he has been doing. However, there comes a time when dark days would come. We are all human. Indeed. That fateful day, he went for a pensive walk, he knew no one. Not a single soul. All nameless faces. It was disconcerting. But, he trudged on. Living in the City of Naga was bearable. His next of kin, just two. Bespectacled with a shade of goodness, with or without, actual eyeglasses made it adventurous. His Manila friends always reach out. Consequently, he is far and away. Unspoken His father spoke Spanish but he never spoke it with him. Only once, he heard him spoke that language when a Spanish-language professor visited their house. Providentially, his mother spoke the language of Cervantes with him. Hindsight, she had a premonition that he would study it at the university one day. It is a complex language. The syntax and other grammatical rules...

'He is lost again. Can you call the Angel Surveillance Detection Command Center, please?' Larry, Agostino's guardian angel, escalated the situation. Peggy, who received the call replied, 'it is winter time, probably, he is not moving so you have a hard time looking for him.'  Larry, counted from 99 backwards to 1, then, he sent a message to Peggy. Sure thing, I will do that, and try one more time. Then, he spread his wings and flew just up to the right elevation and started searching for Agostino. He went to the pond that Agostino, frequently, would go to, he was not there, then, the angel went to the stream. He was not there neither. After about, give or take, two hours, he, finally, saw the lost sheep. He was not moving, as usual, then he smiled right back at Larry. 'I have been looking all over for you, oh, why do you do that Agostino?' Larry pleaded with frustration. 'Hmmmm......, just thinking and I have a bright idea now...

He shifted to bicycling for quite a long time now. Gone are the days that he would walk at early dawn wearing the same color of navy-blue-oversized T-shirts. He even worried about what people thought, because he had the same color of that T-shirt as much as twenty pieces. However, he just laughed it off, what he cherished is the account of his brother’s friend who would see him during those times. What resonated in him was he appreciated that he would let him drive along the avenue as he gestured his hand that he go right ahead. He loves walking. People may be in a rush, but he relished the sights and sounds of the wonderful City of Naga. Yesterday, it was different, he walked again but in the late afternoon. He, finally, found equanimity. He realized that his brother chose to serve the flock, a shepherd who led a herd of sheep. He did not visit him that day. He wanted to give others the chance to find peace with his brother that he himself would feel every time he would say a ...

As writers, we are not supposed to scribble on snippets about movies even about songs. The logic behind that is our readers may not have seen or heard those movies or those songs. Simple explanation. I have been writing for a long time now, and for the very first time I will break that rule. Poetic license. As writers, we are also known for being forgetful. The reason is that we are, constantly, thinking about matters of great value and relevance. But, somehow as we go about our lives we are guided and guarded by the angels. Take for instance, just recently, I withdrew money from the automated teller machine and I, literally, forgot to take the money out of the dispenser. About seven steps forward, with my wallet still in my hand, something happened like wind or force that reminded me to go back to the ATM. A lady was already holding my money when I got it from her. She was two milliseconds short of calling it to my attention right away as she was next in line.  I was l...

We will only realize the value of someone or something until that someone or something is already gone. Yes, a poignant lesson we should like to learn early on to spare ourselves of regrets in the end. At first, we may feel angry or confused but if we try to put ourselves in the shoes of that someone or maybe try to fathom the disappearance of that something, then we could understand why. Cliché as it may sound, everything happens for a reason. Yes, Sir. Never take the matter personally, as always, it is not our business. It is a natural human phenomenon. And oftentimes, an act of God. But by chance or more so a blessing, it may even be one in a billion, that the person comes back and explains to you the grand scheme of the jigsaw puzzle—then, hopefully —you will be comforted, be reassured, and the dark clouds will be dissipated. Hence, you are no longer in the dark. Illumination . In the final analysis, people will go through these five stages: denial, anger,...

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