SOMEONE CAME KNOCKING

Someone came knocking (SOMEONE CAME KNOCKING)

At my wee, small door; (AT MY WEEN SMOL DOOR)

Someone came knocking (SOMEONE CAME KNOCKING)

I’m sure-sure-sure; (IM SURE, SURE, SURE)

I listened, I opened, (I LISTENED, I OPENED)
I looked to left and right, (I LOOK TO DA LEF EN RAYT)
But nought there was a-stirring (BUT NO,DER WAS NO STIRRING)
In the still dark night; (IN DA STILL DOORK NAYT)
Only the busy beetle (ONLY DA BISI BITOL)
Tap-tapping in the wall, (TAP-TAPING ONA WOL)
Only from the forest (ONLY FROM DA FOREST)
The screech-owl’s call, (DA SCREECH OWL CALLS)
Only the cricket whistling (ONLY DA CRICKET, WHISLING)
While the dewdrops fall, (WHILE THE DEWDROPS FALL)
So I know not who came knocking (SO I KNOW NOT, WHO KNOCKING)
At all, at all, at all. (AT OL, AT OL, AT OL)

My two-year-old can now recite a poem! This was the poem doting tita, Nanay Dit-Dit teaches all his nieces and nephews. And soon as my Gabriel was a few months old, she was already teaching him the poem above. Gabriel can already sing a few songs, but boy oh boy, listening him recite a poem makes me swell with pride. Thanks to Nanay Dit-Dit and her total devotion to our family's young ones. How lucky will her future children be, learning poetry from her, singing, dancing, oration, you name it. Here are a few pics below so you will see why won't Gabriel learn many things from her ...

THINGS I HEARD LAST CHRISTMAS

GABRIEL: These are all my gifts ... they're mine. I'm going to open them now. As in right now.

NANAY: Who told you those are all yours? And who told you you're opening them?

ABE: But they're mine. I want to open them now!

NANAY: no! as in N-O!

ABE: please ...please...pleaaaaassseee??????????

NANAY: Don't give me that look, Gabriel. It's not gonna work.

NANAY: not all things you want in life you'll get. Life is not just about what you want...it's about what's good for you, what will make you grow, what will help you become a better person.

GABRIEL: see teddybear? I told you I wasn't going to get it.

NANAY: now lighten up and smile for the camera. I tell you it will be worth the wait.

NANAY: there.

wow! a weapon for the little warrior!

puzzle for bright mind!

a dolphin!!

ABE: these are all just too much! I am just speechless.

Nay, you're right. It's worth the wait.

NANAY: (at least that's how I interpreted that smile)

Belated Happy Christmas everyonE! I have been sick. Terrible cough, colds, sore throat. I didn't have voice the entire holiday. Nothing can be frustrating than opening up a present and liking it so much you want to shout with joy, but you can't. My voice escaped me on the night of Christmas Eve, and I was so frustrated I was crying out to God why. But then a few nights to New Year's Eve I got to thank somehow that I was too sick to talk. You see, sometimes I have the tendency to get really loud, talking forever, proving I'm right, never accepting defeat, never accepting I can be wrong, criticizing people, looking for flaws, seeing only what's ugly. While I was voiceless, I didn't have any choice but to sit around, quiet, and observe...in the process I saw myself in all the rest around me.

And I was humbled.

I am not a new person today, though. I am still the sinner, hypocritical, impatient, judgemental person that I am. But I thank God for keeping me quiet during the holidays. I got the chance to listen to the things that my human heart always fails to hear.