Happy birthday, Boy!

Kaninang umaga pa ako nakatambad sa computer. Obvious ba?

Wala lang. Holiday e. [Grabe, ang hirap mag-blog habang nanonood ng Moymoy Palaboy...]

Anyway, among the many things na natunghayan ko online e yung blog ni blueberry010 tungkol sa masalimuot na kalagayan ng mga babies na pinapanganak sa Fabella Hospital. Actually, even her post was just a repost from another site, moms for moms.

Nung binabasa ko pa lang yung blog ni Reah e, sa totoo lang, naantig na ang damdamin ko. Lalo na nung silipin ko yung original blog, which had more photos of the pitiful babies, who were [are?] made to share beds just because so many of them were being given birth to by mothers who simply had no place to go to deliver them.

Habang binabasa ko yung blog at tinitignan ko yung mga litrato, may naalala ako:

Sa ganitong lugar din ako halos pinanganak mag-aapat na pu't tatlong taon na ang nakalilipas (in about 25 minutes).

Kasi nga, ayon sa alamat, kung sino man ang tunay kong nanay ay isinilang daw ako sa isang (pick one) ospital / lying-in clinic / poo-poo ng kalabaw at doon ako'y iniwan sa di matanto'ng kadahilanan.

At ayon pa din sa alamat, ang unang ipinangalan daw sa akin ng kung sino mang mahabaging kaluluwa sa balat ng lupa ay "Boy".

As in, "O, umiiyak na naman si Boy..."

"Kawawa naman si Boy, wala nang nag-claim..." [teka, nagta-Taglish na kaya sila noon?]

"O...O! Kinakain na ni Boy yung sarili n'yang poo-poo...!" [pwera biro, may kuwento akong narinig na ganito daw ang ginawa ko nung wala pa 'kong kamalay-malay sa mundo :( ]

Grabe 'no? Hirap talaga ng tumatanda. Nagpapaka-senti ng husto.

Pero, sa totoo lang, hindi ko po ito shinne-share dito para kaawaan ako or magpaiyak. hindi po.

Actually, I'm sharing this because, as I reflected back on this thought, may namuong pasasalamat sa'king puso para sa Panginoon.

Kasi nga, in Psalm 139, we can find these words...

¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

And what amazes me now, looking back in retrospect, is how God, in His Sovereign wisdom, mercy and grace, saw it fit to take me from the pitiful plight I was in, which was similar to the plight of these babies, and made sure I fell into the right hands - caring hands, loving hands, blessing, nurturing hands.

Thank You, Lord!

Thank You for raising up Mr. Antonio and Mrs. Ruth Dedel to be my earthly, adoptive parents.

Thank You that, 43 years ago, nung kung sino man ang mga tunay kong magulang ay walang nakitang dahilan para 'wag akong pabayaan at ipamigay, Kayo Po may "nakita".

You had mercy on me. Better yet, You had a purpose for me, a plan.

You had a hope for me, and a future.

Even before my parents had me, You already had a name for me. "Jesse". You named me. You called me your own, long before I even knew You. Or cared to.

Thank You, Lord. For being with me, and watching over me, and blessing me now with a loving wife and three great kids. And an incredible, hope-filled future.

Noon pa man Po, minahal na Ninyo ako. At iningatan. At pinagpala.

Kahit na ang alam lang sa'kin ng mundo ay tawagin akong "Boy".