How do you know when you’re living a blessed life?

It’s when you never feel lonely even when you’re alone.

It’s when you get things you never knew you needed until you got it.

It’s when you don’t get what you've been praying for, only to realize afterwards that it’s not really as important as you thought.

It’s when you learn of things about the ones you love— things you never see coming… things that should have repelled you… and realize that it doesn't really matter. That what you love is not their past but who they are as a person.

It’s when you work hard but happily towards your goals and dreams with hope. It’s having the ability to pursue them with all your might— but still be open to the possibilities that there might be a time when you’ll need to find new ones.

It’s when you can talk about your mistakes, your failures and your hang ups— then simply smile because you know that they were all supposed to be a part of your life to make you a better person… the person you were meant to be.

When I went home today, I was feeling all light and happy. I got no enough sleep last night then I had to get up early for a Grad School make-up class, during a holiday no less. But still, I felt blessed. And I know I was.

When night came and all of my sisters and my mom came home, we started our end of the day chat. My mom told us about a woman with three kids who sat beside her in the jeepney. Her two kids were nauseated and she looked worn out.

My mom tried to help her 4-year old when he was about to throw up. Apparently, the kids haven’t eaten anything and they've been travelling for quite a while, moving from the province to Manila. The woman thanked her and told her of the reason why they moved.

She married a man who she thought was kind and good. After bearing their child, the man started being irresponsible. He even started hurting her both physically and emotionally. It took her many years to finally have the courage to escape with her kids. Now she’s going to stay with her sister, hopefully to start a better life.

People often dream of fancy cars, big houses and more money even if they already have enough in their hands. Enough being the relative term since most people rarely think they had enough. This woman’s story made us thank God for all the blessings He’s given us. Yes, there were still things we wanted. Yes, there were still improvements in life we seek. But we will never let it rule our life. Because every breath we take, every second we live in a day, every tears and smiles and laughter— they were all part of life. Now all we have to do is to pray for that woman to be blessed the same way as we are… because she most certainly served as a blessing to us… a reminder that for all our whining, we have a God who listens, understands and responds with the right answer at the right time.