New every morning

(Taken at Luneta Park, December 30, 2008, 730AM)

I haven't been at the Luneta Park for years, but on December 30, I was obliged to go there to participate in the celebration of Rizal Day (our national hero}. There was no other reason for me to go but to comply with the mandate of our management. I was so hesitant to attend, first because it was supposed to be my "free day" from work. Second because I haven't had any sleep yet as I was soul-searching the previous night, trying to figure out where my life has been and where I'm going.

My heart and mind were far from the event because I'm too preoccupied with my own problems, miseries, heartaches and cynicisms of my life. I was in a state of confusion and delusion.

Like a helpless child, I was asking the Lord's intercession, for His enlightenment and for answers to my questions. The Lord is really so kind and good to me because in the midst of this state of bewilderment, He answered my plea. As I glanced up to the sky, I was mesmerized, there I saw His "answer" - the rainbow! I gazed at the "mystical figure" stretched across the sky and in all fascination and awe, I took pictures of it.

The rainbow does not appear all of the time, and when it does, it always gives a glimpse of hope and unexplained joy to those who are lucky enough to see it. It is always associated with good news, hope, redemption and the end of gloom. To some it means that a happy change is coming.

Seeing the rainbow was the answer to my prayers, to my questions. After that brief encounter, I suddenly felt lighter and relieved. Then I realized life is beautiful depending on your outlook. It becomes even better depending on how we shape it to make it more advantageous for ourselves and the people around us, especially the people we love.

I realized that to give meaning to our life is to find something new every morning even in so called "ordinary" things or circumstances. We get to view the rainbow at a time we least expect to see it and I saw it a the start of a new year - what a beautiful way to start 2009 indeed!