...Abalakatan ko no doid Kinoingan!

Today 9/6/2008 is my Ina (mother)'s 75 birthday. It was a joy to celebrate with her as she reached this age. Picture taken with her great-grandson.

Kounsikaan doh Kinohodion nu. Abalakatan ko no doid Kinoingan.

...inner peace, it really has to start from our inner self...

"If you want to have inner peace, it really has to start from our inner self through the peacefulness of the soul, so that we can produce harmony when we work or mingle with people" Abas, D & C.

In the First Person Column written by Carlos Ortiz of Democratandchronicle.com

..as a young boy I used to walk barefooted...

Elderly individuals from Borneo. When I was a young boy, I used to walk around the village barefooted. Look at these three elderly persons, two of them are barefooted. Often they walked for miles without shoes or slippers.

The man is holding a "walking stick" that what it is called in Borneo. It supports the man to firmly walk and to reach his destination.

In case you happen to read this posting and interested to make a trip to Borneo do not hesitate to contact me and I will be glad to assist you.

...elderly individuals' eyes cry for help...

In reality, all of us are involved with the elderly and they with us. They are our parents, our relatives, our friends, our fellow humans. We all share the commitment to give witness to the dignity of the human person.

Are we going to let the elderly indviduals' eyes cry for help without been noticed? We need to remember that not all elderly persons are alike, and they do not have to be "like everyone else." Each has her/his physical, psychological, social, and religious needs to pursue in life.

"Where do I begin to tell my story" 99 year old woman

A 99 year old woman said, "where do I begin to tell my story, I have many stories." She smiled while she was saying this sentence. I can really imagine the richness of her soul stories and the various threads of her life. How I wish to have the opportunity to listen the precious stories of this woman.

The Inner Voice of Love (Doubleday, 1996), Nouwen reminds readers that "people often struggle to see their own truth. And that truh is that we are creations of God, that God has entered deeply into our being, an dthat we are offering much of God to others."

It is really good to capture memories with words and preserve the past for future generations.

"I miss my parents"

It is not easy to identify whether a person is lonely or not. I talked to a 92 year old man and he said to me, "I do not feel lonely."

I was very respectful to his inner feeling. Nonetheless, I further asked him, "Tell me your day to day activities?" He paused and finally said, "I do not like the evening time, It is very hard for me."

I further asked him, there must be something special and meaningful for you about the evening time. He bowed his head, and eventually he spoke, " I miss my parents."

I paused for awhile and said to him, "that must be hard for you."

What can I learn from her words?

"It is a struggle to be on this wheel-chair and I am an old person. It is very difficult to be old because I cannot do much as I used to do before." As for me, "life is similar to a rail-track where you only see a person walking alone by following the track." Do not get old...(she smiled) and said "see you tomorrow." She is in her 80s.
What can I learn from her words?

Big and cheerful heart

My mother tribal name is Tati. She took the name Monica as a baptismal name. Currently, my mother is very sick and I only pray that God continue to take care of my beloved mother. Big and cheerful heart.

She is a woman, wife, and mother with a humble heart. She is very devoted in her faith and especially to her great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
For the last three years, she is also devoted to Blessed Kateri Tekawitha also known as the Lily of the Mohawks.
Ina tomoimo koh doid sambayangku.

St. Monica
Patroness of Mothers-Widows-Homemakers and all troubled parents, pray for us.

A 75 year old woman: ...a garden of flowers...

"I think it (loneliness) is more like emptiness. " She selects a garden of flowers as a metaphor. She feels flowers symbolize happiness and are the colors of life. However, she admits a garden of flowers also symbolizes the existent of resentment in her. The reason is that she longs to have a cheerful life. She further explains, "I guess it is a day when I do not have any plans. It makes me lonely."

...ripples sound...

A 70 year old woman said, "My journey of faith as an elderly person is similar to the water flowing from the rock and as it goes down, it produces the ripples sound." She further explained,

"It is soothing to my mind and heart, it cleanses my inner being. As for me, be alone should not be interpreted as loneliness, for I feel in solitude with God when I am alone."

Are there lonely elderly individuals in Borneo?

This map gives the idea where BORNEO is situated around the world. Another interesting studies that I am trying to pursue is a research on "Elderly Individuals and Loneliness in Borneo." Are there lonely elderly individuals in Borneo?

...a new day, where will I go...?

Each day is a new day. Where will I go if I am old and poor?