Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

A little over a month after giving birth to an adorable baby girl, I find myself in the midst of wet and soiled diapers, feeding bottles, and baby rattles. It's a wonder how such a small helpless angel can totally change one's life and priorities. When I learned that I was pregnant last October (2008), I busied myself reading pregnancy and child care books. And when Aleeza Erelah was born, I thought I was fully equipped with every armor a new mother can ever have. But I was wrong...

The books..yes, they provided me with basic information on child care and what one should expect... but they never really prepared me with motherhood... there was no description as to how a new mother feels when in the middle of the night, amidst her deep sleep, her baby cries and she has to get up, no matter how sleepy she is, so she could tend to her child's needs.... then there are the nappies... the wet and soiled nappies which need to be changed... and then breastmilk that seem too difficult to come by, no matter how eager she is to feed her baby with it... plus the discomfort of her perinium area and all other complications that come with child birth...the list is endless, I couldn't even count them...

With all these things, I came to fully realize how much my own mother had sacrificed and had gone through for me and my siblings. Every one of us has not the right to hurt our mothers... be it in words or actions... even if they haven't really been the perfect mother, the fact that they gave birth to us is reason enough to love and respect them with all that we have.

Nothing really comes close to the pain and joy of being a mother. I just wish all women who'd been through it come to realize God's purpose on why motherhood has to be this way.