If you are rapidly growing old, gaining excess weight and having a sedentary lifestyle and zero physical activity, be wary. They are the risk factors that increase the chances of someone developing diabetes. I must admit that I am one that should be wary and alaramed about it. All these risk factors are staring back at me everytime I look in the mirror.

The last time I was checked up by a Doctor, I got a clean bill of health. I was far from being afflicted with diabetes. But then that was long ago and far away. That was the time when I can still climb mountains and cross provinces via its mountain ranges. Now climbing just three flights up the stairs is not without buckling knees and a bucketful of sweat.

Diabetes has become a silent yet deadly killer. Luckily, there are now a lot of medicines that one can buy over the counter or even through an online Pharmacy. There are even ways that one can determine or detect the chance of having diabetes, like a blood glucose test strips.

But then again the best way to prevent diabetes is not the medicines, fancy meters nor the doctors, it is still that of taking care of yourself. Nothing beats being fit and trim and maintaining healthy habits and lifestyle. Changing a decadent lifestyle may be hard, but think about how it’s like to be being amputated. Which is harder for you?

Family and Me

It is a cardinal rule not to leave your kids to strangers, much so, your infant baby. But in a situation where both parents are working, they are forced to leave their kids under the care of babysitters. In this situation, parents have to devise systems in order for them to be assured that their kids are being well taken cared of.

The only thing that comes to mind is to install a hidden camera. In this case, a nanny camera. Of course cameras could not prevent any impropriety or maltreatment, but it can document these incidents. Not only can these cameras document possible maltreatment by babysitters to their wards, it can also document illicit acts committed by the babysitter and/or her boyfriend, who was just outside your house waiting for you to leave. Petty thief is a common occurence in a household where strangers are tasked to watch over your property. Or even, a steamy (*tooot*) scene caught by your nanny camera can be a bonus take, you might wish.

The downside about this hidden camera stunt is that it violates the right to privacy of a person, and in this case the nanny. Who knows that the nanny might be actuated by pure and worthy motives in doing her job. Under the same circumstance, by secretly filming her through a nanny camera, you have acted more unwisely than you have judged her to have acted. While she gave you favor by diligently watching over your kids, in return you violate her rights by transgressing on her privacy.

But, in the final analysis, and as a father myself, I subscribe to the dictum “Salus BABY Suprema Lex”, - the welfare of my baby is Supreme Law.

Family and Me

Like all fellows and brothers had done who have gone this way before

Most of our menfolk in my father’s clan are Freemasons. My late Dad, his uncles before him, his cousins and nephews are Masons. The latest addition to this list is my elder brother, Ferdie, the eldest of our siblings.

Like myself, Ferdie is a Senior DeMolay and a Past Master Councilor of our DeMolay Chapter, the University Chapter, in MSU Marawi City. Among our siblings, I was the one who first followed the footsteps of our Dad to become a Master Mason.

Following a family tradition and by his own free will and accord, Ferdie finally decided to knock at the doors of our lodge, the Jacques DeMolay Memorial Lodge No. 305.

As a fitting tribute to my Dad, I took the role as Conferral Worshipful Master of Ferdie’s initiation as Entered Apprentice Mason, last Saturday, May 10, 2008.

My brother Ferdie is now an Entered Apprentice Mason and will be undergoing a journey till he becomes a Master Mason. I will be there to guide him on his journey in seeking more light in Masonry, just like what our Dad did when I was made an Entered Apprentice.

I’m sure that our Dad, who is now in the Celestial Lodge above, was happy watching over us, when Ferdie made his first step on the north-east corner of the ground floor of King Solomon’s Temple.

Family and Me, Freemasonry

Today, Mother’s day I would like to share this piece of DeMolay Ceremony specially dedicated to our Dearest Mothers. This is the most memorable ceremony that we DeMolays experience upon being accepted into the Order. This ceremony is given to the newly obligated Brethren of the Order of DeMolay, and is simply and aptly called as the…

FLOWER TALK

My brothers, you have just been permitted to take upon yourselves the name of one of the world’s most heroic knightly figures. Now you can say, “I am a DeMolay.” To be deemed worthy of the privilege of entering into the comradeship of that great army of youth both here and abroad who have dedicated themselves to the ideals of Jacques DeMolay, demonstrates our confidence that the fineness of your purposes will guide your development into the highest type of manhood. To be accepted as a DeMolay is, therefore, an honour of which any young man can be justly proud.

In being received into our ranks, you have been instructed in the seven cardinal virtues of this great Order. We hope you have been deeply impressed with the lessons they teach. There is no better foundation on which to build your character and future life than the practice of these virtues. The Order of DeMolay teaches many beautiful lessons, but none is more important than honour and true respect for womanhood, and more especially for motherhood. It is fitting, therefore, that you have been called upon to stand again before this altar in a few moments of special emphasis upon the virtue which has been given first place among the jewels adorning the Crown of Youth: Filial Love.

For my purpose now, this altar is dedicated to our mothers, whose love never fails. You may rise to positions of great influence in commercial, political, or professional life, but you can never reach the heights of your mother’s secret hopes for you. You may sink into the lowest depths of infamy and degradation, but never below the reach of her love. The memory of it will always stir your heart. There is no man so entirely base, so completely vile, so utterly low, that he does not hold in his heart a shrine sacred and apart for the memory of his mother’s love.

Were I to draw you a picture of love divine,
it would not be that of a stately Angel,
With a form that is full of grace.
But a tired and toilworn mother
With a grave and tender face.

It was your mother who loved you before you were born–who carried you for long months close to her heart and in the fullness of time took God’s hand in hers and passed through the valley of shadows to give you life. It was she who cared for you during the helpless years of infancy and the scarcely less dependent years of childhood. As you have grown less dependent, she has done the countless, thoughtful, trouble-healing, helpful and encouraging things which somehow only mothers seem to know how to do. You may have accepted these attentions more or less as matters of course, and perhaps without conscious gratitude or any expression of your appreciation. You are rapidly approaching the time in life when you will be entirely independent of your mother. The ties with which dependency has bound you to her may be severed as you grow older, but the tie of mother-love can never be broken.

Thinking back upon the years of your life when you have reached the threshold of manhood, your mother might well say in the words of the poet:

My body fed your body, son,
But birth’s a swift thing
Compared to one and twenty years
Of feeding you with spirit’s tears.
I could not make your mind and soul,
But my glad hands have kept you whole.
Your groping hands
Bound me to life with ruthless bands.
And all my living became a prayer,
While all my days built up a stair
For your young feet that trod behind
That you an aspiring way should find.
Think you that life can give you pain
Which does not stab in me again?
Think you that life can give you shame
Which does not make my pride go lame?
And you can do no evil thing
Which sears not me with poisoned sting.
Because of all that I have done,
Remember me in life, O son.
Keep that proud body fine and fair.
My life is monumented there.
For my life make no woman weep,
For my life hold no woman cheap.
And see you give no woman scorn
For that dark night when you were born.

These flowers which you see on our altar are symbols of that mother love. The white, the love of the mother who is gone. And the red, the mother who still lives to bless your life.

Far in the dim recesses of her heart
Where all is hushed and still,
She keeps a shrine.
‘Tis here she kneels in prayer
While from above long shafts of light upon her shine.
Her heart is flower fragrant as she prays.
Aquiver like a candle flame,
Each prayer takes wing
To bless the world she works among,
To leave the radiance of the candles there.

We want each of you to take a flower from the altar. If your mother has passed over to the other shore, you will choose a white flower and keep it always sacred to her memory. May the sight of it always quicken every tender memory of her and strengthen you anew in your efforts to be worthy of her hopes and aspirations for you. If your mother is living, you will choose a red flower. When you go home tonight, give it to your mother. Tell her it is our recognition of God’s best gift to a man: his mother’s love. Take her in your arms and say, “Mother, I’ve learned a great lesson tonight. The ceremonies have helped me realize more fully how much you really mean to me. I’m going to try to show you daily how much I appreciate the sacrifices you have made and the love and care you give me.”

Someday you’ll find that flower, I know not where, perhaps in her Bible or prayer book or some other sacred place, a silent witness to what this night has meant to the one whose love for you, her son, is beyond the comprehension of any son. My brothers each of you will please take a red or white flower from the altar.

DeMolay can ask no more of you than that you shall endeavor so to live as to be worthy of your mother’s love.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY, to all mothers of the world, especially to my dearest mom, Mrs. Marina Avrez Mugot Vda. de Gaerlan, and to my beloved wife and mother to my daughter Maia, Mrs. Maria Marina Victoria K. Gaerlan.

Family and Me, Freemasonry

One of the prankster trick that really drives me mad as a hornet is that of people ringing our door bell just for the heck of it. We use to get these prankster doorbell trick almost daily and mostly it is pulled off by rowdy neighborhood kids. They ring the door bell and then run away as fast as they can. Most of the time they just press once, yet sometimes more than once. This really makes you blow your top, especially if you are in the thick of things and you need to drop it just to look outside and finding no one.

The first time I heard these prank alarm, I thought it was the mailman dropping some mails in our mail box. I went out to look and found no one, and nothing on our mailbox. I was duped into this trick two times more before I conceded that it is a prank and gave up attending to every alarm given once through our door bell. What I do is to wait for the third or fourth ring before I consider it a legitimate alarm and look outside or check our mailboxes. But the door bell ringing four times is really very very annoying. What we do now is just to turn off the door bell, which in turn becomes inconvenient for our visitors. But at least, it gives us peace.

Family and Me