..when birds bowed down ..

Photo Credit to I Heart It

How do you begin to sum up a life?...

I sat and laid my keys on the cloistered coffee shop. I chose that time of the day to eschew noise from the other customers. I woke up with dwindling enthusiasm (yeah, optimist do have that). My confidante knows why. I sat as usual to the corner near the glass pane where I can see the leaves swaying and  birds keenly looking for feeds on the grass. They would fly then back to the ground then fly again. Why birds are like that? They have wings to search but they keep coming on the level ground. Humble act. They were orchestrated to bow down no matter how high they fly. Or else, they won't survive. My order arrived and I was distracted from that thought. I opened my Kindle and continued reading a newly downloaded book from my sister.  How do you begin to sum up a life? This was the question that added to my feeling of nostalgia. I put it back to the table, careful not to spill a drop of hot choco that I was stirring relentlessly as I cannot shake off the lines that provoked such powerful emotion. I grabbed the fork and knife and started slicing the cheese croissant that was served hot, fresh from microwave. I was about to drew the first bite when the passerby smiled. That's the only disadvantage of sitting on a transparent corner. You get distracted, or you become the source of distraction. I took the sip of hot choco and look at the man on the counter. His good understanding of English prompted me to try throwing the question at him. I repulsed with the second thought that he might think  I'm out of my mind (without noticing the existing injury to my brain cells) and drive me out to my comfy space. I instead bit my lips, keeping in mind that I am living in a city that knows no democracy and public relation of opposite sex is a gross disobedience in the rule of thumb. Another customer came in and made his order (eavesdropping's an easy task when you monopolize the space). That was the time I formulated how to begin a conversation. He started operating the machine grinding the ice for a frappe when I asked, how long you've been here? And he continued doing his job. I'd like to think that he didn't hear me. Maybe. It was the first time I felt a man is not interested in  a woman. And I promised myself never to ask him again. Sometimes, when my insanity strikes, I fear for myself. Pwamis.

Back to the question, the birds I saw earlier led me to at least make a sane answer before stepping out of that coffee shop. That many times in my life, I experience moments of being "high". Success is not foreign to me, and I don't want to brag anything about that word, for I am still a persistent traveler. Many times though, like those birds orchestrated to bow down , I get a taste of being grounded back to the level ground. I don't complain for in my sullen weaknesses, I found more grace. It brings me to a point that enables me to understand people going through the same experience in life. That my loose grips are occult blessings so I can hold closer to Him. That makes me survive. And the day goes on. 

So then, I can start up to sum up my life by beginning to enumerate my wounds, my struggles, my afflictions. From there, too, I can start elaborating twice the blessings extracted out of those blemishes. Many calls it insanity. I call it opportunity.

When the sky turned to dusky red, I took the last sip of my drink. I will remember this day when birds bowed down. Wherever my feet will lead me, or my mind will reach the endless possibilities, I will  have this thought that strength is at its fullest when we learn to humble ourselves and receive the unfailing love of the One who made bowing down a part of creation. 

"Faith is about doing. You are how you act, not just how you believe".-Have A Little Faith