GOLDEN Goose—the sneakers, not the fairy tale—looks “dirty” despite its price. Which proves that a pair of brand-new sneakers doesn’t have to be squeaky clean to be expensive, which depends on the amount that’s expensive for you, who may now use Golden Goose as an example of the not-so-perfect life.
And weeks ago, there I was on a slow day with my not-so-perfect life.
What’s my criteria for a slow day? Oh. How about this: “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” and “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” were showing on the same day, and I watched both, one after the other.
And talk of slow, I fell asleep while watching “Godzilla’s” most thrilling action scene. What was that scene? I don’t know. How could I know. I just told you—I was sleeping. Ho-hum. As if that wasn’t enough to make my day, I then watched “Planet of the Apes” which used to be a TV series that I didn’t even like, so why watch its movie version? Hmmm.
But—surprise! surprise!—I loved “Planet of the Apes.” But I couldn’t remember anymore why.
But I do remember why I was falling asleep while watching a movie. Life was happening during those weeks. There was much hope at first for things to get better, for life to be perfect again, for happy days to remain happy. But God had other plans.
If “love comes from the most unexpected places,” as Jose Feliciano’s song goes, it’s possible that this is also true for everything else: Sorrow comes from the most unexpected places, joy comes from the most unexpected places. I cry when I’m supposed to laugh, and laugh when I’m supposed to cry. Because I’m too shocked, I don’t know how to deal with it. It has no protocol.
So, pray for complete healing. Health is wealth after all. But God’s definition of complete healing is not always the physical kind. It could be emotional healing, mental healing, spiritual healing, and who am I to question His wisdom. During the worst of times, I’m always afraid to ask Him why. A cousin, who’s a priest, told me it’s okay to ask God why. But I’m afraid of His reply, so I don’t dare ask.
Whatever is happening in my life, I consider that as part of my healing journey, to make it easier to accept. Denial is not a river in Egypt, as the saying goes, thus, the need to live in the moment. But there was that day when I was staring at nothing in between workout sets at the gym. My mind and heart were elsewhere. I should not have exercised then, but I needed that workout.
Reality requires solutions, for which I have to hover above the grief and sorrow.
If only reality were a movie, then I can leave it behind at the cinema. But reality follows me everywhere. Like that “Sister Act” song: “I will follow him.” I will follow you; sincerely yours, Reality. Stalker yarn?
