A married relationship does not guarantee total commitment among the couple, that's a fact! I learned a thing or two about this just recently. It's quite hard to bear being in a relationship for quite sometime only to realize that your partner may love you but his heart  doesn't really belong to you. Then you could just only wonder, how did it happened? 

There is this what we call "first love" and there is a song that could back it up which says, 'first love never dies'. 

If you happened to be on that kind of relationship, you have two options-stay or just let go. Either way, it can cause you real pain. But trust your instinct that you'll get by sooner than later, just learn to accept the truth though truth hurts but it could set you free.

    If you are considering migrating to Canada but quite confuse about what part of Canada you would like to go to, you may want to consider Calgary. With its population of more than 1.4 million people, and ranked as the most livable city in North America and the fifth livable city in the whole world according to the Economist Intelligence Unit, then what else are you looking for? Furthermore, Calgary is the largest city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the third most diverse major city with more than 120 languages spoken in the city. Calgary sits within the prairies just east of the Rocky Mountains, where the Bow and Elbow rivers meet.

    But if you want to know if it is costly to live in Calgary. Well, for one, you must have a decent job that could get you through with Calgary's cost of living. My sister is currently living in Canada and she said one job is not enough to have both ends meet if you are just new there. Before, she used to have two to three part-time jobs. Good thing she found a permanent job that allows her to work 8 hours a day. The minimum wage in Canada is $15 per hour and Calgary's salary is typically above the Canadian average. The economy in Calgary focuses much on the petroleum industry thus making Calgary the wealthiest city in Canada. The city continues to be known for its 'can-do' attitude and business-friendly environment. The cost of living in Calgary is high relative to smaller towns around Alberta, but quite reasonable compared with most Canadian cities. Residents in Alberta pay no Provincial Sales Tax, instead, they are paying General Goods and Services Tax charged at 5%.

    House prices and rent prices in Calgary are competitive, with plenty of accommodation supply. Purchasing a house in Calgary will cost you at most $420,000, which still depends on the house's size, location, amenities, age, and condition. Before owning a house, you need to check your financial capability, otherwise, you can have other options like a monthly mortgage and the like. If you are living alone, you can opt for a condominium which is a whole lot cheaper of almost 50% compared to a single-detached house. There is also a good supply of rental properties, most of which are unfurnished. Renting a standard one-bed apartment will cost around $1,000 per month, while two-bed versions cost around $300-400 more. But if you really want to make the most out of your money just simply browse on the internet and you can find Calgary Homes For Sale.

    For the mode of transportation in Calgary, they have their Calgary Transit, a public transit service owned and operated by the city of Calgary. A monthly pass will cost you around $100 per month. Living in Calgary without access to vehicles can be totally challenging. It can be difficult to get around Calgary if you don't have a car.

    Calgary has a variety of cafes, restaurants, and pubs available which have impressive offerings in terms of dining out. There are a lot of steak options across the city and most restaurants offer daily specials that are worth a penny if you want to treat yourself any day of the week. But if you are looking for a greater place to pig out, then 17th Avenue is typically the best place to go as many of the best pubs and restaurants are situated here.

    Calgary was also known for its annual Calgary Stampede, a 10-day rodeo festivity that happened every month of July. it is also known as the "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth." It is participated by cowboys from different places gathered together to showcase their talents.

    Why live in Calgary? Aside from the fact that they are the most livable city, Calgary is clean and beautiful with a modern, attractive downtown, a good-sized meandering river, and the Rocky Mountain backdrop. The Rockies are easily accessible by car from Calgary, with world-class skiing in the winter and incredible vistas in the summer. It has clean air, one of the sunniest climates with low rainfall and most of all with its friendly people.

    So what else are you looking for? Come and live in Calgary!

When there's a surge of COVID 19 earlier last year, the cases of death rose higher but those casualties were all strangers to me. Then 2021 came, just as most of us thought that things are getting better, the news in India suddenly erupted with reported thousands of lives being cremated due to this pandemic. Then the local cases increase with the so-called new strain of COVID 19. It was reported that the virus is now airborne, which is more alarming and life-threatening. The number of infected is getting higher every day so does the mortality rate. But what was disheartening was the fact that those whose lives were claimed by this deadly virus are not total strangers anymore. They are the son of a friend, a churchmate, a husband of a superior in my department, and a former colleague. 

I haven't met my friend's son, but I am very close to this friend of mine, the mother,  who is a very prayerful and kindhearted woman. I can feel her agony because when his son was admitted to the hospital, all she could do was pray and ask God for a miracle because her son was far away from her. She was supposedly waiting for him to be home after two years of being locked down but when that happened, he was already inside a jar with his ashes.  Then next was my churchmate. It's been a while that we haven't seen each other because she was too preoccupied taking care of her ailing father and brother. It all started with the flu then the difficulty of breathing. Just when she was about to be admitted, she died right in the triage of the hospital. She was not swabbed but declared as COVID 19 casualty. Then another one was the husband of our former School Superintendent. Just a few minutes after he got his first COVID 19 vaccine, he died. Reportedly, it's not due to the vaccine but to his heart attack. Then lately, a colleague from the university where I previously work. I don't know the exact cause but I just read on a Facebook post from his subordinates that he has now turned into ashes. 

Indeed, it is so disheartening to realize that their lives were claimed by this deadly virus to which until now has no certain cure. The vaccine was not even 100% reliable. In fact, rumors were circulating in social media that the vaccine was lethally intended to depopulate the world. This rumor causes some to have a second thought about getting the vaccine.  My husband got his first dose already. He got some after-effects like flu and fever though it was manageable. He got a text informing him of his second dose but was rescheduled due to time constraints.  As for me, I signed up already but didn't get it yet. With this rumor,  I really don't know what to believe but I kept on asking God that when my days will end, it should be because of the aging factor, not because of this deadly unseen enemy. I am still looking forward to getting the vaccine considering that I have little lives to protect, my son and daughters.

Prayer, after all, is the best thing that we can do.

#COVID19

#CovidVaccine

Everyone learns differently, especially young children. It is important to accommodate and celebrate these differences inside the classroom. That is why many educators are turning toward a new type of learning—holistic learning. Read onward to learn how to effectively incorporate holistic learning materials into your elementary school classroom.

What Is Holistic Learning?

Holistic learning is a teaching philosophy that aims to educate the whole of a person, rather than simply teaching standard academic concepts. This means combining the cognitive, emotional, social, and physical aspects of a subject into a complete, well-rounded lesson. Students are encouraged to reflect inwards on themselves and recognize how their actions affect the world around them. Similarly, lessons are designed to reflect real-world scenarios and often feature local problems the students can help address.

What Are the Benefits of Holistic Learning?

Studies show that students who typically struggle in the classroom experience increased academic success when holistic learning is incorporated into the curriculum. Additionally, holistic learning cultivates empathy, thoughtfulness, and emotional awareness, resulting in students who feel empowered to connect with others and contribute to their communities.

Which Tools and Materials Are “Holistic”?

There is a plethora of holistic, pre-made lesson plans and enrichment items you could bring into your classroom. Puzzles promote dexterity and logical thinking. Board games teach children the importance of rules and cooperation. Read-aloud picture books mix visual and audio stimuli. Browse around to see what works for your unique students.

How Does the Classroom Itself Contribute to Holistic Learning?

Research indicates that the physical setup of a classroom affects a student’s ability to learn. When arranging your classroom, try to incorporate natural light, relaxing sounds, and interesting colors. To promote connection and communication, organize desks to face each other in small groups. If possible, add plants and other naturalistic features that your class can nurture together.

All educators want to do their best for their students. The current state of the education system makes that different. However, change is possible, one classroom at a time, holistically.

Indeed it's very true that you'll only get to know your partner when you'll be living on the same roof and as time goes by of living together.

It can't be denied that there's no such thing as perfect relationship among married couples. There will always be flaws, shortcomings, misunderstanding and even relationship gap. However, there might be no perfect relationship, but there are still many couples who remain in the commitment til their last breath. How did it happen? How do they make it work?

ACCEPTANCE.

Yes, indeed. Acceptance is the key in order to have a highly effective marriage. According to the book written by Nancy Van Pelt, "an important prerequisite to accepting your partner at face value is the ability to accept yourself just as you are" She said that self-worth is an honest appraisal of oneself. That is accepting your limitations that you've been unable to change and the ability to move ahead after failing many times. Through self-acceptance, it enables you to pay attention to others as well and become tolerant of the weaknesses of others as you are of your own.

Personally, before I got married to my husband,  I have so many expectations that only my mind could imagine because as we build our own family, I have so many frustrations because of all those unmet expectations. But what can I do? So, instead of resenting, nagging, and blaming him (which I actually did before), I accepted him and condition my mind that it's him and I can't do anything about it. My full acceptance of his total being actually resulted to positive result because by the time I stopped nagging him, he's now more open and more easy to deal with especially in rearing our three children. 

Indeed, acceptance is the key. If you find it so difficult to do, just reconsider that you have different backgrounds, different upbringing. Reconsider as well that you have different beliefs and principles in life. By the time you marry him, you're not only marrying the person in flesh, you are also bound to commit down to his soul.

Longing for a lifetime commitment?

Accept and meet halfway.

I'm a Mom...

Far from being perfect...

A work in progress...

But coping and trying harder to become one.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone!

My Lola

My only Mother

My sisters

My sisters-in-law

My aunties

My cousins

My Mom nieces

My Ninangs

My female Mom colleagues

My female Mom teachers

My female Mom church mates

My female Mom friends

My female Mom acquaintances

My female Mom students

My female Mom neighbors

Even to InaTays

and all the mother women reading this! 

The world would be a whole lot different without us! 

You can't even imagine it 😉