Tag: Family

On Religion: “You know what… I’ll pray for you”

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DSC_0250… was what I was told as soon as she knew that I wasn’t religious. “Huh,” I thought.

It seems like a really nice and considerate statement, but then it had seems somewhat closed and short. Like the topic was over. It had bothered me.

You know what? I’ll pray for you, and that the lord will find you and lead you to a better place.

Wasn’t that statement a little passive aggressive?

Religion and I

Since little, my parents had given me a strict set of guidelines of things I can and can’t do, must and mustn’t do via religion. I was told to sit in a meditation posture and pray, without really knowing what it does.

It turns out, I was supposed to see my “master” in my inner conscience. If we pray and meditate a lot, with enough focus, we would be able to see her. I suppose it is similar to Jesus or Allah appearing in your thoughts when you ask for help.

My family’s religion, The Quan Yin Method, developed by the Supreme Ching Hai, is similar to Buddhism. Raised with this religion, I was vegetarian all my life. I meditated for most of my childhood, not knowing what I was doing. I was told to chant my “master’s” name before I slept so that I would be blessed. If I did everything right, I would see her in my inner thoughts.

Well, hard as I tried, I never saw her. 

I felt like I was doing something wrong. Like I wasn’t good enough. How come everyone else seems to be on the right path, but I couldn’t see it?

Doubts, Questions, and Insecurities

As a child I was really confused, but I was scared of asking for fear of adults scolding me. I was also scared of being slow and that everyone would know that I’m too shallow to understand the depths of my master’s teachings. 

I felt like I was just sitting there, waiting an eternity for the 30 minutes to end so I could go eat and play.

When we lived in the Philippines, Christianity was the dominant religion. I didn’t participate in Bible study, so I had a lot of time to myself while my friends hung out and talked about Christ.

I enjoyed reading stories about Christ. How God created the world. The story of Adam and Eve. The three kings and baby Jesus. Christmas was also my favorite holiday!

Then, I was also conscious of Buddhism, from books and TV shows, there were lots of fun lessons to learn. Buddhism taught me the importance to question everything. I needed to be conscious of my way of living.

If I want to throw fire at someone, my hand would be burnt first.

The more people I meet, the more my mind opened to what all was out there. I began to respect religion in so many ways.

If there is a god, then I think my feelings towards him/her right now would be much respect. I’m sure it must have taken a lot of effort to make such a large and intricate universe, down to every speck.

I see every religion has a point. A system. And if each religion says it’s right, then which is right? It’s hard to imagine that there’s only one right answer, leaving the rest of the ancient religious systems wrong.

The truth can be quite tricky a lot of times, tangled up in a ball of invisible truth yarn.

Judaism. Buddhism. Sikhism. Hinduism. Islam. Christianity.

Who’s to say which is the true one?

I used to say that there’s just too many religions, and that I didn’t believe in any particular one. I go on with my life. 

It worked while I was young, carefree, and somewhat ignorant of everything.

My Evolution

My perspective changed when I was faced with a question of – how do we raise children with regards to religion?

Today, I believe in every single one. I believe in the values they create within each person. All religion teaches the importance of values.

I admire that religion gives one such strength to get through difficult life ordeals. That it brings a family, a community together. Its ideals are to strengthen the resolve to be the best person you are. I studied a little on every major religion, and all I saw were good things.

Through travels, I have had many wonderful opportunities to meet with people around the world with their own unique religious beliefs. I love talking to people about their religion, especially those who devote their entire lives to one.

I don’t believe in demeaning other people, like what happened to me today. The conversation had baffled me, making me feel as if I needed to be saved or leaving me feeling like I’m not good enough.

I think religions are great, especially if they are interpreted well and foster actions and feelings of:

  • Spirituality and mindfulness – be in the now and appreciate all else around them
  • Way of living – cause no harm to others
  • Values and Integrity – teaching honesty, work ethics, cooperation, punctuality
  • Responsibility – be a good person to a family, a community
  • Give strength – to get one through hard times

I have a lot of respect towards religion bringing people to different countries of the world to bring love and care to those who don’t have enough.

People could be in their own bubble, but they chose to spend time and money to take care of others.

So to those who says I will “go to hell” or that I needed saving and “pray that the Lord will lead you the right way,” I say- Thanks, it would be cool to see God, but if I don’t, then I will learn from the lessons he teaches through his religion. God is a part of us all, isn’t he? 

Thanks for tuning into my little segment on religion! What did you think? Have you encountered anything similar?

On a different note, here are some less controversial topics I’ve written about recently:

 

A Year in Photos Review

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Another year goes by, the time comes to recount the things we’ve accomplished.

A successful year marks a time where we let our imaginations take us where we’ve not been before. We can fight of monsters if we stand together. halloweenwithmybrother

This year, we started on our path towards having a better body and health, discovering the beauty of mother nature in the process.  waterfall

Developing relationships can be pretty difficult sometimes, but definitely not impossible. Once we surpass it, we make the strongest team in the world! Nothing will stop us from going on adventures together.

I hope that next year will be another year of improvement, making meaningful pursuits, and fun travels!peace

@ Photo Challenge: 2017 Favorites

 

Thanks for stopping by! Here are some life appreciation posts I think you might like:

What are your year’s highlights?

Holiday Snow Storm Brings Out My Inner Child

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It’s been awhile since I’ve stayed at home to see leaves change in the autumn and snow fall in the winter. This year has blessed us with a beautiful autumn hiking trips and fun activities with my family. Finally, it topped off with a snow storm during the holidays, giving us 10+ inches overnight! 

I’m… dreaming of a White Christmas!

This year’s Christmas is pretty special to me, with lots of firsts.

Despite not being religious, I grew up in a country where Christmas was a big deal, streets on streets decked with lights. I learned to love all the Christmas songs, make and gift presents, watch the classics and all the traditions. Lately, my parents have also been getting in to the holiday spirit! There is nothing quite like relaxing in your home with family and waking up to the snow raging on.

We made homemade hot chocolate for the first time (with leftover candies from Halloween). It is so much more delicious than the hot chocolate packets from Dollar Tree or Wal-Mart! It was phenomenal! After the first batch, we got more experimental and bought dark chocolate and adjusted the sweetness to our liking. The warmth of a cup of hot chocolate radiates inside out on a snow day.

I made gifts! You may already know about my crocheting hobbies. This year, I wanted to give everyone a little something special and made little snowmen, pattern courtesy from Ravelry. To top that off, I had also made my loved ones holiday coupons, printouts from One Artsy Mama! They turned out pretty well, I think. Though it was definitely a lot of work!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Uh-oh! The snow had caused a power outage! Most recently, we had a 2 day power outage from Hurricane Irma, which put everyone on survival mode. When the power went out, we fretted about how the cold temperatures would make this suffering much greater than the hurricane. After the initial panic, we used our phones (which were not charged) to find the candles.

Despite the powerful instinct to need our internet, we found great ways to pass the time. In the candle light, we played Taboo (but in Vietnamese, so that our parents could play too), card games, talked, and hung out. This reminded me of the old days in the Philippines, where power outage was a frequent occurrence. We never had smart phones, and frequently kept each other entertained without a distraction of a zombie glow on their face.

I sled for the first time! Who’s twenty-three years young and has never sled before? Ha! It was an experience. Who knew going down a slope on a piece of plastic could be so fun?

Today is Christmas Eve, where our non-religious traditions includes playing board games, watch movies, listening to music, opening presents, and eating food. On Christmas day, we’ll get to play with our presents and visit our friend’s Christmas party. But, really, the only thing we need during the holiday is our family. <3

We’re finally getting closer to our big flight to Vietnam. So much to look forward to, but most of all, to see our family in Vietnam.

What are some of your highlights or funky traditions this year? 

The More I Know…

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It’s true, what they say. You don’t truly appreciate what you have until it’s gone. Despite having travelled across the oceans, I have never fully explored my own back yard. Time to go back and walk the path I’ve never walked. 

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I’ve always wanted to leave the small towns.

I grew up in a small town, lived in one for most of my life. I never appreciated the autumn colors, the mild weather, the beautiful scape.

I’ve always wanted to move to a big city. When I had the chance, I left.

For a long time.

It’s been years since I’ve come home for more than 3 weeks. I guess it would be over five years now? I’ve looped around the world, and now I’m back.

I’m so thankful to have the time to come home, be with my family, have a productive time of my life where I can sit and think. I’m appreciating things I’ve never had before. We’ve been walking a section of the green way every day, seeing landscapes we’ve never seen before. It’s so beautiful. My mountains.

Avid: A Blog Response from Kids

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As I sat, pondering which avid interests I should write about, I was struck with a genius idea: how would children respond to these one-word prompts? I decided to launch my project right away. I called my siblings (they live 15 hours away), and asked if they wanted to write my blog with me. They were really enthusiastic and agreed.

I gave them the prompt and the definition:

Avid:
1:  characterized by enthusiasm and vigorous pursuit :  very eager and enthusiastic avid readers/avid movie-watcher/avid gamer

I waited anxiously, curious to see what they came up with. Because I don’t see them every day anymore, this was a great time for us to bond, have fun, and improve their writing skills. I received their response in a few hours, and typed them up below. I included my comments on their responses.

My brother, 3rd grade, wrote: 

I experienced Avid when I was downloading Minecraft Story Mode. Even if Chi (big sister) is in New York right now, I didn’t give up, cool. 

But the game in the first episode was hard. Also, I could only play one episode, not cool. 

I experienced both avid and not avid of when I go on a roller coaster. Sometimes, I have my hands in the air like I just don’t care. Others I hold on the seat only for safety. I mostly hold on for safety. 

My thoughts on his response: I thought it was adorable. I laughed when I saw he ended his sentences with “cool” and “not cool.” I thought it was cool that he mentioned me in his response ^_^. His story about the roller coaster was adorable. It laughed hard when he said, “Put my hands in the air like I just don’t care.” It’s true, he sometimes loves coasters, and sometimes is terrified of it. I guess it really would be phrased “avid gamer” and “avid roller-coaster rider”? Overall, not the most grammatically correct way of using “avid,” but his heart is in the right place.

My sister, 5th grade, wrote:

Avid: The Day at the Dog Park

One day, I am very avid (very excited about something) about going to the dog park with two of my funny and amazing sisters, my big sister’s boyfriend Magic, and my little brother. My parents were working. We always ask for their permission when we are going somewhere. We bought some water bottles when we got thirsty. We said “bye” then we left.  

The ride didn’t take long. After we got off, my older sister told us about us going to a human park before going to the dog park. Everyone was okay, but I was a little disappointed. But it was fun, I was doing parkour with my brother. After that, I went on the seesaw with both my sisters. My brother when on, too. Then Magic came on too. We all stood in the middle of the seesaw, then we took a selfie. It looked so cool.

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When I read my sister’s response, I went back to find the selfie she was talking about. Here’s us at the park!
Anyway after the picture, my big sister let us go to the dog park. “Yay!” So off we went. We went past the gate and went through the big dog section. There was a couple we didn’t there. We asked them if we could play with their dogs. They said yes. Then we saw one of the dogs digging, so one of my sisters started digging with the dog. But the dog walked away. So me and my brother started playing fetch with the dogs. Then I notice there was another dog. coming in. The dog looked lazy and it had black fur. I looked at the dog playing on their own. The dog just chilled next to my big sister and Magic. I told my brother I would go chill. My brother said he’ll come later. So I chilled my other sister was done digging my brother was done to. The two white dogs left and more lazy dog come in. So we all just chilled. Slowly, the dogs left so we went into the car and left. 

“One the road again,  can’t wait to be on the road again, can’t wait to be on the road again. Oh, sorry I just can’t help it.” Anyway, I was tired so I slept on the car. When we got home, we didn’t do anything. We ate and watch a movie then slept. Really fun day! Bye! 

My thoughts on her response: I thought it was hilarious and adorable! The first thing I noticed was that it was long. I asked to make sure she knew it could have just been 1-2 paragraphs, she said yes- she just wanted to keep writing. Looks like she would be an excellent blogger. I loved that she included the definition of avid in parentheses in her intro. She also is very detailed about that day. Funny, the things that children remember. When she wrote, “I was doing parkour with my brother,” I called her to make sure she knew what she was writing- she did. I was surprised that she knew what something like that means, and found it incredibly amusing that my two younger siblings were “parkour-ing” in the playground. In this case, I guess her phrase should have been, “avid dog enthusiast?”

Finally, I had an excellent time reading their responses today. It’s hilarious because neither of the responses made sense grammatically. However, I loved that they tried to write with it regardless of knowing exactly how to use the word. In the process, I’ve learned a lot about each of them. I realized their writing techniques are really different. My brother uses prompt examples that backs up his writing. My sister weaves a detailed story, highlighting everything she remembers. She writes as if she was telling a friend about her day. They both write about the things they’re passionate about. My brother loves video games and hates roller coasters. My sister loves playing with dogs-and it’s true- she really is enthusiastic about everything. Perhaps living far away has made me miss parts of their lives as they grow up, but doing something like this makes me feel like I’m there.

What do you think of the responses? Are you wondering what your young friends would write? Let’s connect!

via Daily Prompt: Avid

Spending Time with Kids: Asheville Weekend Trip

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Growing up in a small town in the mountains, there weren’t many things to do. My parents, who were constantly busy, didn’t take us out much. That’s why whenever I get the chance to come home, I love to take my brother and sisters out to fun day trips. We lucked out this weekend by getting permission from our parents to stay overnight at a big event about 2 hours away.  Whoo-hoo!

Day 1: NC Mountain State Fair – Asheville

Parking was free, surprisingly, but entrance fee was not. The dense mountain fog did not allow us to leave until 9:30 am. No matter, we’re getting out of the house, and everyone was in high spirits. Right off the bat, we took advantage of the vast amount of heavenly, greasy, inaccessible-at-home foods: Blooming Onion, Corn, Funnel Cake. One of the coolest acts of the mountain fair was the pumpkin chainsaw carving. We watched him carve a bear out of wood and sold it for $70! Afterwards, he made a minion (Stewart) and gave it to Winthanh when she asked for it. AWESOME guy. He said yes! We brought our pumpkin friend with us and named him “Bob.”

Next stop: swings. I don’t know how they do it. Just two rounds on those things would make me want to throw up (yes, I have thrown up from a swing ride before). I’ve never really had a great liking for rotating rides merry-go-rounds, teacup rides, etc.

Fairs are always so colorful; so many things to look at… and buy. It is a wonderland for kids. After walking around in the hot sun for awhile, we found a building where tons of booths were set up. We took free samples, ate food, and walked around. In the large performance area was a Kenyan Acrobatic Show. Their performance was passionate, energetic, and amazing that it made me want to do cartwheels and dance with them (I’m no good at either). Leaving the sweet air-conditioned building, we walked around some more before stumbling upon this money pit: pony rides. Children as they are, they begged me to let them ride on ponies. What a money pit this fair is! $5 per child for barely 2 minutes! I can’t wait ’till they grow and understand the concept of money. I guess moments like these are hard to recreate when they get older. I’ll probably look back and find it worth it just to see the smiles on their faces.

Who doesn’t like sliding down a giant inflating dino slide? Me. The friction on the way down burnt the bottom of my feet. That expression of pain was real. Note to self: wear socks. Ouch!

Kids love the hypnotists. Something about creepy mind control hypnotism is just appealing to these little humans. I was skeptical of the “hypnotism act” at first, but I came out a believer. He  chose an unlikely group of 15 people, and brought them onto the stage. He then hypnotized them to do crazy random things that I could not imagine, like fall asleep in the middle of walking, making them believe that a normal belt is a snake. Whenever he makes that sound, the hypnotized people will see a snake. The belt belongs to the one of the girls, so it was really funny seeing her put it on and have it turned into a snake. The boy threw his shoe at the man and hit him on the face. What a fun night! I would love to see another show like this again.

Day 2: Elaida Corn Maze

We left the hotel at 11 am. On our trip there, we saw several streets named after medieval queens and knights: Lancelot, Arthur, Gweneviere, Merlin. There was an air-conditioned room with stage and an inflated pumpkin. The kids watched the movie on display. It was hot day and we were all sweaty but there were lots of things to do at the corn maze! There was a giant jumping pillow, corn box, giant checkers, spiderweb net thing, tic-tac-toe, hay ride, oh, and of course the corn maze.

I’ve never been to a corn maze before. Lesson learned, mazes are hot! We did all the other activities before going into the corn maze. The path we went on was also very long. There were 5 different maze trails. The Elaida trail one took over an hour. Luckily, we brought apples and we ate them to hydrate from the long trail. We didn’t have enough water and we were lost for a long time because Tam refused to use the map. We were exhausted when we finally finished the maze, and immediately seeked refuge at a nearby corn box.

I have also never seen a corn box before. It is bizarre seeing a box full of corn kernels. I thought that it was somewhat a waste to just have an entire box of kernels for filthy, sweaty kids to play in. As soon as I sat it in, I understood why it was there. It was amazingly cool and strangely soothing (like running your hand through rice). As you can see, Winthanh and Winthien wasted no time burying themselves in the corn. The corn box was surprisingly fun and we stayed there for a long time as we recovered from our long maze hike. Afterwards, we rewarded ourselves with Waffle House before going home. A fun filled weekend drained the energy out of everybody. We were ready to go home and watch some TV.

Looking back, when I ask them what their favorite parts of the weekend were, it’s very interesting to see what they remember fondly. Winthien’s favorite activities were jumping on the big trampoline pillow, diving through the corn box, and receiving the Minecraft sword gift. Winthanh’s favorite part was the corn box. Lastly, my favorite part is that the children will remember this weekend as a quality time spent together.

What is your favorite trip to take with children? What are good quality time activities to do together?