Gnawing Portrait

My first visit to the National Museum was supposed to educate me about the atrocities committed by the Spaniard towards the Philippines. The visit was required by one of my subjects in college. As I visually rummaged through the various paintings, it was not the historical Spolarium that caught my eye, it was a simple painting of an infant.

As I looked closely at the painting, the sleeping infant, who looks to be 2 to 3 months old, slumbers so innocently wearing his baptismal gown. The painting captured the delicate smile and fan of the infant’s eyebrows on his cheeks as he sleeps. Looking at it, it made me sigh at how lovely the picture was. Too bad that during that time there were no digital cameras or even cellphone cameras I can use to capture the image. Interested and intrigued, I looked at the description.

There was a story to the picture, a sad one. The painter was a father who has lost a child. Gazing upon it, I felt the father’s pain. To encapsulate every detail of a child he only had a few months to hold in the painting is so moving that even after hundreds of years it still had that power to touch hearts.

It was 1998 when I saw that painting for the first time. Year 2014, I embarked to recapture my interest in the arts by going to the National Museum again. The old building was different, and the painting was no longer in its original place. I asked a museum staff stationed at the lobby if they have seen a painting of a dead baby, and he pointed me to the newly renovated gallery. There it was, on display with a big wall all his own, is the sleeping infant that captured my heart.

Just by looking at the painting, I wouldn’t have known it that time that the baby already passed away were it not for the signage just below the portrait. Maybe that is the reason why the image is so alive; to make us feel that even in death, the love we have for our dearly departed will never leave us and will continue to inspire us to live our lives.     

A Wife's New Year Resolution

It may seem odd to write a resolution weeks after New Years and even days after Valentines. But in the few months into marriage I realized that every day is a New Year, a new opportunity to redeem yourself, take back the words you said, and strengthen the love for your significant behalf. 

To stand true to my vows and commitment, here's my 2014 New Year Resolution stated under my new civil status.

1. Powering Up the Redeeming Factor. - I married not only you buy your family too; for this I vow to put importance on your thoughts and opinion rather than fighting for my own. Happiness is achieved not by winning over others but by arriving at a compromise where everybody is happy.

2. Flaring up has its moments but not on our bed. - Patience is indeed a virtue. When the radical voices in my head are clawing their way into my mouth to make you understand a point, I'll endeavor to hear you out calmly and understand your point before my mouth gets ahead of my head.

3. To calmly count to 10 before getting mad at something.- Again, this has something to do with giving way to reason rather than emotion. 

4. Measuring ourselves without the vanities of Facebook statistics. - Facebook statistics should be entertaining not serve as measurement of achievements. That is a point I will always shove into your face even if it annoys you. To always prove that Facebook statuses and status symbol are superficial & should never gauge the happiness of a couple or a family.

5. Filtered honest will be indiscrimately applied. - There will be times that I will hide things from you. But I can assure you that when I do, it will only be trivial, superficial and NEVER on the level of financial or betrayal. Sometimes, a wife just gotta have secrets.

6. 100% effort for 50/50 sharing. - It's for my benefit that we live in a man-dominated society; but just because that could work to my benefit, it doesn't mean that I'm going to take advantage of it. I will endeavor to always be your better half especially during times when you need someone to solve your problems. 

For now I'll end up at 6. . representing the things I've learned this past 2 months that we've been married. I promise to put all these into practical action. The list may go on, but 1 thing is certain; even if the list/number goes up, my promises will intensify. I love you husband.