Isay Says:My Personal Tales: Thanksgiving 2018: My Personal Thanksgiving

I am a very grateful person. I am always thankful, as in, everyday of my life!! But today, I am more emotional hahaha leading me to be more flamboyant and more grateful! It´s the Thanksgiving Day bug biting me! I always look back, live the present and look forward with so much gratitude in my heart! And this is my personal thanksgiving note this 2018!

2018 is an emotional roller coaster ride for me. This is the year that for the first time in my solid 20 years of corporate life, I took a 1.5 months of medical leave! This is the year that I have been diagnosed with anxiety and panic attacks! My son saw me breakdown in public. My body had a hardtime adjusting to the medicines. But thankfully, I am better now. I am now laughing again, singing again, getting mad and arguing again!! Hahahahaha It is a tough road but Faith, Hope and Love really keep me going. This year, I have been blessed to spend holidays in the Philippines, spend time with my brother dear in Valencia and spend our summer getaway in the Andalucian region. These are the memories forever engraved in my heart!

THANK YOU TO MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS! I maybe living away from my original love ones (my family and friends) but I am very grateful for our very good relationship! I am thankful for my parents who are the backbone of our family, who have shared their lives to us, who are instrumental in our upbringing. Their unconditional and selfless love to us is a reflection of who we are now as adults. Thank you for inspiring us to become good, caring, generous, fair, God fearing and loving people! Growing up, we were not rich in material possessions (especially that my father was the lone breadwinner and my mother was a stay at home mom, she is the engine that keeps our family together! She made sure that we, her 6 children are always with love and attention!) but we are wealthy in love. Even if we had siblings misunderstandings which were normal during childhood and early adolescence, our relationship now as adults have transformed and we are just filled with love and support for each other! We embrace and support each other´s success and help each other during trying times! To all of my friends, who are part of me, just like my family, who have seen the best and worst of me, for all the continued love and support, thank you! Life has led us to different destinations and different objectives, but our love and concern for each other stays the same!! THANK YOU Mama, Papa, Ate Paz, Kuya Ronald, Adeng Jon Rey, Adeng Joyce, Adeng Ryedel, Adeng Joy, Sissy Joy Marie, Rexieboy, to my pamangkins, my loves – Abigail, Pio, Grey, Hannahdel and of course, THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU Sweetie and Marcelo!!

THANK YOU TECHNOLOGY! I am thankful for the major breakthroughs in technology that bridge the miles and miles of distance. Videoconferencing is such a common thing nowadays!! It makes homesickness much more bearable!! Youtube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, streaming I owe it to you!! I am so so so reconnected with my well loved go to feel good movies and Asian dramas!!! Facebook, messenger, online messaging has evolved that we are just connected 24*7. Thank you so much to the proponents of technology!

THANK YOU TO MY COMPANY AND TO MY PROFESSIONAL, TALENTED, SUPPORTIVE BOSS AND COLLEAGUES AT WORK! I love my job! Really! No joke! I am blessed professionally! I have a handsome, very intelligent yet considerate director. He has a very commanding presence yet he is humble and has excellent people skills! I love my colleagues at work! We share professional discussions and engage in excellent initiatives. We eat together and laugh together! Imagine if we spend approximately 10 hours at work and we don´t even laugh! That must be very sad and very boring!! Thank you my dear colleagues for the support and for the trust and thank you for my company for the compensation. Also, thank you to my husband´s company for recognizing his exemplary talent! My husband is truly an intelligent, hardworking professional! The Best Data Scientist! Way to go sweetie!!

THANK YOU TO JEDDAH AND ATE EVELYN for helping take care of my little one and for tidying up our home sweet home while we are busy at work. I appreciate very much your genuine concern for us. MARAMING SALAMAT!!

THANK YOU TO MY DOCTORS (Dra. Blanca, Dr. Javier, Dr. David, Noela) and for helping me overcome this stage of anxiety and panic attacks. BORJA and PILAR are practitioners of traditional acupuncture and therapeutic massages who are also helping me cope with my anxiety. I am getting better. Though I have a long way to go, still I am hopeful.

THANK YOU TO MY SON´S TEACHERS AND THE PROFESSIONALS in his school and extra curricular activities! You are our partners in building skills of my little one.

THANK YOU TO THE METRO and CERCANIAS DRIVERS, TO THE SUPERMARKET WORKERS you make our lives as working moms easier! Because of the metro and cercanias´drivers´dedications, we are able to reach our work and be safely back home again. And to the workers in the supermarkets, you help in ensuring that our household merchandises are sufficient, if not complete!

THANK YOU TO MY SAVIOR, MY LORD GOD, for Your saving and healing grace. Without YOU, I am truly nothing! Your compassion and mercy has saved me from ailment, distraught, sadness and hardships. I know that You will not give me any trial that I cannot bear. I lift it up to You my Savior, my Lord, my God. To you be the glory!