December 11, 2015 at La Creperie, Makati

First of all, I want to thank everyone who is present and for your birthday greetings.  Special thanks go to my children for taking the initiative for this occasion.

Actually, my children wanted this to be a surprise for me, but since my husband wanted me to give a short message, and because he knows very well that I can’t say anything impromptu, he had to tell me that they are preparing something for me today, at ito na nga iyon. 

As I am a person who is not used to speaking in front of a group of people, please allow me to read a portion of what I wrote three months ago, and which I posted in my website.  I hope you will bear with me because this will be the first and the last time that I will be talking about myself.

The title of this is GRATEFUL TO BE 70!

Three months from now, I will be 70 years old.  I will then be compliant to the first part of Psalm 90:10 that says:  The days of our years are threescore and ten…..”

By then, I will have surpassed the years of my parents.  My father passed away 12 days before his 70^th birthday; my mother 20 days before her 53^rd birthday.

I have been in retirement for almost 10 years.  And I thank God for all His blessings because even though I no longer have a regular income, His provisions never cease.  I am still enjoying the things that I have enjoyed when I still had a job!   In fact, even more.  Less pressure, more time for doing the things that I love.  However, the only downside is that, physically I am not that strong.  I now recall that twenty years ago, I was very strong.  On Saturdays, I would clean the whole house starting at 7:00 in the morning, non-stop until I was done at 1:30 in the afternoon.  How I wish I could still do that.  But I have already slowed down, and I easily get tired.  Well, that is expected. 

I thank God for life.  Notwithstanding the fact that my early life was a struggle, partly due to my timid personality and to the fact that I had little self-confidence.  After finishing one year Secretarial course, I worked during daytime, and went to pursue a Commerce degree attending classes at night.  But I was forced to quit my job because it was challenging to work and study at the same time.  I felt that I had to do well in my studies.  I strove to excel, but since I was just an average student, I got a scholarship for just four semesters.  Right after finishing college, I applied to several companies, but because job hunting was challenging, I got hired only after three months of submitting resumes and being subjected to examinations and job interviews. 

People often say I'm a pessimist, but I don't think that's accurate.  I wouldn't call myself an optimist either.  I see myself as a realist.  I try to look at situations and people as they are recognizing both the positives and the negatives.

I thank the Lord that during my most productive years, He guided me to the jobs that became my steady and reliable sources of income. I’m also deeply grateful that He remained with me through the darkest times of my life. When I felt like giving up, God gave me strength and courage that kept me going, along with the assurance that all things will ultimately work together for good. 

I came from a family with humble beginnings.  My father was the sole breadwinner, and my mother was a stay-at-home mom who took care of six children.  I thank my father for fulfilling the role of leader, provider, and protector of the family, and my mother for taking good care of us.  I thank God for the many memories I share with them – happy, sad and funny ones.  I love my siblings.  I miss the four of them because they are based in other countries and we seldom see each other in person.  But thanks to technology, I still can see and talk to my sisters, but not my brothers because they are not fond of Skype or FaceTime.  I remember my mother telling us that we should love one another, and help one another.

Even though there were difficult experiences that I and my family had gone through, still there are many things that I am thankful for.

I want to express my gratitude to my in-laws who were helpful during the darkest times of my family’s life.

Thank you, Ludy, Jess and Ate Myrna for allowing me and my family to stay in your place in Guadalupe 24 years ago.

Thank you, Pet, for helping me when I had a problem about my brother’s Eternal Life memorial plan.  I know that without you, it would be difficult for me to do it by myself.  I really appreciate your help.

On behalf of my family, I would like to once again express our heartfelt gratitude to the Lasala family for graciously accommodating us during our visit to Bicol last summer. We truly had a wonderful and memorable time at your place. Thank you, Delia, for taking the time to accompany us to the beaches—it made our trip even more special. 

I thank God for friends.  Since I am basically a loner, I have a few select friends, and these friends are the ones that I trust.  I thank these friends because they are the ones who I can depend on in times of crises in my life.  They are the ones who are always there for me, praying for me, and giving me hope and encouragement. 

I thank God for my husband whose love language is service.  Thank you very much for doing things for me.  My husband is an amiable person.  Quite my opposite, me being a routine person, a loner and accepting of the status quo.

I love my eldest child Jen, who is married to an intelligent and kind man.  Thank you Jen and Jeff, for giving me a very lovable, intelligent, and smart grandson.  I love you, Jed Zachary Aspacio!

I also thank God for my son-in-law Jeff who is soft-spoken, kind and sincere.  I know my grandson Jed is so smart and intelligent because he took after my daughter and most especially after Jeff.  I can sort of empathize with Jeff because I can see a bit of myself in him (not intelligence-wise, but personality-wise).  May God bless you, Jen, Jeff and Jed. 

I thank God for Rose who has a very kind heart toward my youngest brother.  I also thank God because He gave my daughter a husband who is intelligent, responsible, hardworking and likewise kind to my youngest brother.  Ted, it is hard to find someone like you who will be considerate and kind to a person with special needs and at the same time a schizophrenic who is not his own relative.  

Ted, you are an epitome of a genuine Christian.  Your love extends to those beyond your own family.  You love my daughter unconditionally, and you've shown kindness to all of us, especially to my youngest brother.  Your joy is evident every time you lead the praise and worship on Sundays, and it shines through when you perform at gigs.  It's clear you truly love and enjoy your work.  You also have peace in your heart, that’s probably why sleeping has never been a problem for you.  You can sleep even while sitting, or standing (through I know that's understandable after a long day or night of work). I know your career or business demands round-the-clock effort, but despite that, you consistently show patience, kindness and goodness - especially in how you treat Gilbert.  You are trustworthy, a true example of faithfulness.  And when it comes to gentleness and self-control, I see that clearly in how you respond to my daughter's sometimes less-than-reasonable demands..

Let me share two Bible verses which tell us to thank God in everything.  We must thank God for everything, not only for blessings but also for the trials that He allows to come to us because these trials are the things that God uses to make us reach out to Him, and to build up our character.

The first is:  1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

The other one is:  Romans 5:3-4  “…..we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character and character produces hope…..”

I thank God for giving me 70 years, and for being with me in all the stages of my life.  I thank Him for life, for family, for friends, for provision, for protection, for good health, and most of all for salvation.  I hope that I can still be productive in this world until God calls me home.

Again, thank you very much, everyone.  May our gracious Lord Jesus Christ bless us all.