Don Bosco Philippines South Province

Unlike the Americans, most Filipinos are laid back when talk comes to

storms. After all, the Philippines is battered by an army of tropical storms each year. Our homes were built to last the winds and torrential rains these atmospheric disturbances pose. For the opposite side of the globe however, westerners are traumatized even with cyclones making landfall, talk about Hurricane Katrina and the billion worth of damage it has done to property in the United States. While the opposite side of the earth talk about the submerged houses they have and the loss of business, in Cebu as per

experience (mostly in Pasil), we talk about how people would scramble to gather as much GI sheets in the streets blown off from the roofings the night before and the fun while doing it.

We are an embattled people and we are stronger because of that. Through these battles we have become more resilient to the challenges of the times and it has made us appreciate the passing vanities of the world. We as a people have learned to dance with the music played about by Nature. Our knees have grown stronger with each effort we take to stand up after falling face deep in mud. We are strong.

This is the ancient wisdom of storms. Storms, whether they be natural calamities or personal struggles, never fail to make you stronger. Whatever does not kill you makes you stronger. Isn’t it common for us to say that storms no matter how strong doesn’t last for very long? Were we not trained by experience, like bamboos in the midst of prevailing winds, dance with the blow? Could you still remember what happened to the trees that stood against the wind in the pride?

You are an embattled person. You have been facing storms all your life, why give up now? You know that these challenges would not last for long. You know how strong you are. Storms are a must for everyone. It is when you are stronger that stronger storms come to strengthen you more. It is when problems come in heat waves that we learn to balance our lives. The outside is but a reflection of the battle inside. Even nature mirrors the struggles we have.

We are still in September, the typhoon season. Stay strong.