The Light Beyond Chaos
Flordeliz Fullo
Flordeliz Fullo
Lately, I have been carrying a sense of emptiness within me. Despite the many blessings I continue to receive in life, I often find myself praying and waiting for someone to come into my life—a person with whom I can share love, companionship, and a meaningful future.
Over the years, I have experienced heartbreak more than once, often finding myself falling for the wrong people or investing in relationships that ultimately did not last. There have been moments when I questioned my own worth and wondered if I was truly deserving of the genuine and lasting love that I have been faithfully praying for.
These periods of longing sometimes bring unexpected waves of sadness and disappointment, especially when I reflect on my unsuccessful search for a life partner. Being in my late thirties without a romantic companion can feel discouraging at times, accompanied by fears of growing old alone and doubts about what the future may hold.
Whenever I see friends and colleagues sharing their lives with loving partners and raising families together, I cannot help but wonder what it would be like to have someone by my side through life's joys and challenges—a person to grow with, lean on, and spend the rest of my life with.
Yet despite these feelings, I continue to hold on to hope, trusting that God's timing is greater than my own and that the love meant for me will come when the time is right.
I have come to realize that much of the heaviness and loneliness I have been carrying stemmed from my own impatience and, perhaps, a temporary lapse in faith—whether in God, the Universe, or the greater plan unfolding before me. One of the most valuable lessons I have learned is the importance of letting go of the pressure to obtain what I desire on my own timeline.
In doing so, I have renewed my faith that there is a right time for everything in life. We are not always meant to understand the reasons behind our circumstances immediately, but we can choose to trust in divine guidance and the higher power that leads us. I believe there is purpose in what is happening at this very moment, even when the path ahead seems uncertain.
Perhaps this season of my life was never meant to be centered on finding a romantic partner. Perhaps it is a time to focus on my career, appreciate the blessings already present in my life, care for myself, inspire others, and cultivate the gifts and talents I have been given. It may be a season of growth, self-discovery, and enlightenment—a time to become the person I am meant to be.
I am learning to surrender what I cannot control and to embrace what is meant for me. For I believe that if someone or something is truly destined to be part of my life, it will find its way to me at the perfect time and in the right season—when I am fully prepared to receive it with an open heart and a grateful spirit.
We all experience different seasons in life. Each season brings its own challenges, lessons, and opportunities for growth. As these seasons pass, they shape us into stronger, wiser, and better versions of ourselves.
What is most important is to remain grateful for the gift of life itself. The people and blessings we already have—our jobs, families, friends, opportunities, and achievements—are reasons enough to give thanks each day. Too often, we focus on what is missing and overlook the abundance that is already present in our lives.
Sometimes, the things we long for have not yet been given to us for a reason. Perhaps they are being withheld to protect us from harm, or perhaps we are simply not ready to receive them. Delay does not always mean denial. What is meant for us will arrive at the right time, according to a greater plan that we may not yet fully understand.
Until then, we should learn to find joy in what we have, embrace the season we are in, and continue discovering our purpose with faith and humility. Guided by God's grace, we can trust that every experience—whether joyful or painful—is leading us toward the life we are meant to live.
As I continue this journey, I am learning to trust that life unfolds according to a divine plan far greater than my own understanding. The seasons of waiting, longing, growth, and healing are not meaningless detours but essential parts of the person I am becoming.
Rather than focusing on what I lack, I choose to be grateful for the blessings already surrounding me. I choose to nurture my gifts, pursue my purpose, and embrace the present moment with faith and hope. What is meant for me will arrive in its proper season, and until then, I will continue to trust in God's wisdom and timing.
As Scripture reminds us:
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." — Ecclesiastes 3:11
Walking in the Rain
-Flordeliz Fullo
Walking on my way home with a lingering heaviness in my heart;
This gnawing pain that I had since the day I fell in love in the dark.
Throughout uncertainty and confusion as the raindrops fell;
They sting like needles pricking me in this never-ending spell.
My eyes were once windows of endless passion and dreams so pure;
Are now globes dripped with salty flowing tears that never endure.
The reminiscence of a mysterious power that led me to despair;
Your name is the rain that persecutes my emotions out of thin air.
The coldness of the strong winds makes my delicate soul shiver;
I still choose to saunter with this deep agony I cannot deter.
To bathe in anguish within my being as I suffer in this misery;
Searching for my lost childlike affections gifted with sincere amity.
I am lost in the middle of nowhere asking myself what did I do wrong?
Why do my unconditional love for you and harmony could not get along?
In those countless of times, I gave my all to be with the one I so adore.
At the end of it all, I let my emotions for you wreck me to the core.
I stand while the rain poured down on me to let it wash away everything;
The melancholy engulfed in the affliction of my deepest regrets.
Weeping in the darkness of the clouds with voiceless screaming;
In the sorrowful sound of ripples on the ground it all shall rest.
It was 12 midnight when I was startled by mother's panicking
voice. She spoke a thunderous voice which lingers upon my ears until now.
"The water is here," she shouted with an echoing blast, but behind
the loudness is the sound of a mother being terrified of her children's safety.
We hurriedly packed our clothes and brought the necessary things above the
drawer where the water might not able to reach it.
The entire neighborhood is engulfed with the spirit of 'bayanihan' as everyone extended their hands in carrying each other's refrigerators, televisions and other electronic appliances. We carefully watched the water submerging the floors of our houses into a pool of mud and dirt. When the water reached a knee-high level, we evacuated immediately into my aunt' house, as their house is built significantly higher than the average houses in our neighbourhood. It was in the afternoon that we realized that the water is not yet subsiding, forcing us to evacuate immediately into a 2-storey building where we can have a peace of mind while sleeping the night away.
In the evening, I was forced to sleep in the rooftop,
alongside with my cousins, for the 2nd storey house of my aunt is over-occupied
by children and aged people. The electricity was shut down and the only source
of light we had is the candle that brightened the dimming hope of the quiet
night. I run out of battery so I borrowed the phone of my cousin to browse the
Internet and update myself with the current situation of my town. It was heartbreaking
to see people from different places in Cagayan Valley who were asking for
immediate rescue after getting stucked on their rooftops without nothing to eat
and drink. I thought that our situation is no better compared to others, but I
was wrong, we are much better than them.
It was in the night that a surreal moment in my life happened in the midst of a disaster. I was sleeping with the stars, carefully watching them one by one. I can see them twinkling from up above, telling me that at the hour of darkness, there is a ray of light. I felt like I was in the middle of the universe. As I closed my eyes, I can see them sparkle with glittering hope and resiliency.
It was a flood in a lifetime, a moment that I will remember forever.
- Jonas Hapinat
To be healed from the blow of a heartbreak is not an easy thing to achieve. Like a broken glass, your heart not be the same anymore. It changes you to the person you were before. The length of time for someone to heal from a heartbreak varies from one person to another. Some may last from weeks while others spent years to find themselves whole again. For you to heal your broken heart does not happen overnight and should involve your conscious choice to move forward from the agony of being submerged into mixed emotions of regret, despair and loneliness to overcoming them to attain inner peace and healing.
ACKNOWLEDGE THE PAIN:
Start by being aware of your emotions. Cry all you want and find ways to
release your feelings until you find relief. It is better to feel the utmost
intensity of the pain from heartbreak than make it dwell inside you. There were
countless of ways to release your frustrations in good ways like shouting it
all out in a place where you are alone. Let yourself have some time to grieve.
Feel the pain until it hurts no more.
FOCUS ON YOURSELF: Do your best to give all your efforts in putting
yourself first before anything else. You need to take care of who else but you.
Have some focus on things that yields self-improvement and would make you feel
good like trying a new hobby and exploring new places.
FOCUS ON THE PRESENT: No matter how rough and aching those
memories you had in the past, they should all stay in the past. What happened
already could not be brought back again. Avoid yourself from thinking about
regrets as doing so will turn you into a bitter person. Instead, start again as
you wake up in the morning with a positive thought that great things are about
come. There were new pages in your life waiting for you to fill and it will all
start in your present.
FOCUS ON YOUR HEALTH AND WELLNESS: A healthy body is a
pathway into a good well-being. Too much sadness could lead to poor nutritional
status as you exhibit no appetite or in the opposite, you succumb into stress
eating that could lead to serious health risks. Sleep disturbance is common in
people who are heartbroken and it could lead to low mental functioning, poor judgment
and less focus. Make an effort to take care of your health. Eat nutritious
foods, do your best to have an adequate sleep and regular exercise as doing so
helps you release hormones like endorphins, which gives you a positive and
happy mood.
DO A SOCIAL MEDIA DETOX: How can you move on if you still
keep on stalking the person who broke your heart? I know it is very challenging
to do but blocking, unfriending and unfollowing the people who made you hurt
will give your mind a break. You have to put in your mind that their existence does
not matter in your life anymore and there is no use of looking on their social
media profiles and posts as it may give you more longing than letting go.
Taking a break from social media in general is also a good idea to cleanse your
mind from the toxicities of seeing posts or people that may remind you of your
heartbreak.
ACCEPT THE TRUTH: Accept that things won’t be the same
anymore. That the person you have loved before won’t be a part of your life
from now on. Acceptance is the last stage of grief. After overcoming the
grieving process, accepting the reality of your loss frees you from the chains
of the painful memories, anguish and guilt. You will then realize that you must
continue living and move forward. The truth as they say, will set you free.
DO NOT CLOSE YOUR HEART IN FINDING LOVE AGAIN: You are now
in a new journey. Life is full of surprises along the way. Have faith that one
day, love will find you when you least expect it. Open yourself to the world,
have fun and love will follow.
“It’s not an easy journey, to get to place where you forgive
people. But it is such a powerful place, because it frees you.” – Tyler Perry
To forgive someone who broke your heart is not an easy thing to do. No matter what the grounds like betrayal, rejection or deceit. Being emotionally hurt is a human nature we could not help to undergo. Freeing ourselves from hatred is arduous hence; we should not allow ourselves to be contained by our wounds. Letting unwanted emotions stay in our hearts will block away happiness like living in darkness. A person who cannot forgive is a prisoner of his anger. To genuinely forgive is not something that could be done overnight. A process that involves time and a choice to help yourself along the way.
I have experience being hurt by people I trust and love. It is an inevitable common occurrence in our social relationships as humans. At first, we find it difficult to forgive as the extent of pain they caused shattered us badly. There were times when I never thought that I would forgive those people someday. Time heals. You do not have to force it. One day, the wounds will heal until you realize to be ready to start again by unleashing the troubles in your past.
Do not let the scars of the past turn you into a miserable
person. Release the weight of loathing in your heart so you can feel the beauty
of life. There were no definite steps on how to forgive. It all depends on you.
Here are some of my advices that may guide you.
DO NOT REGRET: Disappointments
caused by having your heart broken by someone you love makes you regret that
you gave all your trust and invest your feelings to that person. In the first
place, you never thought that you would be hurt in the end. This would cause
you to have a remorse. Instead, think that all situations we had and people we
met have significant reasons they play in our lives. Some of them may be there
to teach us.
LOOK AT THE GOOD SIDE: Sometimes we consume ourselves with
resentment that we only see the bad things a person have done to us. This is a
challenging thing to do but trying to look at the good side of that person as
well as the things and memories he/she had with us that once made us happy may
lessen the hatred we feel. This way, we may come to rationalize their actions,
be it intentional or not. Keep in mind that nobody is perfect so if you can,
give even the slightest consideration to understand.
Heartbreak comes in many forms. We feel broken due to some factors we were facing dealing with our emotional stability that could lead us to being devastated in the end. In this modern world of Millennials to Gen Zs, people were taking relationships for granted. There were compromised commitments resulting to misunderstandings between two persons in the relationship. Nowadays, we tend to overlook the deeper meaning of love. Our carelessness and aggressiveness in handling it may give us extreme sadness. Reflection upon things that brought us to this condition may help us avoid having the circumstances next time we fell in love or enter another relationship so that we can handle it wisely.
TRUST ISSUES: To trust a person we need to have faith in
every promises and intentions we receive. Without it, there would be no inner
peace, worries will eat us until they make our thoughts unhealthy. It will cause us to think of the worst leading to a broken heart. Could love alone survive
without trust? How can you have a vision of a good future with someone without
trusting Him/Her in the present? Loving someone should come along with constant
integrity and communication.
EXPECTATIONS: At times we expect too much, whether we admit or
deny it to ourselves. Getting attached to a person makes us expect them
to feel the same and losing control of it could lead to intense desperation
resulting to disappointments. Before anything else, there must be an effort to
control yourself to keep on expecting anything to anyone. The more the
expectations, the more pain you have to endure if you fail to meet them.
UNREQUITED LOVE: As I wrote in the beginning, no all love
are given back in return. There could be an instance when we fell in love for
the person who already belongs to someone else or just don’t feel the same. No
matter what, just think that having experienced love is already a blessing. In
time, someone will come to complete your life, the person who will give His/Her
whole heart to you. There is a right time for everything.
INSECURITY: Nobody is perfect. Being insecure can sometimes
trigger unwanted emotions and moods like anxiety for fear that significant
others would stop loving us because we feel that we lack something. There is a
doubt in ourselves to losing confidence. Too much of this could strain
relationships. Self-awareness on our thoughts, knowing our strengths and
weaknesses as well as embracing who you are can alleviate insecurity.
That was years ago when I was in my bed weeping out of
extreme sadness the whole night. I felt so empty of the truth that slapped me
so hard. The person I loved the most cannot give me back the same feeling I had.
It was like being lost in the middle of nowhere with no sense of direction.
Love is truly an amazing feeling hence in reality, the more intense it is, the
more risks of having to feel the same intensity of pain in return. Still, life
have to keep on going no matter what. The capability to feel different kinds of
emotions is what makes us humans unique. To have experienced attraction and
intense emotion for another person is a gift. The joy of seeing his/her smile
feels like magic. We must put in our minds what reality is teaching us, that
not all love felt are requited. Not all love are given back in return.
I believe that broken things are beautiful. Those storms of
extreme desperation will subside. There would surely be a rainbow of happiness
that will follow in the end. The saying goes “It is better to have loved and
lost than to have never love at all”, tells us that experiencing love, whether to
lose it or not is a blessing. It shapes us how we see life and appreciate its
existence. I understand how hard it is at first but overtime, you will emerge
as a stronger person ready to face more of life’s challenges. Diamonds have
undergone extreme heat and pressure to form into the hardest minerals of
significant value.
In this journey, we call life, not everything is about joy or attaining what we want or fulfilling our desires in an instant. There were
times when we should learn to let go of things that are not meant for us. Sometimes
have to feel the pain to accept that things do not go our own ways. I hope this
blog will help you find the good in what you were going through. This bumpy road
in life gives us lessons that we will find out in the right time.
Dear You,
Seeing you in the mirror with swollen eyes from those nights
you can’t help but cry. The agony you were going through is real and I want to
give you the warmest hug. Please believe in me when I say that one day you will
wake up with the most genuine happiness you will ever feel. You were guilty of
your mistakes, of falling in love with the person who could not give you the
love you deserve. Please don’t ever think that you are worthless. Life does not
always give us what we want but everything happens for a reason. The day will
come that it will be revealed to you. Take this moment to love yourself more until
serenity will follow.
I can see the depths of your wounds, hence, do not ever give
up from walking your journey. In time, all things will make sense. For now,
wipe your tears, wash your face and have a sound peaceful sleep. Reserve all
your energies on things that makes you fulfilled. Tomorrow is another day. Rest
your heart from all the despair and anxiety you are going through, that should
be enough. The world will not stop. Possibilities are endless.
Please smile, my dear. You are beautiful. Those hands of
yours can do a lot of great things waiting for you to explore. Look at those
people around you, they cherish your existence. Trust in me when I say that
time will come when all these pains would someday be a memory that taught you
to be a better person in the future.
Love,
Yourself
Every one of us went into a phase where we got our hearts
broken. It felt like the end of the world and too much despair dominated our
heads as if it will stay forever. Be it a puppy love from adolescent days or a long-term
relationship, we could not avoid having the pain of losing someone we love
through different reasons and situations. Some may take months to move on and
some may linger for years. As long as you have a strong will to move on, how
hard the process of coping, believe that in the end, all these will come
beautifully. You will wake up someday not feeling the pain anymore and that you
transformed into a stronger and better person that you were before. Cry all you
want. Do not deprive yourself of expressing all those emotional struggles. Make
it sure that in the end, you will stand up with maturity. Keep yourself from
being exhausted by your emotions or they will consume you. Focus on the bright
side of things. There is a saying that “How can you love others if you do not
love yourself first?”
I am not a love expert or a counselor. As a person who felt
love and had undergone a series of heartbreaks in the past, here are the things
I learned throughout the process. Yes, heartbreak is devastating, hence, on a
positive note; it could have a beneficial effect on you as a person not just in
your future love life but also in your viewpoint about life in the whole. If
handled properly, moving forward from a heartbreak is beautiful. These are the
seven things that heartbreak could make you in the process.
It makes you emotionally strong. After having a hard
blow of the sufferings and sleepless nights of crying in agony, one day you
will wake up like nothing had happened and the memories of the past can no
longer hurt you. Going through a though time will make you a stronger person
that could not be easily shaken and handle your emotions well enough.
It makes you empty to make yourself complete again. Heartbreak
is a loss and at times, we feel like life is incomplete with that lost romance.
We were blinded that we cannot do anything at all anymore. After you heal all
those wounds, the void it left would be filled with fresh and new memories, a
better tomorrow and adventures that are waiting for you to enjoy.
It makes you open your eyes to the reality of life. Life
is not like in the movies or fairytales as what we were always seeing on
television series and movies. Not all couples who love each other live happily
ever after in the end. Sometimes, love is not enough to face the realities of
life. It is about wise decisions. In our teens, we used to dream about our future
first dates or weddings with the person we love and desire but life is more
than that as we begin to enter adulthood. There were rough roads ahead for us
to overcome.
It makes you independent in your choices. The pain of
loss teaches you to be there and handle yourself well. No one could really help
you heal but yourself. There should be a motivation to stand up, do something
about your goals in life. Please remember that we are the ones who are writing
our destiny. Do not let heartbreak destroy you; life has so much more to offer.
It makes you discover more about yourself. Sadness and
loneliness are the common emotional effects of heartbreak. Recovery from it
must allow you to discover the world around you, especially yourself. Discovery
of the things you like, passions, hobbies and goals will make your life
meaningful. In addition, there are discoveries of your emotions and attitudes
that you can reflect to improve and nurture.
It makes you pave way to meet new people. Being single again
will make a way for you to know and meet more people by making friends or
exchanging meaningful conversations. Through them, you can acquire new
knowledge about everything. Just enjoy socializing. Who knows you will meet
someone whom will make your heart happy again. Go on dates, have fun. Life is
short to be lonely.
Solitude is defined as the state of being alone. Some may
confuse this to loneliness but it is a choice while loneliness is a deprivation
of human affection leading to being sad. After a hard day at work when all that
you do is have conversations to different kinds of people and deal with so much
pressures, not only your body is exhausted but also your mind. As much as
possible you have to take some time for yourself away from social media and
stressful connections for a while.
Being alone could help you reflect on things and situations
you were handling in your everyday life. It will allow you have a clear
viewpoint on how you are doing each day as well as possible solutions on things
that are hard and causing you to be anxious.
When you have a “ME-TIME” for yourself, you can be able to control your emotions. May it be too much sadness, anger or joy. Intense emotions could lead to negative effects and may harm us in our judgements to people and situations. An allotted time to breathe could make us calm down our nerves. In that way we could attain the wisdom to act ourselves to what might be the consequences of our actions.
Solitude can bring us inner peace. It could make us achieve
calmness and freedom from worries resulting to healthy mindset and emotions. Let
us make it a goal to maintain our peace of mind no matter how stressful and
toxic our world we live in.
It all began in the news that a new strain of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virus, COVID-19 identified in Wuhan, China last December 2019. Acquired through small droplets via sneezing and coughing as well as touching contaminated surfaces. For months, the extent of this Infectious Disease turned into a global pandemic as announced by the World Health Organization. The whole world shattered by hundreds of thousands of mortalities and decline to the global economy faced a huge blow in humankind.
Healthcare workers are in the frontline in fighting this Pandemic since then, overwhelmed by increasing number of cases each day. There were new norms, guidelines and changes in the Healthcare Setting is giving an immense amount of adjustments to the Healthcare Personnel. Being one of the nurses assigned in the COVID-19 Unit has been a challenging chapter in our careers. Day after day, we have to learn new guidelines, wear strict Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the protection of everyone. There is a compromise in comfortable breathing for wearing an N-95 mask is essential throughout the whole shift. Fear of getting the infection anytime raises anxiety levels never knowing what lies ahead for us. As Nurses with sworn duty in our profession, this dreaded COVID-19 virus could not stop us from standing up in the midst of the challenges. We are here not for the salary or the mainstream praises we receive but because this is our duty for all humanity.
These are the times when we were tested on how we handle our
profession. Giving up can be an option yet we will continue fighting not just
when this Pandemic would stop but for our lifetimes. Not everyone may feel our
struggles yet that feeling of seeing our patient stable, recover to being
discharge is fulfilling beyond any awards of achievements. In times when
patients were experiencing symptoms, we were the to ease their struggles, hold
their hands when they were anxious and afraid as well as smile at them the
moment they recover and results come negative.
As one of the nurses battling in Pandemic around, to the
nurses who will reach this blog, may you remain strong physically, mentally and
emotionally because the world needs us. May we always remember our pledge no
matter how great are the hardships we encounter. Our duty is a lifetime of
service and honor.