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"For a moment i was warm and the world made sense" -Copeland

Hango sa sulat ni Bob Ong sa librong Si. "Doon ko lang nalaman na maari rin pala tayong makasugat ng sarili, at humihiwa rin ng kaluluwa ang pag-asa."

This is a short story told inside a movie. That movie is called Cinema Paradiso. The Princess and the Soldier "Once upon a time, a king gave a feast. And there came the most beautiful princesses of the realm. Now, a soldier, who was standing guard, saw the king’s daughter go by. She was the most beautiful one, and he immediately fell in love with her. But what could a poor soldier do when it came to the daughter of the king? Well, finally, one day, he managed to meet her, and he told her that he could no longer live without her. The princess was so impressed by his strong feelings that she said to the soldier: “If you can wait 100 days and 100 nights under my balcony, then at the end of it, I shall be yours.” Damn! The soldier immediately went there and waited one day. And two days. And ten. And then twenty. And every evening, the princess looked out of her window, but he never moved. During rain, during wind, during snow, he was always there. The bird shat on his head,...

"1897 Mayo 1 Mahal kong Oryang, Mali ka. Hindi kita nakasalubong upang sa dulo ng kalsada, ako ay liliko sa kanan at ikaw sa kaliwa. Sapagkat saan man tayo dalhin ng ating pakikibaka, ikaw lang ang aking itatangi at makailang ulit na ihaharap sa pulang bandila. Hindi tayo nagpalitan ng mga kwento upang sa pinakahuling tuldok ng pangungusap, ang karugtong ay alingawngaw ng katahimikan. Walang pagod kitang aawitan ng imnong pambayan, Oryang. Hindi kailanman ako mauubusan ng salita upang maialay sa iyo bilang mga tula. Maging ang bulong at buntung-hininga’y magpapahayag ng pagsinta sa tulad mong umiibig din sa bansa. Hindi tayo sabay na tumawa, nagkatinginan, at tumawa pa nang mas malakas, upang sa paghupa ng halakhak ay may butil ng luha na mamimintana sa ating mga mata. Loobin man ng Maykapal na pansamantala tayong magkawalay, tandaan mong ang halakhak at sigaw ng ating mga kasamahan ay sa akin rin. Hindi ka dapat masabik sa akin sapagkat ako’y mananatili sa iyong piling. ...

I don't want to do it your way, I don't want to do it your way. I don't want to give it to you, your way. I don't want to know I don't want to change your mind, I don't want to waste your time. I just want to know you're alright. I've got to know you're alright;

Doctor: So you took a chance on being happy even though you knew that later on you would be sad. Louie: Yea Doctor: And now you're sad. Louie: Yea. Doctor: So, what, what's the problem? Louie: I'm too sad. I like the feeling of being in love with her. I liked it. but now she's gone and I miss her and it sucks. and I didn't think it was going to be this bad. and I feel like why even be happy if it's just going to lead to this. It wasn't worth it.  Doctor: Boy, misery is wasted on the miserable.  Louie: What? Doctor: You know, I'm not entirely sure what your name is, but you are a classic idiot. You think spending time with her, kissing her, having fun with her. You think that's what it was all about? That was love?  Louie: Yeaa. Doctor: This is love. Missing her. because she's gone. Wanting to die. You're so lucky. You're like a walking poem. Would you rather be some kind of a fantasy. Some ki...

I have one last thought, which is that it really makes a difference what we say. The words that come out of our mouth.  I learned this from a woman who survived Auschwitz, one of the rare survivors. She went to Auschwitz when she was 15 years old. and her brother was 8 (years old). And the parents were lost.  And she told me this. she said.  We were in the train going into Auschwitz. And I looked down and I saw my brother's shoes were missing. And I said "why are you so stupid. can't you keep your things together for goodness sake" The way an older sister might speak to a younger brother.  Unfortunately it was the last thing she ever said to him, because she never saw him again. He did not survive.  And so when she came out of Auschwitz, she made a vow. She told me this. She said "I walked out of Auschwitz into life. And I made a vow. and the vow was, "I will never say anything that couldn't stand as the last thing i ever say" -Benjamin ...

Prayers make a difference