On the 25th of the current month, we are re-confirmed for our flight back to the place which we now call home – for us, our married children, and the grandkids. The temperate haven that is Northern California.The two-month trip is nearing its end, though it seemed only yesterday that our connecting domestic flight brought us back to the big island of Mindanao, to a place in its northern section called Cagayan de Oro, which is just a little over an hour’s flight from the capital region called Metro Manila.
Having taken this same trip route for many times over the over quarter century that we left the old homeland, this latest one seemed no different from a reflex act, one not requiring much focus and thought.
It just happened. And nearly two months later, it will be ending.
The very hectic weeks can be blamed for the rather hasty flight of time, which did not allow for much slack time for reflection and careful introspection. They just happened and things were done. And looking around and back, my wearied eyes survey the visible results of the works done – a few renovations in the residence, more time-consuming sprucing up in the commercial building, charitable endeavors planned and executed for proper discharge when we are gone, and various odds and ends not worthy of mention.
Reading this so far one may be predisposed to think that I must not only be self-satisfied with what has been done, but must welcome the winding-down phase to happily make way for pleasant thoughts about home, family, and the familiarity of place and routine.
But my cross mind will have none of that. It seems to work on the premise that there are still a lot of sticky loose ends to attend to before one can truly write finis to this episode. And my acutely critical self would seem to confirm this.
There appears still a myriad of little chores to be done, the kind that requires time for its germination and resolution. They cannot be hurried if one desires proper resolution. My trusty little yellow-pad note still has pages of uncrossed-out hand-printed notes that cry for attention.
Thus, when the 25th day of the current month comes, the end will not be ushered in. Rather, it will simply provide the temporal and causal link to yet another planned return trip precisely to attend to still unfinished business.
The over 14-hour return trip notwithstanding, the next few months promise to be yet another long drawn-out episode in this continuing saga to cram as much of life in a solitary lifetime as possible.
So, life, here I go again. Be swift and be kind.