Gently With The Flow

If the sky above seems cloudy,
And you are left out in the rain,
If you are searching for a rainbow,
But the colors bring you pain,

If your world is not revolving,
And there is no end in sight,
If you are looking for the sunshine,
But all you see is night,

If all around are smiling,
But all you can do is frown,
If you are tired of all this living,
When life just brings you down,

Then look beyond your teardrops,
At the wonders of this land,
The beauty of a flower,
Like velvet in your hand.

Feel the air around you,
The smell of new mown hay,
Laughing children in the park,
The innocence there at play,

Imagine floating with a butterfly,
As she flutters between the trees,
Or the whispers of the ocean,
On warm hot summer’s breeze,

Think of the taste of candy floss,
As it melts upon your tongue,
Or the melody of morning birds,
As they greet each day with song,

Remember words of beauty,
Told in your mother’s embrace,
Feel the gentleness of her touch,
As she softly kissed your face,

Seek the good within you,
Cast the clouds from your sky,
Don’t look toward the pavement,
But hold your head up high,

Think not what life owes you,
But of all you have to give,
Forget about tomorrow
Then you can start to live.

So bless this age you are living in,
With the gifts you can bestow,
Don’t disregard the stream of life,
Go gently with the flow.

~Author Unknown

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS PERFECT HAPPINESS

IS THERE SUCH A THING as perfect happiness in the world or isn’t there? Is there some way to keep yourself alive or isn’t there? What to do, what to rely on, what to avoid, what to stick by, what to follow, what to leave alone, what to find happiness in, what to hate?

This is what the world honors: wealth, eminence, long life, a good name. This is what the world finds happiness in: a life of ease, rich food, fine clothes, beautiful sights, sweet sounds. This is what it looks down on: poverty, meanness, early death, a bad name. This is what it finds bitter: a life that knows no rest, a mouth that gets no rich food, no fine clothes for the body, no beautiful sights for the eye, no sweet sounds for the ear.

People who can’t get these things fret a great deal and are afraid – this is a stupid way to treat the body. People who are rich wear themselves out rushing around on business, piling up more wealth than they could ever use – this is a superficial way to treat the body. People who are eminent spend night and day scheming and wondering if they are doing right – this is a shoddy way to treat the body. Man lives his life in company with worry, and if he lives a long while, till he’s dull and doddering, then he has spent that much time worrying instead of dying, a bitter lot indeed! This is a callous way to treat the body.

Men of ardor are regarded by the world as good, but their goodness doesn’t succeed in keeping them alive. So I don’t know whether their goodness is really good or not. Perhaps I think it’s good – but not good enough to save their lives. Perhaps I think it’s no good – but still good enough to save the lives of others. So I say, if your loyal advice isn’t heeded, give way and do not wrangle. Tzu-hsu wrangled and lost his body. But if he hadn’t wrangled, he wouldn’t have made a name. Is there really such a thing as goodness or isn’t there?

What ordinary people do and what they find happiness in – I don’t know whether such happiness is in the end really happiness or not. I look at what ordinary people find happiness in, what they all make a mad dash for, racing around as though they couldn’t stop – they all say they’re happy with it. I’m not happy with it and I’m not unhappy with it. In the end is there really happiness or isn’t there?

I take inaction to be true happiness, but ordinary people think it is a bitter thing. I say: perfect happiness knows no happiness, perfect praise knows no praise. The world can’t decide what is right and what is wrong. And yet inaction can decide this. Perfect happiness, keeping alive – only inaction gets you close to this!

Let me try putting it this way. The inaction of Heaven is its purity, the inaction of earth is its peace. So the two inactions combine and all things are transformed and brought to birth. Wonderfully, mysteriously, there is no place they come out of. Mysteriously, wonderfully, they have no sign. Each thing minds its business and all grow up out of inaction. So I say, Heaven and earth do nothing and there is nothing that is not done. Among men, who can get hold of this inaction?

Chuang Tzu’s wife died. When Hui Tzu went to convey his condolences, he found Chuang Tzu sitting with his legs sprawled out, pounding on a tub and singing. “You lived with her, she brought up your children and grew old,” said Hui Tzu. “It should be enough simply not to weep at her death. But pounding on a tub and singing – this is going too far, isn’t it?”

Chuang Tzu said, “You’re wrong. When she first died, do you think I didn’t grieve like anyone else? But I looked back to her beginning and the time before she was born. Not only the time before she was born, but the time before she had a body. Not only the time before she had a body, but the time before she had a spirit. In the midst of the jumble of wonder and mystery a change took place and she had a spirit. Another change and she had a body. Another change and she was born. Now there’s been another change and she’s dead. It’s just like the progression of the four seasons, spring, summer, fall, winter.

“Now she’s going to lie down peacefully in a vast room. If I were to follow after her bawling and sobbing, it would show that I don’t understand anything about fate. So I stopped.”

― Chuang Tzu (or Zhuangzi 莊子)
(XVIII, Burton)

*****

天下有至樂无有哉？有可以活身者无有哉？今奚為奚據？奚避奚處？奚就奚去？奚樂奚惡？
夫天下之所尊者，富貴壽善也；所樂者，身安厚味美服好色音聲也；所下者，貧賤夭惡也；所苦者，身不得安逸，口不得厚味，形不得美服，目不得好色，耳不得音聲。若不得者，則大憂以懼，其為形也亦愚哉！
夫富者，苦身疾作，多積財而不得盡用，其為形也亦外矣。夫貴者，夜以繼日，思慮善否，其為形也亦疏矣。人之生也，與憂俱生，壽者惽惽，久憂不死，何苦也！其為形也亦遠矣。烈士為天下見善矣，未足以活身。吾未知善之誠善邪？誠不善邪？若以為善矣，不足活身；以為不善矣，足以活人。故曰：「忠諫不聽，蹲循勿爭。」故夫子胥爭之以殘其形，不爭，名亦不成。誠有善无有哉？
今俗之所為與其所樂，吾又未知樂之果樂邪，果不樂邪？吾觀夫俗之所樂，舉羣趣者，誙誙然如將不得已，而皆曰樂者，吾未之樂也，亦未之不樂也。果有樂无有哉？吾以无為誠樂矣，又俗之所大苦也。故曰：「至樂无樂，至譽无譽。」
天下是非果未可定也。雖然，无為可以定是非。至樂活身，唯无為幾存。請嘗試言之。天无為以之清，地无為以之寧。故兩无為相合，萬物皆化生。芒乎芴乎，而无從出乎！芴乎芒乎，而无有象乎！萬物職職，皆從无為殖。故曰，天地无為也而无不為也，人也孰能得无為哉！

莊子妻死，惠子弔之，莊子則方箕踞鼓盆而歌。
惠子曰：「與人居，長子老身，死不哭亦足矣，又鼓盆而歌，不亦甚乎！」
莊子曰：「不然。是其始死也，我獨何能无概然！察其始而本无生，非徒无生也，而本无形，非徙无形也而本无氣。雜乎芒芴之間，變而有氣，氣變而有形，形變而有生。今又變而之死。是相與為春秋冬夏四時行也。人且偃然寢於巨室，而我噭噭然隨而哭之，自以為不通乎命，故止也。」

(莊子: 至樂)

PREGNANCY

Just sharing before deleting… I have to clean up some folders on my laptop.

 

PREGNANCY is the time of rapid physical and emotional change. From fertilization until after birth, you and your baby will be changing every day.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF PREGNANCY

*PRESUMPTVE

• Amenorrhea
• Nausea and vomiting
• Frequent urination
• Fatigue
• Breast sensitivity
• Quickening

*PROBABLE

• Basal body temperature elevation
• Changes in skin and mucous membranes
• Abdominal enlargement
• Uterine changes
• Ballottement
• Palpation of fetal outline
• Positive pregnancy test

*POSITIVE

• Ultasound visualization
• Fetal heart sounds
• Fetal movement felt by examiner

 

THE TRIMESTERS OF PREGNANCY

• FIRST TRIMESTER– weeks 1to 12
• SECOND TRIMESTER– weeks 13 to 28
• THIRD TRIMESTER-weeks 29 to 40

 

RISK FACTORS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

• Ø An age less than 18 or greater than 35
• Ø Being less than 145 cm ( 4’9”) tall
• Ø Having a fourth (or morebaby)

 

• Ø Having had one or more of the following:
  • Previous caesarian section
  • 3 consecutive miscarriages or a stillborn baby
  • Postpartum hemorrhage
  • Ø Having one or more of the following medical conditions:
    • Tuberculosis
    • Heart disease
    • Diabetes
    • Bronchial asthma
    • Goiter

DANGER SIGNS OF PREGNANCY

• Vaginal bleeding
• Headaches, dizziness, blurred vision
• Puffiness of the face and hands
• Being pale or anemic

HIGH RISK PREGNANCY

• Hemorrhage
• Infection
• Pregnancy –induced Hypertension ( PIH)

 

CAUSES OF BLEEDING IN PREGNANCY

1. A.     Early Pregnancy

• Abortion –is termination of pregnancy before age of viability usually before 20-24 weeks.
• Ectopic pregnancy – pregnancy outside of the uterinc cavity; implantation commomly occurring in the ampulla of the fallopian tubes.
• Hydadiform Mole – A developmental anomally of the chorion where fails to develop and instead degenerates and become fluid- filled vesicles.

 

1. B.      Late Pregnancy

• Placenta Previa- Abnormal low implantation of the placenta.
• Abruption Placenta- premature partial or complete separation of placenta.

untilted1.13

I have been convincing my grandmother to quit smoking for four years. Unfortunately, I couldn’t convince her to at least try to minimize her daily consumption no matter how persistent I was in reminding her of the health risks of smoking and how much it could affect the other household members.

When I had a chance to go to Ongpin in July, I asked the saleslady if she could offer me a Chinese product which could substitute a cigarette without leaving my grandmother a feeling of deprivation or conjured wanting. She said they didn’t have anything like that but they had cigarette filters. I almost freaked out and told her in reply, “How could you offer me something that is exactly the opposite of what I’m looking for?” I didn’t lose hope so after a few moments of silence I asked again, “What could my grandmother possibly use to help her quit smoking.” She rolled her eyes as if she was thinking. After that pause she asked the other salesladies but they stared at her in surprise and couldn’t figure whether they wanted to smile or think. Then she went to the stock room and asked somebody else. It took me a few minutes to patiently wait. When she came out, she handed me a pack of cigarette with Chinese label. I asked her what that thing was for. She told me to ask my grandmother to smoke it all so she’d never want to smoke again. “Are you sure it’s effective?” I asked again. She shrugged her shoulder and said, “Just do as I said.” Perhaps I was convinced or fooled but it was a great relief to find out that something could make my grandmother stop smoking. I thanked the lady and finally paid it including the rest of the products I was requested to buy. I’ve read that there are medical products for quitting smoking but my grandmother would never want to see a doctor, especially if it’s about quitting smoking since, accordingly, this is her only vice.

As I reached home, I asked her to finish the pack of cigarette I bought her as I motivated her the benefits of nonsmoking. She didn’t do it at once but eventually tried to smoke one stick. When I asked her what the effect was, she said nothing it didn’t taste good but she still wanted her brand. I insisted that she had to finish the entire pack but she kept it instead.

Until recently, after my persistent attempts to convince her to quit smoking with admonishing words and some disgusting remarks, she decided to smoke the Chinese cigarette again. I didn’t react at all when I saw her because I didn’t want to be disappointed again. After we had lunch, out of the blue she uttered that the Chinese cigarette kept her from wanting to smoke her brand. She told me she wanted to keep trying even at least for a few puffs but she lost her craving. I really hope she’s freed herself from this dreadful habit so I can also be finally free from the worse effect of secondhand smoking.

untilted1.12

I almost died in an accident yesterday. The first accident was when I fell on the ground (right between stairs and wall) from a second floor when I was a little girl. The second was when I crossed the street. I was too excited for having been able to back ride a motor bike with my uncle so I ran without being cautious when suddenly a rapid moving tricycle was approaching. Luckily nothing happened to the tricycle and the passengers when the driver abruptly and forcefully made an effort to break to be able to avoid me. I must be thankful for this is my fourth life after the third dreadful incident which just happened in Binalonan marketplace. My unconsciousness took the chance to practice survival instinct when someone blocked my driveway at the parking area. I had to find another way so I found myself needing to bypass an elevated floor. I forgot to press the break and as I struggled to gain control, I insanely pulled the accelerator which made me fly through the middle of the street. Fortunately, the tricycle driver was able to manage to swerve and stop. I apologized but he looked at me as if nothing has happened. Perhaps he was the Awareness at that moment which I failed to achieve. I could have asked for assistance if I knew that there was someone who could show compassion while I was experiencing disruption.

Thank you for saving my life (not the girl whose head you prevented from bumping to the floor) but I am not happy that you are suffering from physical pain aggravated by the cold weather. This must be the reason why you had an earlier accident – you salvaged the impact which could have ended my physical existence.