A00229 - A Day at the Beach with God
Today is my last full day here in the Philippines. As my stay here comes to an end, it is time to reflect on what were the highlights of my stay. There were a few. There was walking on water to take a photo in front of the iconic Magpupungko Rock during the Island Tour of Siargao, and to see the wondrous valley of coconut trees while on the same tour. There were the two visits to Cloud Nine to see the surfers and to see the power of the waves and then last night there was the mass at the Shrine of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus,
However, of all the highlights the one that resonates most for me was last Thursday when I walked more than two miles up General Luna Road from my bungalow in The Village Siargao. Walking on the side of the road as the motorcycles and tuk tuk vehicles went by, I had to be mindful about the many dogs who seemed to inhabit the outskirts of the roads unattended and in various states of health. I managed to navigate the hazards on the warm humid day and make my way to the Cocopelli Cold Pressed Fruit Drink stand located across the street from the General Luna National High School. I got a nice orangish drink that soothed my parched mouth and refreshed me enough to continue my exploration of the town.
I stopped to buy some ill-advised souvenirs. I bought an extra-large Siargao t-shirt and an extra-large island shirt. I should have tried both shirts on first. It seems that an extra-large in the Philippines is really a medium size in the United States. Oh well, live and learn.
I continued along General Luna Road until I reached a place named Siargao Beach Club. It is actually just a public beach which on this day was only lightly used. Having reached this point, I ordered another drink, a pineapple drink and sat down for a while to meditate. While drinking my drink, I listened to the gentle waves coming into the beach. The beach itself was protected by a breakwater some distance away where the Cloud 9 type waves continued to crash into the barrier sparing the beach from the ravages of the sea.
I sat there reflecting on the meaning of life and appreciating the journey that had brought me half-way around the world to this beach. I felt very blessed to be there, and I found myself thanking God for all that God had done in my life. After a while, I took off my shoes and barefoot walked along the shore just at the waterline and occasionally felt with pleasure the water come in and take the sand from beneath my feet. I felt like a kid again. Indeed, if I only had more time, I would have gone into the water more and maybe spent some time building a sand castle. It was a wondrous day.
For a good thirty minutes I had the beach to myself. My time was not disturbed until a woman and her two to three year old child came to revel in the water and the beach. I watched them for a while and thought that they were much like me. Just as the child was enjoying the beach with her mother, I was enjoying the beach with God. And while I may be 70, for a while I was only seven and life was good.
After my time at the beach came to an end, I began my long 2.5 mile walk back to the hotel. However, along the way, I stopped at the Halika Siargao Gelato store where I treated myself to a scoop of mango and a scoop of coconut gelato. A young British couple, she from Southampton and he from Portsmouth, came in and I struck up a conversation with them. I remarked about how good life is, especially when one is able to be in a place like Siargao on a day like that day.
I expect that they may have been overwhelmed by my joy, my exuberance about being on the beach and about my sightseeing in Siargao but such was my energy on that day -- the day that I was at the beach with God.
Peace,
Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Manila, Philippines
January 22, 2024
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: skipjen2865@aol.com <skipjen2865@aol.com>
To:
Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2024 at 06:25:06 AM PST
Subject: The Book of the Month for February 2024: The Story of a Soul by Therese of Lisieux
It is Sunday and I am back in Manila now. Since it is Sunday, I decided that it would be good to attend mass. As it happens, the Shrine of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus
is only two blocks from my hotel. I missed the morning mass but returned later on in the day for the evening mass. Unfortunately, the service was primarily conducted in Tagalog, a language in which I do not have any competence. Nevertheless, I did stand when the others stood and I did pray when the others prayed. However, during the actual sermon itself, I found myself reading about Saint Therese.
and became intrigued by the concept of the "little way of spiritual childhood" that evolved from her book The Story of a Soul.
It was Saint Therese's life as set forth in this book which inspired a great many people including a certain nun who took the name Teresa
in tribute to Saint Therese and whose saying
"We can do no great things, only small things with great love."
is one of the scrolls that adorns my bedroom wall.
Given this connection, I am now inclined to learn more about Therese of Lisieux, the woman who is described by some as the Emily Dickinson of Catholic saints. And so, for the month of February, The Story of a Soul by Therese of Lisieux will be the book of the month.
Peace,
Everett "Skip" Jenkins
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: skipjen2865@aol.com <skipjen2865@aol.com>
To:
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2024 at 01:55:03 AM PST
Subject: Cloud 9 on MLK Day
Today is MLK Day in the United States. It is also Martin Luther King's actual birthday, and it is also the day I chose to retire from the City Attorney's Office for the City of Richmond. I chose Martin Luther King's birthday for my retirement day so that I would always remember my retirement day by remembering Martin's most famous speech, -- the "I Have A Dream" speech
by remembering how Martin stirred the crowd on August 28, 1963, with this thundering conclusion
"And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring. And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
and by adopting Martin's last words in the speech as my own retirement motto:
"Free at last! Free at Last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
Usually to commemorate my "Freedom" day, I like to go to Encinitas and meditate on the meaning of the day at the Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Garden. However, this year, for reasons personal and professional, I have ventured to the Philippine island of Siargao
which is home to the surfing mecca known as Cloud 9.
As I walked along the pier that ventures out into the ocean waters where the waves are generated so powerfully, I could only reflect on this Freedom Day with great appreciation and to contemplate a trailblazing song that won Motown it's first ever Grammy Award some 55 years ago.
Despite the hardships, sometimes Cloud Nine can be achieved.
Happy MLK Day everyone,
Everett "Skip" Jenkins
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