Keeping the LOVE in tact

There's this episode in Oprah I came across years ago and until today its message still resonates in me and resides deep in my heart. I forgot who the guest was, maybe a cancer survivor or a wife of a cancer survivor, something in that line... 


And her message was this: Don't ever lose love for yourself. EVER.


Whatever happens, keep something intact for you. Keep love. And keep it for yourself.


One of the signs, they say, you still have that love for self is when someone asks you what are the things you love. You instantly give them 10 answers.
Instantly. Without a blink of an eye. 10 things you love. 10 things that's your own. Not your husband's, not your boyfriend's and not your friends'. Things you love on your own, without any relative aspects of someone else's happiness. 


I'm almost 30 weeks pregnant today. And believe me, hormones aside, this chapter in my life could not even be blogged in a single entry. It was happy and scary, fulfilling and emptying, there are good times and there are bad times, but also there are the BEST of times... (insert STOP sign here; I wasn't planning on my pregnancy blog today). And in the middle pregnancy, work, marriage and life, I have me. It's so easy losing yourself in the middle of everything... so here I am. Trying to keep that "LOVE" in tact. Whatever happens...


The 10 things: 


1. I love singing (voice quality aside) or music as a whole. I'll forever be in love with this art. The rhythm, instruments, lyrics, voice and everything about it. I'll forever love music. FOREVER.


2. Laughing. At myself. At something. At my husband's mishaps. And more laughing.


3. Water. Drinking and swimming. 


*there was a long pause here; because ideally, somehow we lose ourselves along the way*


4. Mental challenge. The feeling of self satisfaction after solving a bad-ass case is one of the best feeling there is. 


5. Twitter (than Facebook). =)


6. Running (but given my circumstance: Walking). The silence within me while running. The pounding heart. The sweat. I miss running my heart out! 


7. Yoga. The calmness, peace and discipline. Priceless.


8. Taho! I can't get enough of them these days.


9. Baby Summer inside me. I think of her and tears would well up in my eyes. Motherhood. 


10. Married life is awesome!