Reminiscing

Bauang. Some of my fondest memories took place in the shores of this municipality. I have spent a lot of birthdays in the beaches of Bauang so it’s little wonder that this place – in a way – holds a place in my heart. As a child, I would play in its shores building sandcastles, collecting shells, gleefully running about. And, as a teenager, I would stare at its beauty taking one last look (before we would leave for La Trinidad) at the sun setting over the beach’s horizon, saying goodbye to the sea once more.

We went to the beach this sembreak. There were fewer of us who went this time. I rememeber those days when our “clan” would fill up my uncle’s jeep (KARLO) and even one BSU bus… but, for this trip, we only made use of a van and my uncle’s car.

Not only were the people occupying the seats of these vehicles fewer, they were older as well. We were no longer kids who would throw up even before reaching Naguilian road, no longer kids who would head straight for the beach without even bothering to put sunblock on, and no longer kids who would be incomplete without some form of apparatus with which to build a sandcastle with.

Oh sure, there’s Jael, JC, and Bid to consider. But Jael’s in Grade 6. And what about Karlo, Kevin, and Bul? The three are already high schoolers. And what about me, Miki, and Quantum? College Students. And don’t even get me started with my older cousins.

I can’t believe how quickly time flies by. It’s like those hours we’d spend at the beach – hours that would just go speeding by, leaving us at the end of the day saying, “Is it really time to go???

I guess life’s like that. LIFE is just like a day at the beach (specifically a Lubrica’s day at the beach). A Lubrica’s day at the beach is like this: You take a long journey through zigzagging roads having to pass through various places first before you could get to your destination. Your body adjusts from cold Benguet weather to La Union’s warmer one. But it all becomes worth it once you see the sea – the glorious South China Sea. You can do nothing but dive in and let the waves overtake you. But then… before you realize it, the day’s over and you are left staring at the sunset. Before you realize it, it’s time to go home…

Life’s like that. There are many zigzags that we have to pass through before we could go to our seas… zigzags of troubles, of pain, of tears… but there’s always the assurance that we’ll get to our destination – the beach. The beach is that special place prepared for us and is to us like Canaan is to the Israelites. The beach overflows with wonder, with GLORY… When we get to this place, all we could do drown ourselves in it’s Mighty Ocean, and let the waves come crash over us. We enjoy ourselves in this sea – the sea our Dad has prepared for us. And we enjoy it all the way through, even when the sun sets upon our lives and it’s finally time to go back Home… to be with our Dad for eternity…