TimelessKaleidoscope

Exploring the Circle of Life and sharing it with all of you!

[timelesskaleidoscope]

"THE TIMELESS JOURNEY: FULLY BLOOM"

On a breezy and cold night, we have the opportunity to interview and sneak a peak on the warm life journey of Auntie Fran, a 66 years old lady.

As we are wandering the street under the moonlight looking for someone to interview, we stumbled upon a humble stall full of delicious food snacks and as we are buying we discovered that Auntie Fran is currently on a life journey in her late adulthood stage, and upon learning our reason for why we are wandering the streets at night, she happily shared her life journey.

As Auntie Fran walks the path of late adulthood, she experiences different challenges and attained wondrous accomplishments. Auntie Fran's health is declining as she experiences various pain all over her body. She was diagnose with kidney failure early this year and is currently on medication. Her bones was also starting to get weak as well as she is having hard time working heavy and long hours.

Auntie Fran's cognitive memory is as sharp as when she is in her younger years. As she is often in her stall selling, her memory and cognitive skills are always active as she correctly give change to her loyal customers and inventory her income everyday. She also likes to engage in activities that uses the cognitive skills.

Now that she is in this stage of her life, she recalled how in her younger years she work hard and build a fishing stall business which allows her to provide for her family and support her 4 children throughout college as well as her grandchild. Her hard work, sacrifices and dedication allows her to sent her children to college which in returned allowed them to graduate and land a respectable jobs. With her kind heart, she also build a strong foundation and bond with her family as well as to the people around her. But despite all the hardship she went through, her satisfaction and happiness lies in seeing her family happy and worshipping the Lord.

And as of the moment, she had retired in her fishing stall business and is currently enjoying selling delicious snacks outside her house to pass the time and bond with the people around her.

As she enjoys her journey in life, the only thing she wishes is to have a longer years to spend time with her love ones with the advice to always take good care of our health, not abuse our body and to live life to the fullest.

[timelesskaleidoscope]

"AGE WITH GRACE IN MIDDLE AGE"

For our interview in middle age, on the breezy night of December 5, 2024, we were glad to interview a 46-year-old youthful and strong lady who we will call Ate Dada. The woman initially looked hesitant to us, but as time passed, sharing and chit-chatting, she became warm. She shared a few of her hardships and proud moments in life.

Ate Dada has four children, and one of them has the same program as us, just from a different school. At her age, she is mostly experiencing stress and body pains. Also, she’s been forgetful for a while now, for example, she misplaces her phone and other things inside the house.

Compared to other women at her age, she likes to stay at home rather than go out and do some activities outside as it is the most comfortable way for her to unwind. In her leisure time, she listens to worship songs as she is also a very faithful woman.

Whenever she gets stressed about her children, most of the time what she does is voice out her feelings towards them. After that, she stated that she felt calm and okay afterward.

Now that she is at that age, her achievement and proud moment would be being able to send her eldest to college who is now a 3rd-year psychology student at a private university here in our city despite having financial problems. All of her four children are also achievers at school so it is indeed a very proud moment for her family. She has also shared that during their hard times last year, there were things that needed to be sacrificed in order to go on. During that time also she was very down that she lost so much weight that time.

What she wishes and looks forward to in the future for her whole family is to finish their studies, and renovate their house. Lastly, her wish for herself is to have a long life as she still wants to be with her family and bond with them and also to see her children finish their studies and achieve their goals.

[timelesskaleidoscope]

"NAVIGATING THE PATH: Embracing the Challenges and Milestones of Life"

On a cold comforting rainy night, I have the opportunity to interview the resilient Anja, a 20 years old college student who is currently walking the exciting and thrilling path of adulthood. 

As Anja enters the stage of early adulthood development, she faces various changes in her life especially in the physical, cognitive and socioemotional aspects of her life. 

Anja recalled how she noticed her face and body changed. Her face structure became more defined, her baby face slowly fades away as the time goes by and becomes more mature. She also noticed that she gained more muscle and strength as well as increase in height and weight. Accompanying these amazing milestones, are the physical challenges brought by adulthood. She often feels back pain and stiffness in her body as she grows older. She understands that her body experiences a lot of changes as she enters different stages of development in life. She embraces these challenges and milestones with open arms and a smile on her face. 

As Anja journeyed the path of early adulthood, she experienced cognitive developments. She became more sensitive to others feelings, became more understanding, and spent more time on reflecting and thinking when making decisions as well as thinking about life. However, along with these developments comes a feeling of doubt and uncertainty. She often thinks about the uncertain future, doubting herself and her choices accompanied by the difficulty of college life and the pressure and demands of the subjects, resulting in her feeling drained and overwhelmed. Yet, despite these challenges, she persevered and joined the President List, raising a sense of fulfillment and motivation. With these experiences and milestones, Anja becomes more understanding and open to other viewpoints which inspires her to continue to reach her goals while gaining skills and knowledge. 

As she entered the early adulthood stage, Anja encountered new people and friends that shared the same passion and interests as her, allowing her to easily build relationships with them. She also communicates with her long time friends and shares her struggles with them as they relate to each other's experiences, they provide support and comfort to each other. Anja has a strong support system, blessed by supportive and understanding parents, families, and friends. As Anja is surrounded with amazing people, she learned not to mind the negative things other people may say to her and continue to be herself and enjoy the things she likes.

As Anja continues her journey, she is working hard to achieve her goals. She perseveres to build a foundation, developing and embracing the changes in her physical, cognitive and socioemotional aspects of her life. She not only embraces and celebrates the milestones she achieves but also accepts the challenges as she realizes that in order to grow, she must face these challenges. Anja continues to enjoy her journey while living life to the fullest doing and embracing every experience she encounters.

[timelesskaleidoscope]

"WANDERING TEENAGE LIFE"

On a gloomy afternoon on November 5, 2024, I had the opportunity to interview Max, a 14-year-old girl currently exploring her teenage years.

Max is currently a Grade 9 student. She likes doing kikay things like doing her hair, putting on some nail polish, and especially, putting on make-up on her face on a random afternoon. Aside from that, she loves to play badminton with her little brother outside the house and with her friends at school. She also loves to be busy all the time, loves to rest, sleep, and have 'me' time.

As a teenager, there are a lot of things that could change physically, mentally, and emotionally due to puberty. When she was younger, how she reacted to some situations was mostly based on the people around her, but now that she has grown and matured she can assess situations on her own. At her age, she also gets stressed often because of school activities since she's an active student.

The young girl, even though she is very nice and friendly, also gets pressured to act in a certain way in front of other people, especially when she starts having face-to-face classes she doesn't act like her true self because of the thought that she might not fit to be friends with other students. She also thinks that the way she looks affects the way the students and other people treat her, especially during high school when gossipers and plastics are everywhere, and because of that she chooses to improve herself more, to be clean, and to be presentable.

Max, at her age, is also good when it comes to decisions. Most of the time she thinks more logically as she first thinks about the possible outcomes of what her decision may be before she makes the final decision.

Max grew up having older women surrounding her, so when her puberty started she didn't have many challenges when it came to dealing with girl problems as they helped her deal with it. Also, for her, having older people around is healthy because as she grows older, as she encounters experiences and hard decisions in life, it helps her to grow more intellectually and mentally.

[timelesskaleidoscope]

"UNLOCKING NEW HORIZON"

As we enter new stages in life, we discover new things about ourselves that allows us to deeply understand and love oneself.

On a very hot Sunday afternoon, October 6, 2024,  I have the opportunity to interview the very hardworking and cheerful Marga, a 12 years old child who is excited to face her journey in life.

Marga is currently in the 6th grade and is working hard to achieve her goal and graduate in elementary school. She is interested in dancing as well as singing and has joined a dancing competition in her school. She also enjoys playing badminton which showcases her physical body’s flexibility, coordination, strength, and balance. Recently, she also underwent  body check up in her school and has a normal BMI. Marga is one of the tallest students in her class. 

As Marga enters the late childhood stage, her body is currently undergoing puberty and changes which makes her a little worried and uncomfortable because she is not used to the changes in her body. However, with the help of the people around her, she embraces those changes and feels confident. 

When it comes to her cognitive development, Marga is very much interested in English. Her favorite subject in school is English. She also likes spelling as it enhances her knowledge. Marga also likes science and enjoys memorizing the parts of the body. Marga is hardworking and dedicated to her studies. After coming back from school, she often indulges herself in making her assignments, studying and memorizing her study materials. Just like having a favorite subject, Marga also has the least favorite subject which is Mathematics. She finds Mathematics complicated and hard to understand. Another factor that causes her difficulties in understanding the subject is her strict teacher. Despite her enjoying singing, Marga also finds the subject music hard as she has hard time navigating the proper position of the notes in the music book. However, these challenges do not stop Marga from working hard, instead she makes it an inspiration and motivation to study harder. 

Marga is responsible and very mature for her age. Being raised by a hardworking single mother, she learned to become responsible and independent at a young age. She often does household chores like washing dishes and laundry. She also helps her little sister do her assignment. Luckily, her little sister, Xia, helps in sweeping the floor and preparing the table. As Marga was very mature, she often did things without being told to do so. She often takes care of the household chores as her mother was working very hard to provide for them. She is very understanding of their situation and voluntarily does things on her own, which her mother was very grateful for. 

Marga is a popular student in her school. She has many friends from her room as well as the neighboring rooms. She likes connecting and interacting with people and is very happy when she connects and makes new friends. Just like other kids, Marga also had a crush in their school and was very shy about it. And as a kid, she also has people that she cannot please however, she has a great understanding that she cannot please other people and she just avoided them to avoid bigger problems. Marga lives with her mother and little sister. She is well provided and supported both physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually by the people around her. Her mother is very proud, grateful and supportive of her activities and development in life. Her mother encourages her to be open about her curiosity and feelings which allows her to build deeper connections with the people around her as well as build relationships with other people. 

As of the moment, Marga is passionate when it comes to fashion as well as dancing and wants to be a flight stewardess in the future. Marga is excited in her journey as she walks and unlocks new stages in her development. Marga is a child that is full of confidence, love, happiness and is motivated to face the milestones she will achieve in the future.

[timelesskaleidoscope]

"THE ADVENTURE AWAITS"

A developmental stage that is full of excitement. A colorful world that awaits to be discovered.

On a very humid Sunday afternoon, October 6, 2024, I have the opportunity to interview the very jolly and curious Xia, a 9 years old child about her wonders and journey as she walks and experiences the path of middle childhood stage. 

Xia is currently in 3rd grade. She is curious and full of energy. She recently underwent weight, height and BMI check in their school. She is the tallest among her classmates and has a normal BMI, which surely makes her happy.  Xia is very much interested in dancing and singing as well as playing sports such as basketball and running highlighting how great her physical balance, strength and coordination at a very young age. Xia is very active and has a strong physical body.

When it comes to cognitive development, Xia is interested in Mathematics. She said that her most favorite subject in school is Mathematics as she enjoys and is interested in numbers. Xia likes addition as well as multiplication and they are currently in the process of memorizing the whole multiplication table which she really enjoys doing. Xia is also hardworking and motivated in doing her assignments, studying and memorizing the lesson materials her teachers gave them. Xia is just like any other child, she also has a least favorite subject which is science. Her reasoning is that the teacher is so strict that instead of learning, she felt pressured to learn the lesson, which she does not enjoy very much, however, she is a determined child and is finding a way to love and understand the subject. Other activities that Xia enjoys are drawing and coloring as she enjoys looking at colorful and pretty things.

Xia is raised by a hardworking single mother. She is mature and responsible for her age. She tried to help her mother and older sister with house chores and is very understanding when her mother is stressed and tired. She gave her mother massages and is currently learning how to cook with the help of her mother and older sister.  

Xia is also a social butterfly, having friends from different sections in her grade. She likes interacting and connecting with other children as well as playing with them during lunch break. As a social butterfly, there are also children that often fought with her due to misunderstanding; however, she understands that she cannot please everyone and just avoid those who fought with her to maintain peace. Xia lives with her mother and older sister and sometimes visits her father. Despite being fully raised with a single mother, she receives full support from the people around her. She was also taught to be open to her feelings and can easily form relationships with other people. 

As of the moment, Xia is looking forward to the future. She wanted to be a doctor and is very excited about her journey in life. She is very much satisfied and happy with how her life is. Xia is a child full of excitement on her journey as she discovers the beauty of the world.

[timelesskaleidoscope]

"LITTLE BUTTERFLY STEPS"

On the afternoon of October 07, 2024, I interviewed one of our neighbors who is a close friend of my mom and has an adorable baby girl who never forgets to greet us, and we will call her 'Daffy.'

She is a two-year-old child turning three on October 24, 2024. Daffy is a very hyper, energetic, mischievous, and playful child. She is also just like the other kids her age who also has favorite things to play with such as the kitchen set that was given by her mom's friend, and when she's already getting bored playing with it, she plays with water, and sometimes the mud whenever she goes out of their house to play.

Daffy, at a young age, is already able to communicate her thoughts to her parents and siblings. She started talking when she was two years old but the words were starting to be clear and straight when she was 2 and 1/2 years old, around that time she was very talkative although there were times that she read the words in reverse. She also likes to imitate the words or actions of other people.

Whenever the child is being scolded by her mom, she doesn't listen at all and continues to do whatever she was doing or playing at that time, and when there are times that she is disobedient, her mother talks and explains to her in a gentle tone that she needs to apologize whenever this kinds of situation comes up. Daffy is also not very interactive when it comes to her cousins, uncles, aunts, etc., as she is more attached to her mom, and has a hard time adjusting.

The kid also understanding at a very young age. Whenever she asks her mom to buy a toy or thing she likes, and her mom can't buy it for her, at first she throws tantrums but eventually, as her mom explains to her why she slowly understands the situation. Their situation might be hard right now but the kid understood it very well at her age.

There are instances where a child doesn't want to share their toys or things with another child, especially during playtime. However, Daffy is not stingy or selfish when it comes to sharing her food, toys, or belongings with other children except for her older brother.

The mother, Ruby, has her ways of encouraging her child when there are times when she's scared or doesn't want to try new things. She encourages her through words and a gentle voice and shows her that she supports her.

Daffy has her own world and often does things in her own way.

The interview with Daffy's mother was brief since it was already 6:00 pm, and she still had things to do in their home. However, I enjoyed it and learned a lot about her child, whom I often see running and playing outside their house.

[timelesskaleidoscope]

"TINY BABY BUDS"

A familiar face and voice welcomes the little one in this beautiful world. The birth of a child is another step towards a lifelong journey of motherhood and welcoming of a new life. 

On a really hot Monday afternoon, September 2, 2024 , we have the opportunity to interview and have a sneak peak on the life of Blessie, a mother of an infant, about her life long journey of being a mother to 2 beautiful children and a happily married wife. 

Blessie’s youngest baby, Keonna, had a rocky and overwhelming start on this world. After she was born, she was in and out of hospital for nearly a month due to blood infection, cough and runny nose. “Lisod ug hadlok kay sulod gawas siya sa hospital tas akoang lawas garecover pa gikan panganak kay gi cesarian ko” Blessie shared. Thankfully after multiple vaccines and medicines, the brave little Keonna recovered, discharged and was ready to go home. For the last 8 months, Keonna fully recovered and grew, receiving love from her mother, father, older sister, family members and friends, and neighbors. When asked about the development and skills of her baby, “ Kabalo na siya mag close open sa iyahang kamot ug kabalo na siya muligid ug kamang” Blessie replied with a proud look on her face, looking at her little Keonna at the floor crawling and enjoying the company of her neighbors. 

When it comes to Keonna’s cognitive and socioemotional development, Blessie notices that Keonna is curious and interested about the things around her. “Masigi siyag lingi lingi sa palibot, ug tawagon siya mura pug siyag naminaw. Ganahan pud ni siya mutan aw sa kanang mga dulaan na nagbitay bitay iyahang tan-awon tas kab-oton” Blessie stated sweetly. “Muila pud ni si Keonna kay ug dili familiar ang nawong na iyahang makita kay muhilak siya” Blessie added as she watches Keonna crying while being held by one of her neighbors. Baby Keonna’s cognitive and socioemotional development such as her recognition and thinking skills can be observed when it comes to her interaction with unfamiliar and familiar faces, her actions towards toys, and towards the people calling her name. It is also noticeable that Keonna does not cry when being held by people she often sees and recognizes. In terms of Keonna’s physical development, Blessie stated that Keonna’s weight and body is normal for her month.” Nistop na siyag breastfeed pagka 2 months niya mao gigatas na namo siya tas ginapakaon pud nako siyag lugaw” Blessie stated.”Si Keonna kay mas active ug gabie kay dili siya katulog mao pulaw ko ug gabie kay muhilak man siya ug lihokan”. It is noticeable that baby Keonna is well fed and is receiving enough nutrients through drinking formula milk. Keonna easily cries and becomes irritated due to her teeth growing and hot weather yet overall Keonna is a healthy and cute little baby.

Blessie faces challenges throughout her journey in motherhood as well as being a wife yet she manages it with grace, strength, determination and love. “Naa guy times na lisod kay kailangan man namo palitan ug gatas ug mga needs si Keonna. Ga eskwela pud iyahang ate ug highschool mao daghan ug gasto. Dako sila ug gap, 13 years ilahang gap ni Keonna ug iyahang ate” Blessie shared. “Pero mamanage man pud kay todo supporta ug ga provide pud akoang bana mao makaya ra mao gapasalamat pud ko. Akoa pud magulang na anak kay siya na muatiman sa iyahang sarili pag mu eskwela” Blessie added as she smiles and faces the challenges with bravery and gratefulness.

Despite her share of struggles and challenges in life, she manages to balance it. “Lisod gud pero kayanon para nila, akoa nalang ikatulog ug hilak kung kapoy na kaayo. Dako pud katabang akoa Bana kay siya may mulihok ug sakit akoang tahi, likod ug akoang lawas. Naa guy times na kapoy na kaayo ko kay kulang tulog”  Blessie shared with a hint of sadness and tears in her eyes. . 

Even with those struggles and challenges of being a mother especially having an infant, Blessie was full of joy and love towards her family. The strength, gratefulness, and God-fearing attitudes of Blessie enlightens their home, giving it a warm feeling of love, laughter and togetherness. She is always positive and excited about the future development of her children.

“Akong wish lang gud sa ilaha na mudako sila na maka-diyos ug good health pirmente ug malipayon sila” Blessie wishes from the bottom of her motherly heart towards her children. “ Bahala nag walay akoa basta mahatag nako tanan sa ilaha mahappy na pud ko” Blessie stated. A sentence that can stand against all the challenges and storms in life, showcasing the sacrifices, strength, happiness and never ending love of a mother.

[timelesskaleidoscope]

"A ROLLER COASTER FIRST LOVE"

Pregnancy is the time at which a fetus develops inside the woman's body, which usually lasts up to 40 weeks or 280 days. During pregnancy, a woman's body undergoes unremarkable changes throughout the nine months of carrying the baby. It is a profoundly cherished event that parents anticipate with family and friends.

On a windy afternoon on September 1, 2024, we had the opportunity to interview Ms. Maine, a 20-year-old woman, to share her journey of becoming a first-time mother.

Maine has been on a roller coaster ride as she experienced lots of physical and emotional changes throughout her pregnancy journey. "Na experience ko po nung nabuntis ako mabilis uminit ulo ko tapos palaging nasusuka, masakit ang ulo," she shared. She also noticed the physical changes in her body. "Ngayon po tumataba na po ako tapos namamanas ang ilong ko, marami din po acne, sobrang dry po ng balat." Maine is also experiencing mood or emotional changes, which is very common to a pregnant woman. "Mabilis po akong umiyak din po, magalit."

Maine shared her prenatal journey in the hospital and their nearest health center to find out the current condition of her baby. "Noong sa hospital po kasi isang beses pa lang ako nagpacheck up nito lang, binigyan pa po muna ako ng reseta tapos sa center naman every Thursday ako nagpapacheck-up, sabi naman po okay naman daw yung baby."

Food cravings are very common to pregnant women; they can have the normal to weirdest combinations of all, and they normally occur in early pregnancy. "Normal cravings lang po, maaalat na maanghang, yung mga takoyaki, sharwarma," she shared.

Morning sickness is one of the most obvious and noticeable symptoms for a pregnant woman. It is also common for pregnant women to have morning sickness every day, and this usually occurs during the first trimester. We asked Maine about this symptom, if she ever had a morning sickness, and she shared that it happened during first trimester and it lasted for about 4 months. "Wala na po, nung first meron pero ngayon wala na." 

Maine has also plotted a lot of plans for after childbirth. Since she is not studying anymore, she also shared her plan: "Gusto ko nalang po mag work" She added that when her baby is already five or six months old, that is when she's going to start working. Aside from that, she's also planning for a normal delivery rather than a cesarean section. 

When they found out that she was pregnant, she shared that her parents got mad at first, but as of the moment they are now on good terms. In addition, she has also been planning, preparing, and buying things for her baby. "Ngayon po pa unti-unti meron na po, may mga gamit na po."

The first-time parent also shared what she's currently feeling with their baby boy. "Excited po na kinakabahan". When she got pregnant with her baby, she had to put aside the things that she wanted and focus on the things that were very important. "Parang sinantabi ko na po yung iba kong gusto tapos parang inisip ko na lang po mga dapat gawin"

Lastly, she gave a message for first-time moms, and also for the moms that are also the same age as her. "Magbuntis sila kapag financially stable na sila, tapos kapag ready na din po sila."