Dear Amy,
Thank you for that wonderful response. You seem to have an uncanny way of interfacing what seems to be difficult to do. You have an easy way of connecting the sacred and the secular. I would like to believe that that is a gift of the Divine Providence. Philosophers, like you are, make use of that gift more naturally.
By the way, I was wanting to talk to you and hear from you after my sharing at XUHS. I want to find out if I made sense to you. After the talk, on my way out looking for AC Guarin (husband of Judith Guarin, my staff) a mother approached me and thanked me. She said she had a wonderful morning. Her silent questions, according to her, were answered and complemented.
It turned out that she is a single mother, literally, and she introduced to me her son at the parking lot. But back to you, I could feel that you were so actively and attentively listening. I was wishing you would introject into the question and answer forum. From the questions asked I think there is a lot yet to be done in terms of educative fora to widen and deepen the emotional intelligence of our parents. What about that psychiatrist who tried to make a counterpoint? Did you make sense of what he was saying? If you have observed his body language he was so nervous. I could see his fingers dancing with the microphone. I could feel that he has a point to make from his own training at the University of Santo Tomas. I could sense his quick puffing of the cigarette after being seated by the facilitator. I like the facilitator. He was so cool.
Did you hear from Sam? How was his day at MSU-IIT?
By the way I want you to share something and to hear from you as a philosopher. The quotation below has something to do with the significance of Human Relationship.
'In solitude
What happiness? Who can enjoy alone,
Or all enjoying what contentment find?'
(From Milton)
'We must reserve a little back-shop, all our own, entirely free,
wherein to establish our true liberty and principal retreat and solitude.'
(From Montaigne)
Happy reflection moment!
Take care and God bless!
Father FRB
Dear Father FRB,
You made an impact upon the XUHS parents during your talk about the need of adolescents for self- esteem. I was there and I should know. Your voice was full of wisdom and understanding. The questions raised by the parents were very important especially the problem of the gay students and what XUHS is doing about it.
The psychiatrist had an issue about self-esteem too. If he had sufficient self-esteem he need not have contradicted you and tried to make himself bigger and more impressive than you. You are right, he was very nervous he should have prescribed himself Prozac or something (he-he-he, joke lang). But he was probably very nervous because he had such a bloated ego, he could not carry the load (he-he-he, I'm enjoying at the expense of the poor psychiatrist!). His nervousness could have paid off if he made sense but if you remember he started with a great effort to demolish what you have constructed and ended up with the issue of high tuition (logical inconsistency? I would not want him to be my psychiatrist if I become psychopathological--he might treat me with a different mental illness in mind).
Our "malingin nga abogada" (Sam) is doing very well at IIT Iligan ("ako, malingin nga maestra"). I'm happy for him. He is so excited teaching Law for the first time. "Taas ang standard" but willing "to walk with his students," he said. I just love it when his eyes shine and he has this wonderful smile when he talks about what he's doing with his students. I should say, "That's the spirit, Sam!"
By the way, Basil Valdez and the Apo Hiking are going to hold a concert this Saturday ("kuno") at the Xavier Sports and Country Club. Are you going? I might if somebody will give me a ride.
The two quotations are meaningful but I need to time to analyze them. Thank you for sharing with me your wisdom--inside and outside the classroom.
Be happy. You are doing very well as a professor and as a friend of Sam and Amy.
Thank you for the gift of your friendship.
Your student,
Amy Chaves