Finding something in Nothing

In the Beginning, there was Nothing. No earth. No sky. No sea and sand. No plants. No animals. No man. Nothing. Like in this beginning of a new chapter in my life, I practically have almost nothing.

• My entire family is back home. My father, my mother, my three little sisters (the other sister is in Finland working her ass off as a chef), my brother and our cats (Monay, Raj, Penny, Pandesal) & dogs (Barney, Kimmi, Mandu. The pets are part of my family too! Plus, my lolo, my titos (uncles), my titas (aunts), my cousins. Unfortunately, I do not have any close relatives that live in this corner of the globe.
• My friends, whom I spend my free time with on weeknights and weekends, are back home…and they are apparently enjoying so much without me. Boo!
• My corporate job is non-existent. Yes, I left a corporate career to join Dodong here in the desert. So I am now a certified unemployed statistic…

Though it is nothing: no noisy family, no crazy friends, no work to keep me busy plus buys me the stuff I need and want; this feels like something. Something called a beginning, a chance to start anew. A chance to fill in the blank pages of the new chapters of my life…

• It’s about starting a new family, our new and small family; while strengthening the bond with my original family.
• It’s about finding new friends, while keeping the ties with old ones.
• It’s about finding a new job to continue the corporate career I’ve left behind.

It should be fun right? It is most of the time, but i must say that it isn’t a walk in the park. If in the Philippines, I was up and running. Here in Dubai, I’m back to crawling on all fours, all wobbly and awkward, learning how to get back up and start running again.

• I am still settling to our little family. Dodong’s been a very good husband, trying to be extra patient with me and my strange habits and needs at home.
• I am also gaining new friends…slowly. I take this chance to thank Dodong’s Dubai friends for welcoming me with open arms.
• I am actively searching for a new job ever since I got here. I’ve had two interviews since then, but still nothing definite. I really did my best, but perhaps God still has other plans for me…very soon. For now, writing articles has kept me quite busy and been helping pay the bills.

The Lord stripped me down to nothing to help realize the little somethings I have in this new chapter of life.

• Despite having nothing, the Lord has given me Dodong. A generous husband, supporting me through this unemployment phase of mine.
• Despite having nothing, the Lord has given me Time. More time than ever before to indulge in things I hardly had time for, like exercise, my books and, most important, prayer.
• Despite having nothing, the Lord has given me Faith. Sometimes I feel like I’ve somehow hit rock bottom. And yes, when you’ve hit the bottom, you have to look up. I place my entire Faith in the Lord that he is cooking up something special for me.

I am grateful for this chance for a new beginning. Not many people are given this opportunity. It may be a slow start, and a bit slow than I would’ve wanted; but I know my life here as I’ve envisioned will get there someday soon…very soon.

 

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay