Shows
Have coffee with meHow does one cope with the holiday Blues?There is nothing abnormal about having the "holiday blues," which are more like a mood than any sort of lasting condition. Depression, anxiety, and other psychological symptoms are associated with the holidays because this season brings back memories of a happier time in our lives.
2021-12-2112 min
Have coffee with meLeni Robredo declares her candidacy for President (English version ) #LabanLeni2022Today, I stand with full resolve: We must free ourselves from the current situation. I will fight. We will fight. I offer myself as a candidate for the Presidency in the 2022 elections.
2021-10-0909 min
Have coffee with meParents leave two legacies to their kids- one is roots, the other wingsWhenever news about a mother is sensationalized or controversial, my readers ask for my reaction. I tell them that I cannot judge on what a parent should or should not do. Like any parent, I made mistakes in the past, learned from them and never did it again. Now the next question comes up with “How do you know whether you are being responsible or irresponsible ?” How do we teach our children what it means and how to act accordingly? Ellen Schrier on “What Exactly IS A “Responsible” Parent?” gave me wonderful insights on parenting without being preachy and calls upon y...
2021-09-2305 min
Have coffee with meHave you had a good cry lately?It’s quite common to hear oh she is so brave! when the broken-hearted person appears controlled and poised in the face of grief. How is someone supposed to feel when their heart is broken?And yet we continue to admire those who do not show their grief in public, who receive condolences as though the occasion were a pleasant Sunday afternoon blabber. He was so brave. I was proud of him. He didn’t break down, not once, and so on and so forth…we hear people say.Really, whose benefit is this tight hold o...
2021-09-0206 min
Have coffee with me“Children have to be educated, but they have also to be left to educate themselves.”I learned from my parents. When the girls consulted with me on their college degrees, I said “Do whatever you want. Follow your passion. Because if you are happy in the work that you do, there is no need for me to worry if you will be successful. You will be successful if you’re doing something that you love to do.”
2021-08-2407 min
Have coffee with meExcited on video productionI am so excited that I got accepted as a program participant of YouTube's Creator Program for Independent Journalists. YouTube announced on August 5 "the selection of nearly 50 independent journalists and over 40 digital-first newsrooms across the programs." The Creator Program for Independent Journalists aims to give the growing number of reporters publishing independently the tools needed to succeed on YouTube. I will continue to cover underplayed stories, fighting disinformation, Covid-19 and Voters' Education. So I am just learning how to do video production. I started practicing a few videos at my channel. Don't worry, I will get better. Here is my...
2021-08-1312 min
Have coffee with meUsing the consumer assistance mechanism of the Bangko Sentral ng PilipinasThis podcast episode is a departure from my usual post on grief recovery so this will be a public service post. I wasn't planning to write about my housing loan experience right after the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) last year, but I continue to receive queries until today. Because of my Facebook post on accrued interest payments in October 2020, four other clients with a similar experience from the same commercial bank asked me about the process for its reversal, so let me share my experience. (I published the printed version of this podcast at the Sunday Business & I...
2021-08-0210 min
Have coffee with meA love that transcends time and space.I know I haven't posted anything for over a month. Here are some updates in my life and celebrating my son's 28th birth anniversary. Death ended my child’s life but not his relationship with my family. Even if there is no birthday boy to celebrate his 28 th birthday with, I know that a spritual bond exists between us. As I gaze at the lovely flowers I bought at the Market! Market!, I marvel at God’s creation on the beauty of life. It’s good to be alive and to have survived the past 21 years of this grief journe...
2021-07-2011 min
Have coffee with meI will celebrate meI like looking back to what I wrote back then. Here is an affirmation that I took from my recovery notes:For too long, I have been hard on myself. Others have spilled their negative energy on me. I know it had nothing to do with me. I am a gift to myself and to the Universe . I am a child of God. I do not have to try harder, be better, be perfect, or be anything I am not. My beauty lies in me just as I am each moment. I will celebrate that....
2021-06-1511 min
Have coffee with meA letter to my son in heavenDear Luijoe,It’s been 21 years . 21 years today…· without seeing your impish smile,· without receiving wild flowers with a note “I love you so very much, mama”· without your gentle reminder to pray· without your lectures on parenting· without your crazy jokes· without pinching your handsome cheeksThese are all vibrant memories now tucked in my heart, which I stitched back together.Oh yes. the tears still stream down my cheeks just like today because I miss you terribly. Love never died, even if...
2021-05-2717 min
Have coffee with meGetting out of my comfort zoneWatching Navillera, this heartwarming K-drama tv series reminds me of getting out of my comfort zone. What more can be inspiring than a 70-year-old grandpa trying to learn ballet despite his age? But it’s not only that, this drama will also teach that age is not just numbers, their age comes with knowledge that is based on years of experience.We are so accustomed to the comforts of “I cannot”, “I do not want to” and “it is too difficult” that we forget to realize when we stop doing things for ourselves and expect others...
2021-05-1815 min
Have coffee with meThou shalt not gossipIf I tell my daughters that gossiping is bad, am I right? If psychologists inform me that gossip is inevitable and extremely beneficial, are they right as well? Yes, there is good and bad gossip and we need to distinguish the two.As psychologist James Lynch puts it: “Human dialogue can be a great healer or a great destroyer.”In my opinion, there should be two separate words to connote spreading information in the absence of those about whom we speak. “Gossip” should be reserved for the negative transmission of stories that aim at maligning one’s ch...
2021-05-1409 min
Have coffee with meToday, we celebrate our 36th wedding anniversary.Today, May 5 is our 36th wedding anniversary, but we were a couple for 7 years before our wedding day. That means 43 years together.But instead of focusing on our wedding anniversary, I want to share the wedding vows of Alma and Mario who share the same wedding date- May 5 with us. 10 years ago, I was honored to be part of their 40th wedding anniversary celebration. We celebrated our Silver anniversary in 2010. Just looking at their photos, one can see that they still look young and very much in love. We have another thing in common. We both lost o...
2021-05-0512 min
Have coffee with meSetting boundaries for the plastic or unhealthy personsA few years ago at Plurk, once my favorite micro-blogging, social networking tool, a plurk caught my attention:Someone asked civil and plastic what is the diff? Does it annoy you? When you learn someone is plastic?My friend goes further to explain that1. Civil is being nice and mannered while plastic is brown nosing. Does it annoy me? There are times of course I am only human.2. Plastic has the element of design or wanting something. You trust less the plastic. Anyway, that is for me.What I f...
2021-05-0309 min
Have coffee with mePractice forgivenessForgiveness sets you free from resentment’s confines; it breaks down the walls that anger builds and negativity reinforces.When we forgive, we stop letting our pasts dictate our presents. We acknowledge we want the very best for ourselves; accepting that our past makes us the person we are today, and embracing that.Letting go of resentment doesn’t necessarily lead to forgiveness, but when you embrace forgiveness, resentment ceases to exist.I know that I cannot control what other people do including family members, but I can control how I react.
2021-04-2909 min
Have coffee with meMe time and nurturing myself with Virtual reality meditationOnce upon my early motherhood days, I often deprived myself of nurturing because I found it silly and self-indulgent. Of course, I didn’t know that nurturing is neither silly nor self-indulgent. Years later , after a million mistakes with myself and family members, I found out that nurturing is about how we show love for ourselves. I needed a loving relationship with myself that works so I can have a loving relationship with others that work.I am not where I am today if I didn’t learn to nurture myself. I wouldn’t have a second wind i...
2021-04-2611 min
Have coffee with meThe Wounded Bird SyndromeThey say marriage is for better or for worse. Couples try to support and care for each other, through good times and bad. Usually, when one of us hits rock bottom, the other can try to be the mainstay for a little while, to help the other along. But what happens when our child dies? The couple is now cast into the same dark place, struggling with the worst thing they have ever faced. Couples are there together, but they may discover that they are also there alone.Now not all couples in grief experience this dilemma...
2021-04-2408 min
Have coffee with meChange the way you see happinessWho says it is too late to redefine your life? I was 48 years old when I made a decision to choose happiness over misery.Ever since I changed my attitude towards life, I have never felt so much joy. Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that I decided to look beyond the tragedy. I now share that happiness with my husband.
2021-04-1307 min
Have coffee with meFive parenting lessons my son taught meCome to think of it, children are born without baggages. Children are wonderful. It is adults that give them the bad habits. Parents help shape their thoughts and habits in their early years. When I wrote this anecdote, Luijoe was only 4 years old. True, Luijoe was a good boy.It occurred to me that Luijoe taught me a lot about parenting. Luijoe did not mince words when he found something wrong with my parenting style. I am sure most of you have learned some important lessons from your children. I would like to share some of these...
2021-04-0709 min
Have coffee with meEaster Sunday reminds me of my beloved son’s thoughts of eternal lifeSometimes I wished I had the power to go back in time and stopped his death. Of course, that is not possible. Those wonderful words he told me weeks before his death is what keeps my faith alive.Luijoe’s words never fail to bring me hope that we will reunite one day. It gives me the courage to put meaning in my life.
2021-04-0309 min
Have coffee with meHow my son reminded me about the comfort of St. John the BelovedA month before my son died, we had our usual prayers before bedtime; he pointed to the picture of St. John the Apostle which was found in his Rosary Prayer book. I explained Jesus told John to take care and comfort his mother when he dies. Luijoe seemed to be touched by St. John and the following nights, he kept repeating the same question and this time he was asking how John was related to Mother Mary. I found that to be a very deep question, and I just said he was one of Jesus’ apostle.
2021-04-0206 min
Have coffee with meA daughter knows bestIt was the birthday celebration of my eldest daughter a few days ago. A precious memory of my daughter when she lectured me on my choice of a presidential candidate. Mommies know what is best for their children, but this time, my children knew what is best for them.
2021-03-3005 min
Have coffee with meDedma or not?For the sake of diplomatic relations , I practice dedma. Is it being a hypocrite? Let’s look at the definition of dedma1) To completely ignore/feign ignorance of the existence/presence of someone/something.2) To snub, reject, or toss in the trash.3) To pretend deafness or blindness in order to escape a sticky situation.(If you own a podcast, join podmetrics.co by using this code "CoffeeBreak".)
2021-03-2806 min
Have coffee with meBeing a 70s child“Being a 70s child & why today’s youth never had it so good” brings back sweet memories of my youth. Hence, I’ve come up with my own version of the 70’s child. (yes I am that old. High School in 1970We didn’t have Playstations, Nintendo 64, X boxes, video games , cable TV with over 100 channels , VCR’s, surround sound , cellular phones , computers , online chatrooms, Zoom, cubhouse, Twitter, Facebook,Instead we, had…(If you own a podcast, join podmetrics.co by using this code "CoffeeBreak".)
2021-03-2506 min
2021-03-2203 min
Have coffee with meDo you believe in giving second chances?It takes two to a marriage. I knew I had to take care of myself first and foremost. I had to give myself a second chance. A second chance to be a more loving wife and mother. A second chance to be more financially independent and a second chance to be a better person.I believe second chances are possible if….(If you own a podcast, join podmetrics.co by using this code "CoffeeBreak".)
2021-03-1804 min
Have coffee with meSimple deeds can outweigh words.Words, no matter how eloquent have no bearing when they are not accompanied by gestures. In a relationship, words are important but you cannot depend on them alone. Of course, it feels good to hear your significant other say “I love you,” “you mean the world to me,” “I’ll do anything for you,” “you’re my everything” and so on but if that person constantly lets you down and hurt you, then those words may seem ironic. If you own a podcast, join podmetrics.co by using this code "CoffeeBreak".
2021-03-1412 min
Have coffee with me60 things I wish I could tell my 19 year old selfMy mother died when I was 19 years old. I wished she were around to give me nuggets of wisdom. I ended up praying to my mom asking for guidance whenever I stumbled along the way. Most of the time, I was on my own with the help of my siblings. We often talked among ourselves and try to resolve our challenges. Most importantly, I learned to nurture my inner child.1 I learned the art of loving my inner child after I realized that there were many aspects of my life that were left unresolved. Now that I am older and...
2021-03-1119 min
Have coffee with meBeautiful and meaningful affirmations uplift my dayThe affirmations of Louise Hay helped me in my grief journey. One way to empower the good is through affirmations which are just simple positive statements. I am glad I found her. Sadly, Louise Hay transitioned on August 30, 2017 of natural causes at age 90. She passed peacefully in her sleep. Her affirmations have helped me so much that I would like to share of few of them here. If you own a podcast, join podmetrics.co by using this code "CoffeeBreak".
2021-03-1007 min
Have coffee with meOur love story: 43 years with my college sweetheartYou know it is true love when you have gone through the worse moments in marriage and yet survived and make the love even stronger than it ever was.It wasn’t all roses, sweet nothings, and icing on a cake type of relationship.We nearly separated 16 years ago. Grief had overtaken us so much. Our marriage suffered during the first few years after my son died. My husband and I had different ways of coping with our grief. He wanted to talk about Luijoe's death. I preferred to keep quiet and be by myself. Th...
2021-03-0716 min
Have coffee with meLife is about creating yourself“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” George Bernard ShawI caught the George Bernard Shaw quote a few days ago, and it made me reflect back on my life. It is almost 21 years that my son passed away.I do not recognize myself from the person I was in the past. I am more confident. I appreciate myself more. I have a new life, blogging and advocating social change for social good and recently, a budding coffee producer. I am having the time of my life and feeling beautiful, loved and be...
2021-03-0408 min
Have coffee with meDeath is not the end of love“Death is the end of life; death is not the end of love.” The lesson that love lives on after death is one that takes time-perhaps years-to appreciate and fully understand. I remember the death of Hazel, the wife of my brother-in-law. She died of covid-19 last July , 30 2020. No longer will this loving woman be able to do the many good things for others that she had done during her life. No more will she sit with her husband at breakfast to plan a day of activities or reflect each evening on the events of the day. No more will she...
2021-03-0305 min
Have coffee with meTake care of yourselfAfter years of denial, numbing feelings of pain and all sorts of emotions, I finally came true to myself. I learned to take care of myself emotionally through practice and learning new behavioral patterns like. "Acting as if " (see episode 4)I forced myself into positive recovery behaviors, disregarding my doubts and fears, until my feelings caught up with reality. I am still a work in progress, of course. Leave a voice message here. https://anchor.fm/momblogger/message
2021-03-0209 min
Have coffee with meThe power of a praying parentI am not a very religious person but I believe in prayers. I often drop by this quaint little chapel in Eastwood or the one in Greenbelt. See, my children don’t live with me anymore and I worry as most parents do. My only comfort is in prayers as it lessens my anxiety.My prayers are always for my children: May they be safe, may they be happy, and may they be healthy. Leave me a voice message here. https://anchor.fm/momblogger/message
2021-02-2711 min
Have coffee with meTouched by an Angel 15th blog anniversaryI am at my coffee farm but right now I am recording at Luijoe meadow listening to the birds chirping and recalling the memories of my Luijoe. Today (February 26) is also the 15th anniversary of my blog, Touched by an Angel”. Leave me a voice message here. https://anchor.fm/momblogger/message
2021-02-2505 min
Have coffee with meThe gift of laughterToday is the birth anniversary of my dad. I miss my dad terribly. My dad outlived two of my brothers, my mom and his grandchild, Luijoe. My sister , Myrna believes that dad’s legacy is his example of strength and perseverance to us, the seven children and eighteen grandchildren. I learned by watching him suffer from the ravages of Stroke, that I should never give up on life, and to hold on to every precious moment with my loved ones, fully aware that, like a candle’s flame, life can flicker out in an instant. His laughter just resonated . Enth...
2021-02-1907 min
Have coffee with mePositive energy, anyone?I cannot always control what goes on outside. But I can always control what goes on inside.– Wayne DyerIt’s so easy to notice what’s wrong.It takes practice to see what’s right.Sometimes, it can’t be helped that I get my dose of negative vibes but I let it go after a while. I don’t let it destroy me. Each day, I ask myself, what’s right and what’s good about other people, my work, my day and my loved ones. Positive energy heals and transforms. I choose positiv...
2021-02-1809 min
Have coffee with meWe don't "move on" from grief. We move forward with It."A grieving person is going to laugh again and smile again. Yes, they're going to move forward. But that doesn't mean that they've moved on."Holly Goldberg Sloan said, "For someone grieving moving forward is a challenge because after extreme loss you want to go back." Unfortunately, we still live in a world where grief is a taboo topic. People who don’t outwardly show grief are said to be ‘strong’ and ‘brave’ while those who show and express feelings are spoken of in derogatory terms such as ‘falling apart’ and ‘going to pieces’ or ‘breaking down’ etc. “She’s not moving...
2021-02-1614 min
Have coffee with meSeason 1: Have coffee with meHello everyone. Have coffee with me. This is Noemi Lardizabal Dado also known as momblogger on social media. It’s my 15th year as a blogger. Though I have been online since 1995, I started my blog (aboutmyrecovery.com) on February 26, 2006 as an advocacy platform in grief recovery and parenting . This was my new normal . From blogger, to @momblogger, and advocate, I have achieved my now normal, a budding coffee producer. Sit back and relax as I bring topics that cover my past, present and future. Expect topics on grief recovery, parenting, media literacy and coffee. Season 1 will be about grief ed...
2021-02-1601 min
Have coffee with meA stark reminder to cherish our loved ones.As of February 16, 2021, there have been 2,407,612 deaths because of the coronavirus. Multiply the grief and pain of family members, friends and associates by 2,407,612 . These deaths are not just numbers. It is also a stark reminder to appreciate loved ones. "Don't live in "what could have been". Love the moments you've had... Some don't even have that much. Live today. You don't know that you have tomorrow." and other replies to the contribution of my brother-in-law to New York Times "Tiny Love Stories".
2021-02-1613 min
Have coffee with meOn Valentine's day & loving yourself firstAs with the past 43 Valentine’s Day , my husband and I celebrate it at home. We could not spend Christmas Day together except via Zoom so today, we wore our ugly Christmas shirt when I prepared lunch. Never too late to celebrate love and life. If there is anything I have learned in our 43 years of being together, it is loving myself first. Embrace and love all of myself including past, present and future. I forgave myself and as often as necessary; I talk to myself and list down my good points. I constantly work at loving myself. L...
2021-02-1412 min
Have coffee with meGrieving the loss of a loved one to COVID-19A death in the family because of Covid-19 is devastating. Hazel, the wife of Sean, my brother-in-law died of COVID-19 in July last year. He found comfort writing letters to his wife on his Facebook page. Sean posts messages sharing the mundane, happy events of the day; often talking about how the family copes without her. When Sean shared his story to ASEAN.org magazine, he says, “I think it's important to connect faces and stories to all the numbers and statistics, so that people will remain aware that COVID-19 causes real and lasting human suffering.” Allow me to share his s...
2021-02-1320 min
Have coffee with meActing as if“Acting as if” is one of my favorite recovery tool that worked for me. By acting as if you are a certain type of person, you become that person, what I call the “As If” principle. To practice the positive, I act as if. It’s a positive form of pretending. It’s a useful tool to use to get ourselves unstuck. For many years after my son died, I isolated from friends. During the rare social gatherings I attended, I forgot how to initiate small talk. I was catatonic, who preferred to be invisible amidst the light banter. I bet my frien...
2021-02-1213 min
Have coffee with meFinding my new normalFinding my new normal after a loss of a child was something I figured out along the way. Being a blogger in 2006 is my new normal because I would not have blogged about my recovery if I didn’t have my stories of hope. In time, I had the energy and courage to cope with the change. Learning to live a new normal is like learning a new language, a new way of seeing. In a way, I entered a new country. Though the terrain looks very much the same and many of the people are the same people, there is...
2021-02-1014 min
Have coffee with meTouched by my angelWhen I look back at my grief journey, the turning point came when I became a blogger. It must have been my angel that touched me that one night. That is why I chose to call my blog, “Touched by an Angel”.Looking at my first post in 2006, I merely wanted to give hope to parents, siblings and grandparents that there is a new normal after a loss of a child. I did not realize that I would be touched by my own blog. Being a blogger is my new normal. Sharing the changes in my new normal...
2021-02-0915 min
Have coffee with meLuijoe, our angelBefore I turned to blogging, I wrote my story on Luijoe, My Angel on page 29 of the Fallen Cradle, a book written by parents on the loss of a child.The first few sentences of my story goes this way:“If I die, Mama, will I be alive again?” Luijoe asked. My six-year-old was lying on the bed, flipping through the prayer books piled on his tummyIt was Holy Week, a month before that fateful day of May 27, 2000, the day he drowned in a beach resort in Cebu.I turned my body to face his and stroked his cheek. How coul...
2021-02-0816 min
DigitalFilipino Talks PodcastPolitical and Advocacy Blogging - Monitoring Campaign Promises of President Noynoy Aquino - DigitalFilipino Talks Episode 27DigitalFilipino Janette Toral interviewed Noemi Lardizabal-Dado, editor of BlogWatch (http://www.blogwatch.tv), on the important role that bloggers and social media users have played in the last elections and in monitoring the campaign promises of President Noynoy Aquino. Noemi also gave advise on how blogging can be used as a tool for people and groups with various advocacies. DigitalFilipino Talks series is produced by Janette Toral. It is directed by Buddy Gancenia.
2011-05-1910 min