Activities for a Family Reunion

Games are very universal activities suited to a livelier family reunion. It will not only make a blast and maintain the continuum but it will also force the family to interact with one another. Aside from common long standing game of all time sack race and paper dance, you can be creative by revising the mechanics of the old plays to make it more interesting. It is just a matter of being creative!

Here are some of the best family reunion activities that will surely play the rule to a vivacious fun-filled experience!

1.Problem Solving/ Survival Scenario

                Your family is in plane crash. Your group will need to choose 10 useful items to survive.

This is a classic decision making exercise with many variations. It can work for a wide variety of ages and can be held in and outdoors. Each member of the group or family shall partially agree to each ranking on the final list. Encourage the group to complete the task such as voting. Steer the group towards the aim to exercise which is heightening awareness of family decision making. You may provide each group with a paper and pencil . Set a time limit of 15-30 minutes. Ask 2-3 members of the family to panel the final presentation. The best answers get 5 stars. At the end of the day, all the stars will be counted and the group that gets the greatest number of stars will be declared the winner!

                Variation of the game:

v  A nuclear bomb has been dropped in your area…you are given a radiation-free but only available             for 5 people. Choose who among the clan will survive.

v  Boat is sinking where you need to take only (___ ) ( This depends on how may member are there in the group) for the boat to keep afloat.

2.Name that Tune

                Nowadays, we have easy access on computers, notebooks, phones and iPod where we can readily play music. As a host, be innovative enough to compile songs or different genres for all ages, making sure that each member of the family will have a chance to contribute their ideas as quickly as possible. We are sure, not all modern songs by young ones are guessed by the “once young”(vice versa) Playing the songs will be stopped and each group will be given only 5 seconds to answer. If not answered, other group may steal.

3, Do this, Do That

                 This is tricky games participated by al least 5 representatives of the Group. One will be the animator and the rest will be the followers. The chosen animator should be creative and talented, good in acting and performing actions, if possible, the weirdest actions, for the group to follow. This is the trick! Whenever the animator say “DO THIS” with accompanying actions, the participants should not follow. Whenever the animator will say “ DO THAT” , they should follow. Whoever will be caught mistaken, will have no chance to continue the game. The points for the last man standing will be given to the group.

4. Amazing Family Race

                This is a modern family Amazing Race which is variation of the channel 7 world’s amazing race. But this time, its going to be the family who will conquer each barrier to pick the stars left in each “pit stops”. The family should strive to arrive first at “pit stops” at the end of each leg of the race to win prizes and avoid coming in last. The family travel from one stop to another after performing each challenge, and never leave the stop without the clue for the next destination. The challenges in some manner shall be perform by each member of the group ( e.g. doing the famous dance steps of Cali Swag District’s “ Teach me how to Doughie” , or Shakira’s Waka-waka” , or even act some funny faces). The first group to successfully arrive earlier shall have 5 stars, 4 for the 2^nd, 3, 2 and 1 for the last. It depends on the

5.Longest Line

                This is a very exciting game where everybody will be actively involved. Make sure not to divulge the mechanics of the game unless everybody is ready and now in place. Ensure that each group shall have equal number of participants regardless of age.

Mechanics: The team will form the longest line where all the stuff in their body will be connected. From shoes, tie, shoelace, belts, ribbons, sacks, T-shirts ( optional, only if they are willing to undress). The judge shall make sure that there’s no breaking line, including all the group members to extend each other’s hand. The longest  line the group created shall be the winner!

Good Luck  and have a fun-filled family experience!

Reflection

       Yucky with sense though. Man should be like cockroach! Like the roaches which can hold their breath for 40 minutes, we too, should hold our temper for 40 minutes, or even more, before anger becomes overwhelming. Like roaches 3 pair of legs that substantially function, we too,should go forth before time overrun us like the roaches back legs that never tired pushing forward. We should be flexible to move back for reflection to make every decision effective, and move forward again,like the roaches front legs that works back and forth.But most of all, we should have time to take a break in prayers, to replenish our heart and soul and invigorate for the next race, just like the roaches middle legs that  act like brakes when the roach runs.

Beyond Silence

     Here I am again excited to write another masterpiece of my mind. I would like to discuss further approximating what you hear in silence. How important it is. Sometimes, we don’t appreciate it, but there’s a lot of unspoken treasure with it. 

When you are in love, it is  in the heart, that even when you have thousand of words to say, still you can’t find the right word to magnify the every minute details of reason of how you felt. But it’s in silence where you listen attentively to your partner’s eyes. According to Dr. Hyle, some of the most beautiful expression of love are expressed in silence. Well I am a person who talks a lot but silence for me is important when I am too much full of thoughts and emotions, because when one is in love, there’s only 3 words to summarize all, that’s “I love you”. The loving heart exudes love in silence. Silence between friends and lover’s says that one’s presence is enough. There are thousands of places that one could choose, but if he chooses to be with you from all other places, and from all other people, even his silence speaks volumes of tender expressions of love. In such silent moments in private sanctuaries one’s silence says “ your presence is enough. When one is dismayed and disappointed, by just merely holding each others hands in silence is enough. It is like saying “ we will be okay”. True love need not to be confirmed daily but it is perennially spoken and demonstrated in silence of assurance. When you keep asking “ do you love me? It is somehow, partly, asking because you are not convinced so well.

When you care, be it in friendship or romantic attachments, the kind of silence says something else. You don’t have to gain an assurance by words because assurance is shown so well through actions. True friendship need not be reconfirmed daily, because even when you are far from each other, the silence you both experience is a thriving factor of needing each other. True relationship does not everyday, every week, every month. Because when God places in the heart of one true love, one true friendship for another, peace , assurance and security is offered-these are spoken is silence.

When we are angry, even though, it won’t seem like obviously simple, silence is needed. But let’s clear the distinction between anger, hurt or irritated. In some level they have common ground but they different. Anger is a common to everybody. We feel hurt or irritated when someone of something obstructs our desires. In its technical sense, anger comes in when one has the desire “to get even with” – that is to take revenge- the cause of the hurt or irritation. When adrenaline pumps to your bloodstream, when your heart rate jumps, when your blood pressure surges, you need to listen to your veins shaking in anger in order to control yourself. Silencing is self-mastery during this time. When you don’t control your emotion, your horn grows, you give a dirty look, but at least you control the scenario by preventing the fight. That’s why silence is important. There are far better ways to cope with hurt and insult other than anger. Because in reality, anger itself acts like poison to your heart that ultimately degrades the quality of your life as much as it hurts life of another person.

      Many expression of love, gratitude and affection are always offered, but there are significant silence that are left unappreciated, but they made up strong relationships. The silence of a quite meal ( like in Betania retreat house, where I only hear the sound of chinawares) is acknowledging God’s bounty, the silence of a busy partner who is a teacher, computing grades while the husband suddenly came with a glass of milk is enough, the silence that is broken by only the twinkle of an eye, the touch of an arm, the squeeze of a hand is more than words. We are lucky! Thanks God that in these noisy and chaos world, God design another way to express our emotion in silence.

Man's Quest for Happiness!

Everybody was always seeking for happiness in many angles and corners in life, be it on a person, in a work, and even on places. People jump from one decision to another in search of true meaning of life where happiness lies. When man is finally in the verge of happiness, eventually he will seek for more and willfully budge on another adventure that will add to his happiness. And when what he is doing is not answering his need for happiness, he will end up sad, alone and crying. It’s because, man by nature is not contented. That’s why, searching for real happiness is some kind of just only a page of a book, only one climax, all the rest are just expositions, then, the end is denouement . In fact, sometimes, the ending is a question, leading to another episode in life, sometimes, comedy, and worst-tragedy.

Our life is like that. Even if traverse the road where we think is right, sometimes the road is not ours. So we are in the wrong track. Oftentimes, in the world where we are confronted with many obstacles, we tend to take the instant giver of happiness that somehow ruin our life, such as vices, abuse, alcohol etc… all these are just depressant, they make us experience ecstasy, but when it subsides, we are again doomed into a life full of hate and bitterness where happiness has no room to stay in our heart. The most frustrating part is when, we take the road less travelled, where we stumble on big stones , tormented with sharp grasses and clean up the road to leave a good trace, sometime, life is just harsh enough that  all the effort are just left in vain. You may think that you have finally found happiness, but no, because other forces pull you down and made you unhappy.

It is said, happiness is choice. True, it is  a wise choice. However, when deciding what to do and what to decide, whether to buy an ice cream or a chocolate, to stay or to go to party, to accept or not to accept an offer, etc, first, believe or not, our decision is cored in the yearning to be happy, or at least happier than now. Second, there’s a good chance that the decision we jump into, may be wrong, thus, it will make us unhappy. There’s only two greater chances that shares the same probability-to get happiness or unhappiness. A coin somehow will not stand as you throw. You know what I mean.

According to Harvard Psychologist, its not for the lack of trying. The declaration of Independence affirms that we have an inalienable right to pursue happiness. See? We look for newer, fresher, bigger, cutest, finest, the best, stuff like that. But many of us believe that “ stuffs” can’t buy happiness. For most, man’s imagination is positioned to think of happy-ever-after scenarios. But neither sadness and joy will last long as we expect. Because even those who sleep with money on their bed, don’t guarantee total happiness. Remember, happiness has many levels. It depends on how much you love things, people, events. Accordingly, you can’t love without happiness and you can’t be happy without love in some degree.

So.. to sum it up, happiness is just within us. Those outside forces were just stimulus that even our response can be manipulated. If “they” can’t make us happy, we can make other things happy from and of us. We can make insignificant  things bring about happiness by simply appreciating that thy exist. The cheapest cell phone that we have, unless damaged, serves its purpose to let us connect to our love ones, thus, it deserves to get a good smile from us. The simple food that we share on the table(  while others don’t have food to eat)  should at least make us appreciate life, happy that we can make our stomach full each day. The people who stayed with us, lovingly cared for us, emptying themselves for us, are worth millions of happiness, why? because you can’t just find these on the road like candy wraps.

Happiness is indeed within us, We only have to appreciate things as they are. It is not found anywhere. It’s just right before our eyes that we don’t notice. It’s just right on our nose that our eyes can’t see but can feel.

( PS. I will sleep happily now )

Famous Quotes from Famous Personalities

 Lines from famous people somehow will serve us our  channel and funnel in improving ourselves.Here are some collections:


1."It is in literature that the concrete outlook of humanity receives its expression."- Alfred North Whitehead

2."Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity."- G. K. Chesterton

This book is not to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.- Dorothy Parker

3.Read in order to live. – Gustave Flaubert

4. “A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary.”- Thomas Carruthers

5.“A university is what a college becomes when the faculty loses interest in students.” Cicero

6. “Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.” –Smith and Jones

7. “You can't teach a hunter it's wrong to kill.”- Hari Dass Baba

8. “The average Ph.D thesis is nothing but the transference of bones from one graveyard to another.”- Norman Doughlas

9. “Poetry must have something in it that is barbaric, vast and wild.”- Denis Dedirot

10. “First he wrought, and afterward he taught.”- Geoffrey Chaucer

11. “I can find my biography in every fable that I read.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

12. “The walls are the publishers of the poor.”- Eduardo Galeano

13. “In books, the proportion of exceptional to commonplace people is very high; in reality, very low.”- Aldous Huxley

14. “Literature was formerly an art and finance a trade; today it is the reverse.”- Joseph Roux

15. “A novel is a mirror carried along a main road.”- Stendhal

16. “Perish those who said our good things before we did.”- Donutos

17. “Education is the state-controlled manufacture of echoes.”- Alexandre Dumas Fils

18. “A poet in history is divine, but a poet in the next room is a joke.”- Maz Eastman

19. “There is no real teacher who in practice does not believe in the existence of the soul, or in a magic that acts on it through speech.”- Allan Bloom

20. “Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater.”- Russell Green

21. “Literature is the art of writing something that will be read twice; journalism what will be grasped at once.”- Cyril Connolly

22. “Writing is not a profession but a vocation of unhappiness.”-Georges Simenon

23. “For whatever is truly wondrous and fearful in man, never yet was put into words or books.”- Herman Melville

24. “Literature, the most seductive, the most deceiving, the most dangerous of professions.”- John Morley

25. “Literature is the immortality of speech.”- August Wilhelm Von Sshlegel

26. “. . . A man of the world amongst men of letters, a man of letters amongst men of the world.”- Thomas Babington Macauly

27. “The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do.”- Sarah Ban Breathnach

28. “Change your thoughts, and you change your world”- Norman Vincent Peale

29. “The world needs anger. The world often continues to allow evil because it isn't angry enough.”- Bede Jarrett

30. “The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible.”- Albert Einstein

31. “The wide world is all about you; you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot forever fence it out.”J.R.R. Tolkien

32. "The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel."- William Gibson

33. "I am a sick man . . . I am a wicked man. An unattractive man, I think my liver hurts."Fyodor Dostoyevsky

34. All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts pathological personalities.-Frank Herbert

35. It is not that power corrupts but that power is a magnet to the corruptible.- Frank Herbert

36. “Woe to him who teaches men faster than they can learn.” William J. Durant

37. “The poets did well to conjoin music and medicine, because the office of medicine is but to tune the curious harp of man's body.” Francis Bacon

39. “When a man can observe himself suffering and is able, later, to describe what he's gone through, it means he was born for literature.”Erwin Bourdet

Expecting - The Bottom line is Love

           Let’s now be serious and sober of looking backward on scenarios on the valid reason why we EXPECT  from things- from our job, friendship, and especially on relationship-be it ordinary or romantic attachments.

          First, here are the common questions leading to the answer. What do we expect? What are to be expected? What did we do to make us expect? How and what do other people say  to make us expect from them? Tough ahuhh..

           It’s so ironic to say that we should love without expecting something in  return. Well, we are not angels fallen from heaven  who believed in a dogmatic kind of relationship. Because in the real sense, we expect because we invested our Mind, Heart and Soul. Let me cite  to you some commonplace situations to get across the vista of issue of expectation.

          We empty our self to our work to get gratification and satisfaction. IF we are not satisfied, then why do we demand?  Who else here would say, “I just would love to work even paid less. This is only germane for those rich whose work is just  a play. This is where expecting comes.

          In a relationship, we expect because our time and effort are equally important as money.  Who else would love to just be ignored by a person, a boyfriend, or a girlfriend, husband and wife,  after fetching her/him, after helping out on his/her works, after involving ourselves to meet deadlines which is not ours but theirs? Who else here would be happy , when the person is around during his difficult time and gone with the wind when we need him, and eventually we hear his merriment with other people while we are left behind, waiting for his call, wondering what happen, not even a single text? Oh common,,, Remember, there are 24 hours a day. 60 minutes an hour and it wouldn’t take a minute to say “ I am just here” Here is where expectation comes in

            In mathematical probability theory, expectation is the value of  every action. We expect because it’s the value of our action.  When we act, we consider the ups and downs that we encounter, we look from right to left  hazards before we the step and most of all every action is a risk and every  risk involves our HEART , MIND and SOUL.  That’s we expect.

          On the other side of the coin, perhaps the discussion is somehow connected to the ASSURANCE that people pledged , that’s why we expect. Do they also realized, we expect because they assure us? And How many promised are broken each day? How many assurances are failed? How many lies are there from people who have mastered this art?

           Your attitude is an expression of your values, beliefs and expectations." This quote by Brian Tracy, a self-help author and motivational speaker, . says it all. It all boils down into REAL LOVE. Why? Because if  our employers  LOVE us in return, they would never fail to provide us with ample benefits that we so we deserve from working hard. If our partner, girlfriend, boyfriend, husband , and wife truly love us, THEY would never act anything that would disappoint us. We will never demand for more if we are gratified. And we wont expect for more, if we felt we are treated special and LOVED.

            May God Bless Us ALL!

The Act of Loving

I remember a line from the poem written by a girl” I give you love in an open hand, nothing but that.” And let quote from the book The road less traveled, it is the love where are no gems around. It’s just love all alone with no decorations at all. Love ungemmed, unhidden, wishing not to hurt. There were many moments that I have felt genuine fulfillment . But the question is, is it love? real love?

            In the world of so much misery, loneliness and need, I have felt real love from people - not the substitute that sometimes passes for love. There are people who have captured beautifully a lot of things that love is all about: unselfishness, communicating, helping, giving. Because of them who teach  us real  love  and  essential action  of  love, We can’t just curl up in the corner and tell the world how miserable and terrible our life is. We have to go out of myself  to something or someone beyond our self because this is how loving people give out of being loved. 

  I have realized the greatest act of help and love, of course is the act of healing. There's nothing greater than having a comforting bestfriend, mentor, lover etc..With them, everything seems easy, every pain seems easy to heal and bearable. The very little sacrifice we can make for them is nothing compared to all things they significantly do to support us, to console us, to be there for us, and love us truly through thick and thinl

      Be it in friendship or romantic attachments, If we are not compatible, that’s a good sign. It’s actually very good, because it challenges understanding and giving. When there are lot of differences between us, we’ve got to do a lot of talking. We’ve got to be patient with each others difference. We can’t always dominate and do it our way. Sometimes we have to give in and do it their  way. All the patience and the talking  and all the giving makes the real love because  they make for unselfishness and concern for other. “ Take care for me Hon”, be good, sleep well please, Please pray for us, I don’t want you get hurt” These were just few words that sometimes get uncommunicated but I am sure the meaning is the same- I love you". 

          We,  as lovers at the same time, should always tell our loveones to get on living and loving. Let's be lovable and we will be loved.