MY SECRETS CULTURAL BRIDGES By TANNY DESALES

CULTURAL BRIDGES By TANNY DESALES My secrets SAN FRANCISCO, California – I keep secrets. I hidden them everywhere. And here I’m going to tell you how to find them. Some things are uniquely mine. And one of them is that I play the ukelele.It's an open secret – though I've quite literally kept it in a closet. The closet at home, to be precise. I seemed to have neglected my ukelele, and the strings have never been strummed for a while. That ukelele accompanied me through every step of my American journey. It followed me everywhere. It came with me whenever I visited my son Clinton and his family in Alaska at Cypress City. The ukelele is still right there looking at me, silent, desperately wanting to vibrate again, to make sounds. Always waiting for a moment of desperation or nostalgia when I'll pick it up and bring it back to life. But she -- my ukelele, that is -- knows that one day it will be back and make a sound again. Playing the ukelele helps me live in peace. I actually don't play the ukelele or piano very well, but the little that I do relaxes me. *** Then whenever I feel stressed out about this or that problem, I go out with my wife dancing and traveling. I always feel better after doing so. That’s the secret I found in my feet. Other secrets I found in books. Reading is a solitary activity. Have you ever noticed a sort of sadness or melancholy in someone reading? There is something of a contained intensity in the act of reading. Why do I do it? Because through reading, we can immerse ourselves in new worlds. *** The greatest secret of them all: Love, tenderness, forgiveness, compassion, caring and sharing. Without these, life is empty though we may have the best of health, the most comfortable of homes, or the most impressive of bank balances. There was a wonderful story about a young girl who was walking through a meadow when she saw a butterfly impaled upon a thorn. Very carefully she released it and the butterfly started to fly away. Then it came back and changed into a beautiful good fairy. “For your kindness, “ she told the little girl, “I will grant you your fondest wish.” The little girl thought for a moment and replied, “I want to be happy.” The fairy leaned toward her and whispered in her ear and then suddenly vanished. As the girl grew, no one in the land was more happy than her. Whenever anyone asked her for the secret of her happiness, she would only smile and say, “I listened to a good fairy.” As she grew old, the neighbors were afraid the fabulous secret might die with her. “Tell us, please,” they begged, “tell us what the fairy said.” The now lovely old lady simply smiled and said, “She told me that everyone, no matter how secure they seemed, had need of me!” We all need each other! *** Best wishes to the birthday celebrators. May the good Lord shower upon you His choicest blessings! * Clinton Caye Desales – September 17 * Clysly Sal Desales – September 20 * Khamille Villaruz Desales – September 30 * Christina Joy Baticados Banday – September 25 * Ma. Corazon Dequilla Geroche – September 1 * Cynthia Demonteverde-Quiachon – September 25 * Edalyn Acta – September 30 * Darren San Antonio – September 18 * Clea Sol Q. Cirujales – September 13 * Dorie Cachuela Paniza – September 11 * Carmelo D. Sudaria – September 3 * Nancy Delfin Dadivas – September 19 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (Colossians 4:2)/PN