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#20ThingsIAmGratefulFor in 2020

Lou-Maningas-Cabalona

By: Lou Maningas Cabalona

 

Yes, everybody agrees 2020 sucks. But it doesn’t mean, its all bad. Inspired by a series of thanksgiving posts I started on Facebook, before the year ends, here’s 20 things I am grateful for in 2020.

#20 We are survivors – My healthcare frontliner husband, Baron and I have gone through the horrors of Covid and we survived it. I am thankful for good health for us and for the members of our household who were saved from the virus.

#19 WFH – Work from home. No commute time wasted. No makeup needed. Probably the only good thing that came out of Covid and I’ll take the good with the bad.

#18 and #17 – Facebook Messenger and Zoom – In the year of quarantining, video conferencing has made me feel closer to distant loved ones. It has also helped me make meaningful connections among folks in the community either to share our culture, promote small businesses or just giving support for those affected by Covid. Thank you, Facebook Messenger! Thank you, Zoom! We won’t know how humanity could keep sane on lockdown without these technologies so they each deserve their spot.

#16 US Elections – Electoral college. Debates. Primaries. Being actively involved in the 2020 presidential elections, I learned so much about the US Elections process in one year than I ever have in my entire life in America. That’s something to be thankful for.

#15 Our Home – Grateful for a loving home that is our playground as it is our sanctuary. This is Sama Central for our band (our first home was on Central Ave) and the hangout place for the “Rascher Crashers”, our Covid circle of friends who have had to meet up in person every now and then to keep our sanity this year (our home now is on Rascher Ave). Our home is also Baron’s DIY workshop, my office and BoomBoom’s giant playground. And, we still have space for Mima and Pipa to have their second home. At the end of every day, and most especially this year, I am happy to be home with the people I love the most.

#14 Laughter – If it isn’t a basic human need, it should be. Baron and I have been together so long, I already know most of his jokes. But he still manages to make me genuinely laugh that it just turns the whole day around for the better. Love that BoomBoom seems to have inherited the gift from Papa. We need a daily dose of laughter for our immune system especially in these times.

#13 Paco Arespacochaga – The drummer of Introvoys, a popular Filipino band based in California, Paco and I worked together on a show once and we happen to be facebook friends. Not only has our facebook comments exchange this year proven that we can have a respectful and civil conversation despite having different political leanings, our brief private conversation about other life matters has made an indelible mark on me. He doesn’t know this but I have become a better person because of that one encounter and I appreciate him for it.

#12 Movies – Some of the most memorable events of 2020 for me have had to do with films. This year, I worked with two nonprofits that are dear to my heart, FYLPRO and Asian Popup Cinema, to bring a Filipino film at a drive-in theater in Chicago. For FilAm History Month, I got to moderate a discussion on Filipino American films and was inspired by four of the most influential Filipino American personalities in the industry – Isabel Sandoval, Jhett Tolentino, PJ Raval and Cecilia Mejia. And of course, after months of quarantining, celebrating my birthday with a dinner and movie date with Baron became even more special.

#11 Work – Many people have lost their jobs this year. Now more than ever, I am grateful for the blessing of being employed.

#10 FYLPRO – Five years ago, I was one of several alumni of an immersion program to the Philippines organized by the Philippine Embassy in DC, that formally incorporated as a nonprofit called FYLPRO. Our goal was to ensure the transformative program continues beyond the Ambassador’s term for future Filipino young leaders. At the start of 2020, I decided to run for Vice President / 2021 President because I felt I could help steer the organization towards long term sustainability. I am thankful for the opportunity to serve and the support I have from colleagues. I am also most thankful for the challenges I have encountered. Just like the refiner’s fire, they have helped me become a better planner, a better communicator, a better leader and a better person as a whole.

#9 Boy Rose – There are a few people in life who you meet and are instantly connected to. In a week’s time that we hung out during his short stay in Chicago, I found a friend, a sister, a mentor, a cheerleader, my idol and my angel. Boy Rose, you have gone through so much and yet you conquer at whatever life brings you. You’ve inspired me so much, I am forever grateful.

#8 Rascher Crashers – Jean, Jan Paul, Lakhi, Paula, Lea and Eve. This crazy bunch of friends are probably the folks I have seen the most in person outside of my own family. Whether it’s for community work, or helping with personal to dos like re organizing my office or just hanging out for fun, these are my go to people. (check 15 on why the name)

#7 SamaSama Project – We are thankful for the gift of great friends who we share the love of music and music making with. SamaSama Project, our band made up of everyone who works in the healthcare industry, Baron, Ran, John, Giga, EJ and myself, also used our time this year to write and record our originals. Can’t wait to share our music to all. From our family to the world.

#6 Lola Ves – is the grandma we chose for Reign. Or, maybe she chose us. We truly appreciate her love and care for our baby and the extended family she blessed us with.

#5 Family Time in January – Imagine being at the airport when you realize your US passport doesn’t allow you to enter Vietnam without a visa and you have less than two hours before your flight. Even before that, there were at least a couple of occasions when we seriously considered cancelling the trip for valid reasons. But, it was the first time we were going on vacation out of the country with my mother, Sally, my brother and his wife, J-rick and Joanna. I also hoped to visit my childhood best friend, Sheryl, in Hanoi. So, we pushed forward and very grateful we did. We had one of the best family vacations we’ve had to date and little did we know then that only a few weeks later, we all would have to quarantine for the rest of the year and beyond.

#4 Lee and Carmen – I always imagined they’d come back to Chicago to plant their roots here but I am so happy my one and only sister in America and her wife has found a home to call their own in Las Vegas in the middle of this crisis. If anything, 2020 has taught us to (video) call each other more often wherever we are in the world. The bonus is, travel restrictions permitting, we now have a winter getaway home.

#3 Mima and Pipa – Ever so thankful for the recovery of my father-in-law, Orlando, who we fondly call Pipa, after undergoing an emergency quadruple bypass surgery on the eve of this new year. It has been the most trying of circumstances for both Pipa and Mima but we are hopeful the worst is now behind us. On the brighter side of things, them living with us has made Reign much closer to grandma and grandpa. Also, dinners are always best served for many.

#2 A Lesson in Time – What is the most important thing this year has taught me? No matter how I move my schedule around, I have a finite number of hours in a day to do what is important. That, as someone I admired told me, I have as many hours in a day as Beyonce (at least, the Beyonce before she became popular and can afford staff) And, with so many people I know of who passed this year, tomorrow is never guaranteed.

#1 My Family – Despite all the chaos and heartache around, my life is complete because of two people, Baron and Reign. They are my daily source of happiness, laughter, inspiration and courage. Just the other day, we were all playfully shouting with both fists up in the air, “I am super strong. I am from the House of Cabalona. I am a winner!”. Indeed, I am.

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Boy Rose (Nar Cabico) (3rd from R) with the band, SamaSama Project (John, Giga, Louella, Baron, EJ and Ran) at our home studio, “Sama Central”

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In the green room during a fundraising concert in Chicago with the band Introvoys (fr L to R) Guillermo Misa, Jonathan Buencamino, Baron and Louella Cabalona, Paco Arespacochaga, Vic Carpio and Band Manager and Actor Leandro Munoz

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Presented Filipino artifacts in our home at the opening of the “CULTURALLY CONNECTED While Physically Apart” Exhibit last October 9 via Zoom. The online exhibit curated by FilAm Anthropologist Anthonie Tumpag (top) and participated in by community leaders Ruben Salazar, Trisha Oralie Martin and Potri Ranka Manis is available at www.tricksterculturalcenter.org

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The Cabalonas (Baron, Ringbearer Reign and Louella) with Ves “Lola Ves” Dia and daughter Angel at her wedding reception. Family friends, Valerie and Greg Bertoni joins them in photo.

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Celebrating my birthday with friends, Lakhi Siap, Jan Paul Ferrer and Jean Gavina at the Igloo outdoor dining at the Parliament at the University Club of Chicago

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Thanksgiving 2020 at Home with The Cabalonas – Reign, Baron, Louella, Orlando Jr., Genia and Orlando Sr.

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Top left, on a sampan (boat) ride through Tam Cốc in Ninh Binh with Mom Sally Mesde and Brother J-Rick Maningas. Bottom right, with best friend and local tour guide, Sheryl Mesde and Mom having the same meal Obama and Bourdain had at Bún Chả Hương Liên, bottom left. Right, our family – Sheryl, Jrick and Joanna, The Cabalonas and Mom Sally – standing in front Hanoi’s most visited temple, Ngoc Son (Temple of Jade Mountain).

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