As electricity came back around 1pm, I at last heard of the devastating impact of the typhoon Frank to our country. It was heartbreaking to learn that MV Princess of the Star, a commercial shipping vessel on the way to Cebu went down and on board were more than 700 people. Reports say that the ship suffered engine problems so it was not able to land on time. The storm caught up with it and the rest is still unknown. It has been hours and hours since it went down but they have only found 4 survivors up to this time. My heart goes out to the families of the 700 others who are still missing out there. Aside from that tragic news, typhoon Frank also left thousands of families homeless and hundreds of municipalities flooded. Frank has left the country but alas left many grieving families behind.

After the flurry of activities during the weekend, I was shocked to hear that the former Pres. Cory Aquino has colon cancer. Being the main proponent of Edsa I, the first woman President of the Philippines, wife of a hero, and mother of famous tv host Kris, she is definitely a beloved icon in our country. During the past few months she was again visible for supporting whistleblower Jun Lozada in the fight against corruption in the present administration of President Arroyo, who is ironically the second woman President. I wonder why the words "lucky bitch" suddenly comes to my mind. Maybe there is truly a wisdom behind the governor's words.
I was naturally interested on how to prevent colon cancer. According to Wikipedia, lifestyle changes decrease the risk of colon cancer as much as 60-80%. This includes more physical activities and increase of intake of fruits and vegetables. I am aware that you can never go wrong with vegetables especially green, leafy ones and as a mother and a wife, has "aggressively" promoted the consumption of such in our house. My husband has resisted, years of poor eating habits are hard to change but I'm not waving the white flag yet. My son is a really picky eater but because I have introduced him to vegetables he'll eat whatever vegetables I serve him, sometimes out of fear of being punished. Oh well, isn't there a saying, "the end justifies the means?"
However, growing up as a picky eater myself I feel that I don't serve them that much variety in vegetables. And alas, I cannot be described as the sporty type. I hope this recent news will make all of us aware that what we sow is what we reap. If we neglect our bodies now, chances are it will give up on us in the future. And as mothers, it's our primary responsibility to influence our family.