Dealing with Grief INSIDE OUT

Holidays and special days have been really tough for me and today is one of those days. 

The past 6 months had been a blur. I am not really sure how I was able to go through with it but here I am still breathing. I am thankful for everyone who cried with me and had been checking on me from time to time. I appreciate you. 

It has been really hard but I am thankful for this special person who shared a secret with me. She said that when the time comes when I have more control over my grief, I will be able to talk to my mom and we will have the same conversation as when she was alive. There is no explanation for this but one will know when that happens. She is just waiting until I am ready. 

I have been praying for my Mama every night but honestly, I haven't really tried talking to her since the day she left. I don't have any good reason why but I guess I wasn't ready to accept that she is now in heaven. Perhaps my mind is still trying to trick me into thinking that she is just on vacation that's why she's not at home. However, since it was her birthday today, I greeted her and talked to her for the first time. I am not sure if it was just my imagination but I felt her holding me again just like in this photo. I cried a river after... 

"Mama, thank you for loving me unconditionally. Your arms were always open when I needed a hug. Your heart understood when I needed a friend. Your gentle eyes were stern when I needed a lesson. Your strength and love has guided me and gave me wings to fly.
 

You may not be here physically but I feel your love everyday and this is why I miss you more.  A lot of people have been telling me to stop crying because you won't be happy seeing me this way but I just really miss you. 

How I wish I was ordering your birthday cake and lechon today instead of the flowers and candles I bought for you.

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Mama! 

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Dealing with grief has been a rollercoaster ride. There are days that you feel that you feeling a little bit okay and there are days that it slaps you hard that you are back on the bottom so low. 

We watched the movie INSIDE OUT 2 today and I am hoping that it can help me process my emotions since they have really been overwhelming. So far, here are my takeaways from the movie. 

1. Anxiety is there to protect ourselves but it can be destructive if not managed well. 

I know I have been anxious about losing my loved ones and it's actually starting to take a toll on our lives. This is something that I need to work on. 

2. The good and bad make who we are. We should never push back all the negative emotions and try to forget them. 

There are times that I have been in denial or I just want to forget everything that had happened but I know that there is a greater reason why we have to experience this. 

3. Despite what we go through, we should never lose ourselves. 

I have been starting to lose interest in the things I love. I  have been neglecting all my plans. It seems that nothing excites me anymore.  I realized that no matter how long it takes, I need to find myself again. 

4. When you are anxious about the future, think about the present. 

This one is self-explanatory but this reminds us not to let the fear of the future stop us from living at all. 

5. Happiness is a Choice. 

Remember the scene towards the end of the movie where gold particles were navigating towards Joy. That was Riley choosing to be happy. We have the choice to be happy despite all the problems, challenges, and pain that we have.

We owe it to ourselves and to our loved ones to try to live a good life and be happy. 

Global call for proposals for “Go Green with Taiwan” campaign launched today

With the success of its “Sharing is Caring” campaign more than three years ago, the Taiwan International Trade Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs (TITA, MOEA) and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) launched today another global contest where anyone can submit program ideas aimed at making the world green again through the use of Taiwan products.

Called “Go Green with Taiwan,” the global sustainability program concept contest, hopes to inspire any group to come up with interesting ideas that will foster technological cooperation in making an environmentally and economically sustainable future possible, using products and solutions from Taiwan, a country that has achieved global renown for technologically advanced and life-changing innovations.

“Go Green with Taiwan” contest is open to participants who are either part of a company or any institution, such as colleges or universities, non-government organizations, public associations, among others. Submission of entries is made convenient by just filling out the online form and questionnaire: https://gogreen.surveycake.biz/s/eLGWV.

All submitted proposals will go through a qualification phase and will be reviewed further by a panel of environmental sustainability experts until the grand finals. Proposals will be evaluated for their excellence in four (4) categories: environmental and economic sustainability, feasibility, innovation, and the relevant use of products or solutions from Taiwan.

A total of Six finalists will get free round-trip tickets to Taiwan, including accommodations and other travel expenses. Three of the most outstanding proposals shall receive US$20,000 as prize money. The deadline for submission of proposals is on August 31, 2024. Winners will be announced by late December 2024.

According to TAITRA Chairman James Huang, they collectively promote the stories of Taiwanese enterprises' pursuit of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) aspects to the international community. Go Green with Taiwan serves as an important gateway for international partners to first understand Taiwan's path to sustainability, where people around the world can learn how to find suitable partners in Taiwan for the future.

“Through the global call for proposals, we aspire not only to pursue business and technical cooperation but also to encourage Taiwanese industries to understand global sustainability issues and go international, creating more touching stories,” TAITRA Chairman Huang added.

Ms. Cynthia Kiang, General Director of TITA, emphasizes that with the specter of global climate change and rising energy demands facing the world today, many countries agree that developing green energy and a sustainable economy has become even more imperative, with carbon reduction and green sustainability as vital components in this crucial mission.

“To achieve this important goal, the government will actively collaborate closely with industries. Facing the climate crisis, we must resolutely implement the net-zero transition and promote ‘net-zero emissions’ and ‘clean energy’ without delay,” TITA General Director Kiang said.

She pointed out that Taiwan’s green industry boasts of advanced technologies, abundant software and hardware resources, a well-established R&D environment, and high-quality talent, that can produce stable and high value-added green materials and related products, making it an ideal partner for the international development of green energy and a sustainable economy, Ms. Kiang said in her remarks during the launch.

Dir. Kiang also emphasized that “Go Green with Taiwan” will fully showcase the joint efforts of the international community and Taiwan towards the sustainable development of the Earth, while the government will also continue to assist businesses and strive for more green business opportunities for them. “We firmly believe that Taiwan can contribute more to the international promotion of the sustainable green energy industry and make its significant contribution to environmental sustainability.”

For more details about “Go Green with Taiwan,” visit https://gogreen.taiwanexcellence.org/. For updates on “Go Green with Taiwan” activities, follow Taiwan Excellence on Facebook and InstagramInstagram.