TAN's Khim on her struggles during COVID-19 pandemic; inspirational short stories

It’s feel-good Sunday, November 15, 2020. Time out from nega sizzlers, time in for  inspirational short stories that left me speechless.

1.)The Butterfly (shared by Rotary Club of Tagbilaran President Alex Nale Bongawan, who celebrated his birthday last week, who got it from a friend, source unknown).

Priceless moment: Alex Bongawan (center), president of Rotary Club of Tagbilaran; Anthony Ceniza, Marilou Dejan-Dumaluan of Marilou Resort;Angie Hoffman, president of Panglao Island Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and Fely Lorejo at Bohol' s newest attraction, Bung-aw Eco Farm in Clarin town, Bohol. Contributed Photos

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. 

One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Until it suddenly stopped making any progress and looked like it was stuck.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, although it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man didn’t think anything of it and sat there waiting for the wings to enlarge to support the butterfly. But that didn’t happen. The butterfly spent the rest of its life unable to fly, crawling around with tiny wings and a swollen body.

Despite the kind heart of the man, he didn’t understand that the restricting cocoon and the struggle needed by the butterfly to get itself through the small opening; were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings. To prepare itself for flying once it was out of the cocoon.

Moral of the story: Our struggles in life develop our strengths. Without struggles, we never grow and never get stronger, so it’s important for us to tackle challenges on our own, and not be relying on help from others.

 2.) Control Your Temper  (contributed by Anthony Ceniza of Marilou Resort in Barangay Bolod in Panglao town who got it from a friend, source unknown).

There once was a little boy who had a very bad temper. His father decided to hand him a bag of nails and said that every time the boy lost his temper, he had to hammer a nail into the fence.

On the first day, the boy hammered 37 nails into that fence.

The boy gradually began to control his temper over the next few weeks, and the number of nails he was hammering into the fence slowly decreased.

He discovered it was easier to control his temper than to hammer those nails into the fence.

Finally, the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father the news and the father suggested that the boy should now pull out a nail every day he kept his temper under control.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.

“You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there.”  

Moral of the story: Control your anger, and don’t say things to people in the heat of the moment, that you may later regret. Some things in life, you are unable to take back.

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may be stressful for all of us. Many say COVID-19 is a great equalizer. It spares no one--- rich or poor, young or old, an ordinary or a celebrity.

Yes, including Khim Roger Magtagad of The Art Nouveau (TAN). 

"During the whole quarantine period brought by the COVID-19, I was so depressed because I don’t have a stable job since events were canceled but. .." 

Khim finds hope from her family and friends. 

"It's a bit difficult for me to sustain my daily needs. I am just so much thankful because I have my family who always look after me, the Art Nouveau models and parents who extend their helping hands giving me goods and financial support," says Khim who is beyond grateful. 

Khim Roger Magtagad: 'I'm moving forward from the old me to the new Khim.'

Khim confessed in a tell-all exclusive interview with VRS that there have been many major changes in her life during this pandemic. 

"I become a mentally and emotionally tough person. I am watchful on what I should do and whom I should trust. I need to adapt the new normal life especially now I need to go out of my comfort zone and I don't just settle from what I am used to do. I'm moving forward from the old me to the new Khim," she beams with pride. 

It’s hard, Khim concedes, but she tries to remain calm and positive. 

" I will continue my passion as a creative director and manager of The Art Nouveau. Then at the same time find an extra job for me," says Khim. 

" I need to triple my hard work for me to expand and more productive, and of course, I will never forget the people who help me without them I am not here," says Khim who sees better things to come...very soon!’

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