my paradise

whenever it's school break, the airline industry enjoys terrific business. i’d bet my bottom dollar that, if expense issues were not a consideration, rome is to be the most sought after vacation spot in the world, if it isn’t yet.

the whole city is a work of art. without a doubt, it’s paradise.

of course another blogger can disagree; in fact at least one categorically did, and claims that palawan is definitely 'the paradise' on earth.

hmmm.. blue skies and clear water.. wonderful, alright.. could be.. weather permitting!

now ask my child where paradise is, and absolutely she will say, “disneyland”!

ow, sure.. i used to have that line of thought, too, kiddo.. and then growing up got in the way :-(

soon i realized that sad stories and horror movies are more real than disneyland and disneysea..

and let me not forget a friend’s declaration that there is no better place to be but new york city. i wonder why!

save for the ride to the statue of liberty that allows you a glimpse of the city that doesn't sleep,

and the architecture of saint patrick’s cathedral, where even sitting by the steps outside is calming,

there is nothing much that fascinates me in the big apple.

but the new york girl claims it’s a haven, so be it.

the list goes on with every dreamer having his own portrait of paradise.
paradise.. so essential, so huge a word.. which place, certainly, deserves the title?

i guess it’s tough picking a single destination in this world where you can be in high spirits, good enough to call paradise, sufficiently fitting to affirm a lovely song..

"what a wonderful world"

i see trees of green, red roses too

i see them bloom for me and you

and i think to myself, what a wonderful world

i see skies of blue and clouds of white

the bright blessed day, the dark sacred night

and i think to myself, what a wonderful world

the colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky

are also on the faces of people passing by

i see friends shaking hands, asking "how do you do?"

they're really saying "i love you"

i hear babies cry, i watch them grow

they'll learn much more than i'll ever know

and i think to myself, what a wonderful world

yes, i think to myself, what a wonderful world..

it is quite delightful that my dictionary defines paradise in a manner that won’t need me to buy a trip. i am told that paradise isn’t a venue where you pay a fortune to see breathtaking views. it is not a destination where you spend plenty bucks to catch michaelangelo-worth of sceneries.

apparently, paradise is just a state of mind where you get the rare blessing of serenity and content… an emotion you pray will embrace you forever.. the disneyland you wish will stay for a lifetime.

how, then, can one see rightly if paradise is not a place, but a mere form of bliss? not a city; rather, a feeling deep inside that no one can picture?

plain and simple, virginia. the way to paradise is in the words of the little prince:

"it is only through the heart that one can see rightly;

what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

look beyond the face of this planet. paradise is within our viewing pleasure. a landscape within reach, of which i will never get over the stage of amusement even after being there all the days of my life.

so where again is paradise? right.. i won’t find it in the map of tourist attractions. but it’s a sight to behold.
the good news is, it isn’t far away.

it’s called home.. it’s family.

my paradise.

as life goes on.