Abby and Carla at the Peryahan!

Carla (in blue jacket) and Abby (in orange shirt) enjoying the ball-throwing game. Abby got so lucky that night she won three times! I don't know if this game is rigged, as most usually are in carnivals and peryahans ... you place a P1.00 bet on a certain number and throw a ball. If it lands on the same number ... lo and behold!!! You're the proud owner of funchum or some junk food!

This picture shows a truly excited Abby as she watched her ball inching closer and closer to her number!!!

HER FUN THAT NIGHT HAS NEVER BEEN EQUALLED BY HER GAMEBOY! and that's the truth!

Carla (foreground) and Abby (background) enjoying the rickety carousel that appears older than their grandmothers under the close supervision of two hawked-eyed stage mothers ... that's in addition to the Abby's beloved Tlyn standing guard in the background!

"BO ... RING!" Verdict of this beloved twosome. They finished the ride with perfectly contrived looks of boredom complete with faces cupped by their palms for maximum effect!

A STUDY OF CONTRAST!

Pensive Carla - This picture mirrors Carla's personality - a quiet and shy child who can manage to stay put in one place for a full five minutes!

Goofy Abby - my personal whirlwind, the complete opposite of Carla! Honestly, I am getting apprehensive she might be diagnosed with some kind of hyperactive disorder (God forbid!) - she's always moving even her lola (the most formidable and tight-fisted person I know) offered her money if she would sit still for 5 minutes! Needless to say ... she didn't last 30 seconds!

Looking at these pictures made me think how children, when they're not being the spoiled brats that they sometimes are, are soooo easy to please. Take them to a roadside peryahan and you will see unbridled joy and excitement that can be equal to any trip to Disneyland!

Is it still surprising why I want that innocence preserved for as long as possible?

Whoever would want our children to become as jaded as we are?

"Been there, done that ... (ho-huuum) ... what's next? do you have anything exciting/expensive/new there?"

Do we really want our children adapting this attitude?

True happiness cannot be measured by any amount. It sounds like a well-worn cliche, I know, but whether we like it or not ... it is true!

It is in the little details of our lives, like a child's laughter, a friend's hug, or a stranger's smile. I did not write this myself, but it is so meaningful to me I am quoting the rest: "They may be small, but when we look back in our lives, we will realize that these are the things that made our lives complete!"

Another truism that we can gather from those text messages that we receive from our friends goes this way: "The way to be happy is to be grateful even for the simple blessings that come our way." Isn't it so true?

And here's another gem: "Life is pretty simple. When you're asking for apples and life hands you lemons, made lemonade. If your on your way out and it starts to rain, at least you won't have to water the plants anymore! It's simply a matter of putting things into their proper perspective."

Again, it goes back to our attitude towards the events the come into our lives. We can either choose to be pulled down or we can choose to see them in a brighter light and turn them into our advantage.

I'm getting kind of deep here. And to think that when I started writing this, I merely wanted to celebrate the simple joys of childhood that we all try so hard to reach for but couldn't quite manage. Woe to us!