About Me - A SHARED ADVENTURE

Author Pearl S. Buck says, “… life is a pure adventure shared with adventurers.”

Whenever I was asked about to say something about myself, I would always like to make mention of the special people who shared and is sharing each great adventure I have on earth.

I am fondly called “Ayeh”.  It’s a “bit off – tangent” with my real name –“ LILIA”. I just got a number of anecdotes with this “off-tangency” of my nickname with my real name. One of these is when I was in grade 5 and a classmate of mine went to the house. My mother, who happened to be at the gate, was asked by my classmate if I was there and that if she could see me for our project in school. And so my mother replied, “Wala pong Lilia dito.” Because no one calls me “Lilia” at home, even my mother got confused that “Lilia” was the name given to me at birth. 

How did I get “Ayeh” from Lilia? It was because of a childhood friend who couldn’t pronounce my first nickname “Lally” correctly. (See, I even got a nickname before “Ayeh”.) Because it’s hard for him to call me Lally, he called me “Aye.”  The spelling “Ayeh” that I use now is something I hold dearly – it was how my father spelled my nickname in the first Christmas card he sent me for he was assigned in Cebu and during that time, I just started going to school.

It seems I got much for the adventure of my nickname. J Here are some other important information I always write whenever a sort of bio-data is at hand.

I am LILIA LAYNESA LAGRIMAS. I am a residence of Earth since July 27, 1976. At present, I am taking the comfort of our humbly abode in North Signal Village, Taguig City. I am currently enrolled in MA in Innovative Mathematics Education under the School of Continuing Professional Education (SCOPE) program of University of Makati. I hailed from Nabua, Camarines Sur  but I grew up here, in Manila.

I am blessed to have my parents, Mr. Roman T. Lagrimas and Ms. Fe P. Laynesa – Lagrimas. My parents are very hardworking and very loving. They call each other “dear”. And so, they are very “dear” to us also. Though, they are now at their early senior years, they love to work with greens and yellows. At this date, they are waiting for the harvest time of “palay” for this cropping season in our province. It really is a blessing to be stewards of green – turning – yellow fields with a strike of smiling sun and a swipe of soothing air each day. They usually stay at the province during the “planting” and “harvest” time for the crops in the small parcel of land my parents had inherited from my grandparents. And I think, my parents had enjoyed “farming” now.

I am the eldest and the only princess in the family. We have three princesses – Arnold, Jayson and Rs. An angel was added to family when my brother Arnold got married in April 2012. His wife, April, gave birth to baby boy in May 18, 2013. We call him Reese. He’s adorable to see.

During my younger years, I used to be a homebody. I have friends and classmates and a “company” but I rather spend my time at home with my family. When I went to college, I realized that in order to grow, we have to get out of our comfort zones and explore the many places around us. So, whenever a great opportunity comes, I would pack my things and fly (sometimes, ride a jeep or a bus). Now that I am practicing my profession, I can say that I am in great company of friends and mentors, who just love doing simple things to spend their time and really build good ships – friendship, family relationship, stewardship, and leadership.

I used to be an editorial staff in our school publication way back in college. This has helped me in getting my first job as an editorial assistant, and later on an editor, of supplementary material for elementary and high school students of a publishing house in Pandacan, Manila. Because we hold no office during Saturdays, I took this opportunity to pursue and explore the education field. I just felt tied to papers and pens everyday at the office, proofreading materials from day 1 to day 365 of a year. It came to my thoughts that exposing myself to the actual field of teaching would be more challenging and would bear more fruit.

Three institutions made “teaching” a great adventure for me.

 Philippine Normal University (PNU) formed a teacher in me. I graduated BS Mathematics in 1997 from PNU and though my baccalaureate course is more of a liberal science rather than education, I got enticed into pursuing education as a field of profession. So I took a Certificate in Teaching Program in PNU a semester after I graduated and took the licensure examination after earning 18 units of education courses. After which, I enrolled in MA in Educational Measurement and Evaluation in 1999 and have completed its academic requirements in 2003.

University of Makati (UMak) let me experience a teacher out of me. Though teaching is not my first job, I may say teaching is a first love. After passing the licensure exam, I applied for teaching position in Taguig and Makati. After months of waiting for calls from an education institution, I landed at University of Makati in 2000. I teach Math in different programs in the university for 14 years now.

It is just interesting that my other two brothers, Jayson and Rs, are also teachers. Jayson is at the Computer Science Department of PATTS College of Aeronautics. Rs, on the other hand, is at the College of Engineering and Technology at the Rizal Technological Technology (RTU).

In 2007, I came across a community that reminds and mentors me about “teaching” and “learning” – the CFC – Singles for Christ (SFC). This I think is my third mentoring institution reminding that “a teacher is with me” and that teaching is a gift. My brothers and sisters and titos and titas in the community has continuously inspired me in many aspects that I am always hopeful for best things to happen. Truly He sends you angels on earth. They became instrumental in renewing my heart whenever I face challenges. I am grateful for their presence in each struggle and victory for I know, that my “greatest mentor,” my God, is always “hands on” for my learning in this school of life.

I may not know what the future looks like, or what is in store for me in years to come. Nobody does. Change is constant in this world, it's inevitable as they say. What the community has made me realize is that God lets you wait for bigger things - with love full of surprises and blessings. It is thus a blessing to have somebody by your side, in the presence of Denz Martinez, a very special someone that I look forward to spending grey hairs with.   That in spite and despite of the flaws and hardship a gloomy cloud may bring,  you have someone to brighten up your day. So, I always look forward to every great, challenging and rewarding adventure HE has for me. For I know, He will make me “champion” in every step of this journey with other great adventurers He willed to share this life with me.